Ken Salazar urges more Latino-themed national parks, sites

[The Northerner]

With the nation’s Latino population booming and now the country’s largest minority group, the Obama administration’s top Hispanic official is concerned that the federal government is not giving enough attention to Hispanic history and culture.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in the past year has pushed the National Park Service to identify more sites or properties related to the histories of women and minorities that could be added to the National Register of Historic Places or be preserved as national parks or historic landmarks.

“Less than 3 percent of all the national landmarks that we have — the highest designation you can receive as a historic landmark — are designated for women, Latinos, African Americans or other members of minority groups,” Salazar said in a meeting with reporters last week. “That tells you that the score is not even.”

The secretary’s concerns will be one of several issues discussed at White House meetings on Latino heritage scheduled for Wednesday. The meetings, set to bring together a who’s who of Latino business, political, religious and entertainment leaders, are slated to focus on whether the government is properly serving Hispanic students, small business owners, military veterans and artists.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ken-salazar-urges-more-latino-themed-national-parks-sites/2011/10/11/gIQAVvWgdL_story.html?hpid=z9

[slackmaster]

1. Most people don't have much of an idea what that means

They think it means something like this...



Would Cabrillo National Monument qualify as "Latino-themed?"

[joeybee12]

2. Why, so it can be designated and he can open it up for drilling?

Salazar is a major worthless asshole.

[otohara]

5. No Longer Colorado's Asshole Senator

for that I am so very grateful.

[AllyCat]

3. Will this be a concentration camp for all the "illegal immigrants" Alabama and other states

are rounding up?

[no_hypocrisy]

4. The "Other" Alamo Theme Park

[msongs]

6. whatsa matter Ken, isn't Texas big enough for your needs? nt

[LiberalFighter]

7. Why the hell does there need to be a latino-themed national park?

I wasn't aware that the national parks were based on ethnicity. They shouldn't be.

[XemaSab]

8. That makes no damn sense

Off the top of my head, Lava Beds preserves areas where Native Americans fought the US government, the Valor in the Pacific National Monument preserves Japanese internment camps, Manzanar preserves a Japanese internment camp, Rosie the Riveter National Monument pays homage to women workers, Cabrillo National Monument is where the Spanish landed in California, Port Chicago National Monument is a memorial for black sailors who were killed in an explosion, Angel Island is where Asian immigrants landed, the Presidio is where the Spanish had their fort, and virtually every national park and monument in the state was home to Native Americans and honors Native culture.

Maybe if he knew more about the National Parks system he would realize that ALL parks are set up to honor ALL Americans.

[The Northerner]

9. +100