July 6, 2011 – Washington, D.C. – The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) proudly joined today Congressman James Moran (D-VA), Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Director of the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People Sam Eskenazi, and supporting Coalition organizations at a press conference before the U.S. Capitol where Congressman Moran announced a bill to “study the establishment of a Museum of the American People devoted to the role immigration and migration played in development of American society.”
Congressman James Moran, a leading member of Congress for over two decades, of Irish descent, is a member of the newly-formed Congressional Macedonia Caucus. Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), which is of Italian descent, a member of the Congressional Macedonia Caucus, and a UMD Macedonia Friendship Award recipient, joined Congressman Moran as an original co-sponsor of this bill today.
“With 160 museums and monuments along the National Mall, there is no one institution telling the complete narrative of the many, vibrant ethnicities that make up the fabric of the American experience,” Rep. Moran said. “There should always be room for museums in our nation’s capital devoted to all manner of art, cultural and scientific accomplishments, but we must leave future generations room on the National Mall to honor their heroes and causes. The Museum of the American People would bring together all the stories of the ethnicities that make up the fabric of our society, precluding the need for more and more individual museums representing one particular ethnicity or culture.”
“The United States was uniquely created and built by peoples from every land,” said Sam Eskenazi, Director of the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People. “I envision the museum becoming a national pilgrimage destination for all Americans, and for foreign visitors who would learn about natives from their countries who became Americans. It could become one of the world’s most visited museums.”
“UMD, the voice of our nation’s more than half a million Macedonian-Americans, is proud to support this outstanding initiative to document all American immigrant stories including those of Macedonians who started arriving from the time of Christopher Columbus in 1492,” said UMD President Metodija A. Koloski during the press conference. “I congratulate Congressman Moran and Sam Eskenazi for their important leadership.”
UMD has been a proud member of the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People since March 2009. As of July 6, 2011, 142 organizations have joined the Coalition representing a broad range of national ethnic/minority and other groups in the United States.
To read Congressman Moran’s press release, please visit:
http://moran.house.gov/apps/list/press/va08_moran/AmPplMuseum.shtml
To read Congressman Moran’s July 7 Op-Ed in Politico, please visit: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58404.html
To read more on the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People, please visit: http://www.nmap2015.com/index.html