AEI's Campus Exchange and the Panorama Podcast (panoramapodcast.org) present this conversation from the Future of Hispanic Politics virtual conference just in time to register for our first in-person National Student Conference on Hispanic Politics! The American Enterprise Institute’s Academic Programs department is proud to partner with the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and Florida International University for a program that is open to undergraduate students from all political and ethnic backgrounds. Learn more and apply here by September 12th: https://www.aei.org/national-student-hispanic-conference/

What does integrity in political leadership look like? How do we commit to truth in political and social life? Welcome to the new academic year and Season 2 of the Campus Exchange! Former Congressman Carlos Curbelo joins the Academic Programs team to share his insights from his time in public service. In the next decade Hispanic politicians, community activists, and business leaders are poised to influence the American political and social landscape. What sort of issues will this generation of leaders focus on? How might they shake up our current understanding of partisanship and polarization? And what lessons can they learn from leaders that came before them? All this and more in this special crossover episode.

In this bonus episode, Gil and Luis return to discuss recent developments and debates surrounding the establishment of a Smithsonian museum for Latino history. After presenting the conservative arguments for and against the museum, the conversation turns to the broader implications the museum has for Latino and American identity.

Relevant articles:

Sen. Mike Lee on his opposition to the establishment of a Smithsonian museum for Latino or women's history: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/mike-lee-smithsonian/index.html

Mike Gonzalez on why we don't need a national museum of Latino history: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-dont-need-a-national-latino-museum/2016/09/23/7f5a0308-7f59-11e6-9070-5c4905bf40dc_story.html

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on why we should have a museum of Latino history: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/opinion/national-latino-museum.html

Lear more about our podcast at our website, panoramapodcast.org

In the season finale of Panorama, Gil and Luis talk with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Latina elected to Congress. They discuss her nickname for Carlos Curbelo, why she is a conservative, stories from her congressional career, recent GOP gains with women and Latinos, what sort of messaging the GOP can employ going forward to continue improving with Latinos, the importance of a Smithsonian Museum for American Latinos, and why polarization has worsened as well as how to maintain friendships across the aisle. Afterwards, Gil and Luis reflect on the season and discuss their takeaways.

About the guest: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen served in the U.S. House of Representatives for thirty years as the member from Florida's 27th district. Her tenure marked many firsts: She was the first Latina elected to Congress, the first Cuban American, and the first Republican woman to represent Florida in the House. During her career she served as the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and led on issues like the environment, LGBT rights, and foreign policy. She is currently a Senior Advisor at Akin Gump LLP.

Ileana's op-eds mentioned in this episode:
"Where Is the Smithsonian Museum for American Latinos?"- New York Times
"The key to winning the Cuban American vote."- Boston Globe

Learn more, get in touch, and stay connected with us on our website, panoramapodcast.org.