VIRTUAL: Nuestra América: Stories of 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States with Smithsonian Educators

Join us in conversation with Smithsonian professionals Adrián Aldaba and Emily Key as they discuss Nuestra América and highlight inspiring stories of Latinos throughout history, as well as their incredible contributions to the cultural, social, and political character of the United States.

The stories in Nuestra América cover each figure's cultural background and childhood, and their accomplishments or contributions to American history. A glossary of terms and discussion question-filled reading guide, created by the National Museum of the American Latino, encourages further research and exploration. The museum has featured twenty-three of these stories in its exhibition ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States, the first exhibition to feature U.S. Latino history at the national level.

Featuring beautifully illustrated portraits by Gloria Félix, this is a book that children (and adults) will page through and learn from again and again. A must have for every school and home library to help students understand the American story!

 About the Presenters: Adrián Aldaba, a Chicago native, is the national programs manager for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino. Aldaba co-authored Strategies for Engaging and Representing Latinos in Museums, a free resource released by the American Alliance of Museums Latino Network. Aldaba joined the Smithsonian more than a decade ago after working as a research assistant for the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. He earned his A.B. cum laude in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard College.

Emily Key is the assistant director of Learning and Public Engagement at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino where she developed the museum’s learning continuum and education vision centered on creating opportunities for visitors to experience, learn, reflect, and transform by sparking curiosity and encouraging life-long learning.  Prior to the museum, she led education efforts for the Smithsonian Latino Center and worked in the education department of the National Air and Space Museum. Key holds a graduate certificate in arts and culture strategy from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from the George Washington University.

**Note: While the book will be discussed, please be aware the presenter may explore other topics in the related fields suiting their additional expertise. Presenters can be expected to be experts in the field; however, for the Smithsonian and Library Speakers Consortium Collaboration they may not always be the author of the book being highlighted.