New Signs to Warn Smithsonian Visitors

Earlier this month, Kevin noted that the Second Trump Administration's investigative report concerning the Smithsonian included a defense of the Chinese Exclusion Act as, shockingly, not racially motivated.

Here's the key language–from page 111 with footnotes omitted:

In addition to attacking America’s white Christian Founders, NMAH’s exhibits also portray restrictive immigration laws as a tool of white supremacy. The Many Voices, One Nation didactic entitled “Negotiating Inclusion” alleges that when “thousands of Chinese journeyed to the American West, encouraged by the promise of gold rush opportunity” in the 1850s, “[t]heir race…troubled white Americans,” leading to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, “the first of many restrictive immigration laws.” Another states, “White laborers considered the Chinese competition and responded with hostility.”"

(By the by – the report isn't well proofread. The above snippet appears twice on the same page!)

Now, the President has issued an executive order directing the National Park Service to "install temporary signage along the NPS-maintained sidewalks and walkways used by the public to access the Museum, informing visitors of the findings of the" Smithsonian report.

So, his directive is broad. I'm sure the ultimate signs will be something like "Don't believe everything you see in this museum where things are slanted by left wing indoctrinators."

BUT.

I decided to lean into what everyone (including our president) is doing these days... I asked ChatGPT to create a poster to clear up any confusion about the Chinese Exclusion Act.

An absolute win.