As a proud American of Mexican heritage, I was excited to hear about the idea of opening a Latino museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The museum would tell the story of Latinos’ fierce patriotism, hard work ethic, and devotion to their family and community, according to the organizers.

Unfortunately, over time, it became increasingly clear that I, and others, had been sold a misleading bill of goods. Instead of creating a museum with inspirational and aspirational exhibits, museum organizers are bent on making Latinos victims who need big government to get ahead. The United States, according to some of the organizers, is a racist, imperialistic, and irredeemable country.

This isn’t entirely shocking considering some of the Hollywood celebrities who have joined forces with Washington liberals and academic elites in designing the museum. They include folks such as John Leguizamo, an unapologetic liberal who starred in a recent Netflix documentary railing about America’s imperialistic and racist history despite becoming one of the most successful U.S. Latino actors.

Sadly, this isn’t the worst of it.

The Heritage Foundation’s Mike Gonzalez has done some digging and found that some of the museum organizers and professors informing the exhibits’ contents are socialists. Gonzalez wrote:

The irony, of course, is that capitalism, the free enterprise system, and economic freedom are precisely what have driven so many immigrants from Latin America to leave everything and everyone behind to make the U.S. their new home.

It’s why people continue risking their lives, including their own children’s lives , to seek a better life here in the U.S. They include many Venezuelans who are fleeing socialism and authoritarianism. After years of government control, the Venezuelan economy is in shambles . Just about everyone is struggling except for those closest to the Maduro regime.

This is the reality that liberal Latinos fail to see. They would prefer to tell a story about a racist, imperialistic country where your skin color defines your entire existence. There is nothing redeeming about this worldview. About the only solution, from those who share this grim outlook, is for the government to take greater control of our daily lives. Sound familiar?

As someone who proudly served our country in the U.S. Army, I am fiercely patriotic and know that although our country is far from perfect, I continue to believe that we are the last beacon of hope for freedom in this world.

And as a pastor, I know we should never turn a blind eye to injustices happening in our local communities and our country. But my faith also teaches me to love our neighbors and to believe in the intrinsic value of every single person made in God’s image.

Several Republican lawmakers have used the power of the purse to put a hold on any more federal funding for the National Museum of the American Latino until there is more of an attempt to provide conservative representation in the planned exhibits. I agree with them entirely.

It is better to have no Latino museum on the National Mall than a woke museum that wants to instill in this generation, and future generations, a story in which Latinos are helpless victims who need big government to get ahead.

The Rev. Tommy Vallejos is a co-founder and the executive director of Latinos for Tennessee, an organization dedicated to promoting faith, family, freedom, and fiscal responsibility to the Latino community in Tennessee.