Latinos A Photographic Celebration.

• Position: Americanos: Latino Life in the United States - Brief Article

An insightful exhibition shows Hispanic Americans in their many roles and reveals the indelible mark they have made in the U.S.

IN A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP, The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum and The Field Museum, both in Chicago, are presenting an exhibition, "Americanos: Latino Life in the United States," a photographic celebration of Latino cultures in this country. It contains 120 photos organized into six sections representing different aspects of Latino life. The Field Museum features the sections depicting Family, Work, Sports, and Culture and the Arts. The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum showcases photos of Community and Spiritual Life.

The exhibition shows an extraordinary and surprising view of the breadth and variety of the Latino experience, encompassing the spectra of national origin, economic status, education, professions, religion, and language. Through the medium of photography at its highest artistic level, "Americanos" explores the complexity of interconnected cultures and presents a fascinating self-portrait of Latino America.

The intimate portrait of Latino Americans was the idea of actor-producer Edward James Olmos. He explains the exhibition this way: "Why `Americanos'? There are several reasons. Too often, this society sees us not as Americans, but as strangers of this land. We have worked hard to help build this country and we continue to do so every day. When people see the face of America, they need to also see our images included. Second, as Latinos, we often think of Americanos as the others in this country, not us. We, and especially our children, need to see that we are an integral and equal part of this society. Third, we wanted a title that would recognize and honor our bilingual heritage and would be easily understood in both English and Spanish. And finally, we wanted to illustrate that, much like a quilt woven with many intricate and beautiful fibers, Latinos are a proud and diverse people interwoven with indigenous, Spanish/European, African, and Asian roots. We are citizens not only of the United States of America, but of all the Americas and countries around the world."

A distinguished jury of photojournalists selected the photographs commissioned for the exhibition. They worked with the Smithsonian Institution and Olmos Productions to bring to the public both familiar and unfamiliar images. From fashion designer to clergyman to migrant farm worker, the pictures reveal the diversity and synergy--as well...