L. Stephen Velasquez, MA

Stephen Velasquez is a Curator for the Division of Home and Community Life, National Museum of American History. Research interests include Latino history, immigration, food and agricultural labor history, and entertainment.  He was co-curator for the exhibitions Food: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000and Many Voices, One Nationas well as the newly opened Entertainment Nation. He is currently involved in a research project on Mexican vineyard workers in Napa and a future exhibit on lowrider cars. He is part of the curatorial team for the Food History Initiative and related public program series, Cooking Up History and Food History Weekend. Past projects include the Bracero Oral History Project and associated traveling exhibit, Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program 1942-1964 as well as Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian. Other Latino related exhibits include Mexican Treasures at the Smithsonian; AZUCAR! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz; A Collector’s Vision of Puerto Rico, as well as many other exhibit cases, special projects, and publications.  He holds a master’s degree in Anthropology from The George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri.