Our exhibition, Mirror, Mirror: Reflections of American Stories in Disney Parks, begins and ends with maps. Why? Maps are wayfinding guides, helping travelers navigate. But they can also give clues to the deeper meaning of a place. The style, form, language, and imagery of a map can tell readers a lot about the time and culture in which it was created. Viewing maps of the same spaces made at different times is a good way to visualize cultural change. The entrance of “Mirror, Mirror” features Disney Park maps from 1958 and 1973, while the exit shows maps from 2022. Mirror, Mirror looks at how ..read more

As in many Latinx homes across the United States, when Walter Mercado (1932–2019) came on-screen, my mother would tell my sisters and me to stop what we were doing and quiet down as she turned up the volume on the television. Everyone knew to pay attention since the man was going to give us our horoscopes and provide positive affirmations to help us get through the day. Puerto Rican icon Mercado had an extensive career that spanned 50 years across radio, film, and television. Yet, for millions of Latinx people, he is most known for spreading positive affirmations as an astrologer and self-pro ..read more

In the almost 130 years since the Smithsonian Institution acquired Abraham Lincoln’s black silk necktie, the museum’s curators gave very little thought to this personal piece of the president’s clothing. It wasn’t until presidential historian Jon Meacham came to the National Museum of American History that the tie grabbed our attention. Abraham Lincoln’s tie, complete with its pre-tied, slightly askew bow (PL.006362) Meacham, who was working on his recently published Lincoln biography, asked to see items in the collection. For his visit, staff from the Division of Political History carefully ..read more

“¡Ataca Yomo! (Attack Yomo!),” shouts singer Héctor Lavoe as the bright notes of what sounds like a guitar solo start flying by our ears in the middle of the iconic salsa hit “La Murga.” But what we’re hearing isn’t a guitar; it’s a cuatro—a stringed instrument from Puerto Rico—and the man behind this intense and virtuosic solo is Yomo Toro. Born on July 26, 1933, in Guánica, Puerto Rico, Víctor Guillermo “Yomo” Toro is one of the most celebrated Puerto Rican cuatro players. Throughout his 60+ year career, he played a variety of genres with countless artists, though he is most widely recogniz ..read more

“¡Ataca Yomo! (Attack Yomo!),” shouts singer Héctor Lavoe as the bright notes of what sounds like a guitar solo start flying by our ears in the middle of the iconic salsa hit “La Murga.” But what we’re hearing isn’t a guitar; it’s a cuatro—a stringed instrument from Puerto Rico—and the man behind this intense and virtuosic solo is Yomo Toro. Born on July 26, 1933, in Guánica, Puerto Rico, Víctor Guillermo “Yomo” Toro is one of the most celebrated Puerto Rican cuatro players. Throughout his 60+ year career, he played a variety of genres with countless artists, though he is most widely recogniz ..read more

Why do people leave their homelands to establish lives in other countries? What factors do people consider in leaving behind their belongings, livelihoods, and even friends and family? Lucía Mondragón made the difficult decision to flee her home country to save herself and her children from harm. After losing her father to the dangers of migration, Lucia Mondragón resolved never to take the same risks. But years later, as a parent herself, she would have to break her vow—making the long journey from El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, to seek asylum in the United States. Mondragón was ..read more

When Elvira Arellano claimed sanctuary in a Chicago church in June 2006, she saw herself as a single mom, working to make a life for herself and her eight-year-old son. But her actions would mark a launching point for what became the New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) and, indeed, Arellano would emerge as one of its leaders. As an outspoken organizer, advocate, and public figure, she helped bring together migrants, activists, and local jurisdictions in a national effort for migrant justice. Four years earlier, in 2002, Arellano was arrested during a workplace raid at Chicago’s O’Hare International ..read more

These three posters from the 1980s display activist organizations opposing U.S. intervention in El Salvador. (2015.0066.17, 1984.0796.108, and 1984.0471.18)   When you look at these posters, what do you see? They all mention El Salvador and date from the 1980s, during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. They call for peace (an image of a dove, demands against war). One urges “all of us” to see ourselves as connected to Salvadorans. One links the devastation of the Vietnam War to El Salvador and Central America, transferring public disapproval between the two. And one makes expansive calls, n ..read more

Who is a threat? Who deserves protection? And who is responsible for providing it? Over the past forty years, sanctuary has become a far-reaching concept. Within the realm of immigration, sanctuary has described varied efforts to protect the rights of migrants from deportation, family separation, and other forms of harm. Some local governments, for example, have proclaimed themselves “sanctuary cities,” protecting vulnerable migrants against federal immigration authorities. Other grassroots organizations, in contrast, have seized upon the term to declare sites for “pro-life sanctuaries,” refl ..read more

Tampons. Sanitary napkins and belts. Menstrual cups, sponges, and other period products. Women and girls around the world depend on these items in order to fully participate in school, work, and play. Yet 100 years ago—when the crude phrase “on the rag” meant, well, on the rag—few options were available. Though they are rarely preserved in museum collections, period products changed history. The museum is excited to announce the acquisition of an extraordinary collection—475 artifacts and 7.5 cubic feet of archival materials—that documents the history of menstrual products and their impact on ..read more