Inspired by his quest to uncover Latino and Latina heroes and their contributions, this new three-part series brings acclaimed Broadway and film actor John Leguizamo’s passion from the stage to the screen.
VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos premieres Fridays, September 27 and October 4 and 11 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams on PBS.org and the PBS App. After the premiere, the episodes can be watched on-demand here.
Also airing on WXXI-World
Episode 1: Echoes of Empires airs on World:
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 05:00 am
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 11:00 am
Episode 2: Threads in the American Tapestry
WXXI World | Thursday, Oct. 10 at 07:00 pm
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 11 at 12:00 am
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 11 at 08:00 am
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 05:00 am
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 11:00 am
Episode 3: Solidarity in the New Era
WXXI World | Thursday, Oct. 17 at 07:00 pm
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 18 at 12:00 am
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 18 at 08:00 am
In this series, Leguizamo takes viewers on a captivating journey, delving into both well-known and lesser-known stories of Latino history and contributions, spanning thousands of years from the Ancient Empires to the early 1970s. Through this exploration, he aims to shine a light on the rich and often overlooked history of Latinos while showcasing how Latino history is American history.
Filmed on location in Mexico and throughout the U.S., American Historia features Leguizamo in conversation with over a dozen leading historians, anthropologists, authors and experts. The series also features actors, including Benjamin Bratt, Bryan Cranston, Rosario Dawson, Laurence Fishburne, Ethan Hawke, Edward James Olmos, Rosie Perez, Liev Schreiber, reading original source materials.
“If our contributions were written back into history textbooks, can you imagine how America would see us?’ says Leguizamo. “More importantly, can you imagine how we would see ourselves?”
Photo: Creator and host John Leguizamo on the set of AMERICAN HISTORIA./ Credit: NGL Studios