Commemorating Hispanic History in Congress - United States Capitol Historical Society

Celebrating a Milestone, Embracing the Future!

Commemorating Hispanic History in Congress 2025 Symposium

In 2025, the 119th Congress set a new benchmark with 52 Latino members, the highest in U.S. history — including seven U.S. Senators and 45 Members of the House of Representatives. Yet, with Latinos comprising over 20% of the U.S. population but holding just 10% of Congressional seats, the gap in representation remains.

To mark this historic milestone and spark a broader national dialogue, the United States Capitol Historical Society invites you to an extraordinary, one-day symposium exploring the complex and evolving legacy of Latino representation in the U.S. Congress.

This powerful gathering of lawmakers, scholars, Congressional staff, and cultural and civic leaders will reflect on the past, examine the present, and imagine a more equitable future for Latino political engagement in the United States.

Program Schedule

Coffee & Registration 8:30 am
Presentation 9:30 am

Hispanic Trailblazers in Congressional History
Panel 1 10:45 am

Latino Voices Behind the Scenes – Congressional Staff Perspectives
Lunch 12:00 pm
Panel 2 2:15 pm

Latino Politics & Cultural Power
Panel 3 2:15 pm

From Firsts to the Future – Latino Representation Today
Closing Reflections 3:30 pm

Speakers

Presentation

Hispanic Trailblazers in Congressional History

Katherine A. Scott

United States Senate Historian

U.S. Senate

Matthew Wasniewski

Historian of the House of Representatives

U.S. House of Representatives

Panel 1

Latino Voices Behind the Scenes – Congressional Staff Perspectives

Leonardo Mendoza

President of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association

U.S. House of Representatives

Patrick Herrera

President of the GOP Latinos Staff Association

U.S. House of Representatives

Mary Ann Gomez Orta

President & CEO

Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute

Juan Manuel Martinez

Senior Manager, Government Relations

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Panel 2

Latino Politics & Cultural Power

Carmen Lamas

Latino/a Literature and Studies Professor

University of Virginia

Carlos Orta

President & CEO

The Latino Coalition

Jorge Zamanillo

Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino

Smithsonian Institution

Panel 3

From Firsts to the Future – Latino Representation Today

The Honorable Tony Gonzales

Congressman (R-TX)

U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen

Former Congresswoman (R-FL)

U.S. House of Representatives

About Us:

Discover the heart of American history with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society! Founded in 1962, the Society has proudly worked to preserve and share the history of the Capitol, the Congress, and the people who work therein. As a nonpartisan, educational 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Society was chartered by Congress in 1978, in part, “to foster and increase an informed patriotism.” In service of this mission, the Society conducts historical tours of the Capitol Building, hosts both virtual and in-person public history programming, publishes scholarly research in various aspects of Capitol History, coordinates a digital civics education resource hub for teachers, manages a renowned civics education field trip program for Title I D.C. public school students, and commissions works of fine art for the Capitol collections.