Mr. President. it is strange and remarkable that the Smithsonian. our leading national educational institution. has never properly devoted itself to presenting this central experience in our history. Aside from occasional. temporary exhibits on a specific immigration or migration subject. such as the National Museums current exhibit on the northern migration of African Americans. none of the Smithsonians many museums and facilities has taken it upon itself to examine any aspect of the peopling of America phenomenon. much less offered a global review of the subject. In part. this derives from the fact that the Smithsonian. for all its reputation as worldclass research and educational organization. remains an institution rooted in 19th century intellectual taxonomy. For example. during the early years of the Smithsonian. the cultures of Northern and Western European Americans were originally represented at the Museum of Science and Industry. which eventually became the National Museum of American History.
Keywords matched
immigration