Latinos will take center stage during the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Rosie Rios, the former U.S. treasurer and head of the planning commission, tells Axios Latino.
The big picture: Latinos are deeply underrepresented in media, government, national politics and business — and their history is rarely taught in schools.
Catch up quick: Congress established the nonpartisan Semiquincentennial Commission, composed of private citizens, members of Congress and government appointees, in 2016.
- Rios, who served as U.S. treasurer from 2009 to 2016, was appointed chair of the commission last year.
- The commission, which also goes by America 250, is creating nationwide commemorations in partnership with organizations like the MLB and YWCA. It’s also aiming for every state and D.C. to have their own commission.
What she’s saying: Rios says that, as the fastest growing demographic, Latinos will be “front and center” in the commemorations, which are still being planned.
- Rios, who grew up in Northern California as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, is heading a national publicity campaign for the anniversary that she says will be focused on storytelling.
- “Everyone has a different narrative, and America means different things to many people, and I think this is really going to be something that we want people to see themselves in,” Rios says.
- “The American dream is very real for me, and it was very real for my mom and my family,” says Rios, who fondly remembers the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976. “To have my kids feel a love of country, the way I felt in 1976, is a personal aspiration for this process.”
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