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John Leguizamo’s PBS series ‘American Historia’ unravels Latino history and triumph

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John Leguizamo's PBS series 'American Historia' unravels Latino history and triumph

As a long-time cinema enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the rich tapestry of films and documentaries, I must say that John Leguizamo’s latest project is a breath of fresh air. As someone who grew up with a mix of Colombian heritage and Queens grit, I resonate deeply with his passion to uncover and share the untold stories of Latinos in American history.

I, too, find it disheartening that Latino narratives have often been overlooked in the annals of American history. Yet, just as he has done before, John Leguizamo continues to take action, using his platform to bring these important stories to light once more.

An acclaimed actor and producer serves as both the presenter and driving influence for a fresh PBS program titled “American Historia: The Hidden History of Latinos,” set to debut on September 27.

Under Ben DeJesus’ direction, this three-part series delves into the life of the humorist known for his “Freak” comedy act, as he sheds light on untold chapters of Latino-American history typically omitted from school texts.

Through the insights of historians, anthropologists, writers, and performances by actors like Benjamin Bratt, Rosario Dawson, Edward James Olmos, and Rosie Perez, this series aims to emphasize the centuries-old presence of Latinos in the United States and highlight their significant contributions.

In an interview with The Times, Leguizamo shares that this endeavor holds a deep personal interest for him and represents his unique cultural offering to the American Latino community.

The first episode, “Echoes of Empires,” highlights Indigenous communities pre-colonization.

DeJesus remarked, “Much of the history we learn tends to be told from the perspective of the colonizers. It seems like their arrival in the Caribbean is often considered the start of our existence, as if we had no presence before then.

One example showcases the impressive Incas’ ancient practice of trepanation, a type of neurosurgery where a hole was drilled in the skull to alleviate pressure. Remarkably, this procedure had an 80% success rate, significantly higher than the survival rate of cranial operations performed during the American Civil War 400 years later, which stood at only 50%.

As a devoted cinephile, I’m eager to champion the untold stories that often get overlooked or distorted in mainstream films. From acknowledging the remarkable medical achievements of Indigenous civilizations prior to colonization, to illuminating the significant contributions to civil rights made by Latinos in the United States, Leguizamo and DeJesus aim to restore these narratives to their rightful place in our cultural consciousness.

The Colombian-born, Queens-raised actor stated, “We’ve been present since 1492, even before that time, yet our presence seems to be overlooked, erased, and excluded in many aspects of America. This invisibility in media, corporate environments, and decision-making spaces is truly disheartening.

Leguizamo believes “American Historia” can be the corrective, calling it a “vaccine” to remedy the lack of representation in textbooks.

A recently published report by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and UnidosUS highlights that approximately 87% of significant topics in Latino history are either absent or briefly mentioned (in five sentences or less) in U.S. textbooks. The analysis of six textbooks revealed that the only notable achievement of Latinos in the last two centuries that was discussed was Sonia Sotomayor’s appointment to the United States Supreme Court.

Furthermore, Leguizamo emphasized, noting that many Latino students fail to find their likeness in the history they study, as it’s projected that one-third of all public school students will be Latino by the year 2030.

Leguizamo stated, “They may misuse and exploit us, even stripping us of our political influence.” He added that this situation enables others to view us as different or ‘other’ because our significant contributions to building this nation are often overlooked.

The actor is no stranger to being critical of Latino deprived histories.

The one-man Broadway show turned Netflix special titled “Latino History for Morons,” which earned Tony nominations, aimed humorously to compact 3,000 years of Latino history into a 90-minute educational session. This project came to life when he noticed that his adolescent son wasn’t being taught about his own Latin heritage in school.

In “John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway” documentary from 2018, DeJesus recounted a statement that John made while working on his show “Latin History for Morons,” which really struck a chord with him.

DeJesus remarked, “Don’t you think it’s fascinating to ponder how others might perceive us if they were aware of the remarkable achievements we had in establishing this nation?

For a number of years, these two individuals have collaborated closely on narratives that focus on Latino culture. They’ve been involved with projects such as “American Masters: Raúl Juliá” for PBS, which celebrated the memory of the popular “Addams Family” actor, and the special series “Lights, Camera, Acción,” highlighting influential Latinos in the entertainment sector for television. Last year, they delved into various aspects of Latino communities, histories, and cuisines throughout the United States with their six-part MSNBC series titled “Leguizamo Does America.

DeJesus praised John highly, stating that it takes courage to put one’s career on the line and speak up about the scarcity of Latino representation,” he said.

Approximately two years ago, an actor published a public letter in The Times advocating for greater representation of Latinos within the entertainment industry. At that time, as per the 2022 report by the Latino Donor Collaborative on Latinos in Media, only 2.6% of leads in shows were Latino, despite the fact that Latinos comprise 19.1% of the U.S. population.

Leguizamo expressed the need for a more effective pathway for Latino representation in films, television series, and stage productions. He advocated for a framework that would facilitate the telling of our narratives and the execution of our projects. In essence, he called for decision-makers to give the go-ahead (the greenlight) for such initiatives.

At this year’s 76th Emmy Awards, I proudly stood on stage and spoke candidly about the evolving terrain of Latino representation in entertainment. I playfully hinted that my persistent “voicing concerns,” as seen in a June ad in The New York Times advocating for greater diversity among nominees, had finally borne fruit.

However, although the advertisement was effective, it didn’t cause an overnight transformation in Hollywood. In reality, it didn’t. Yet, the sight I see tonight brings me closer to happiness and considerably reduces my anger, because tonight’s list of nominees is one of the most diverse ever in Emmy history, according to him.

On September 27th, “American Historia: The Hidden History of Latinos” makes its debut. Subsequent episodes, the second and last ones, will air on October 4th and October 11th respectively.

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2024-09-27 02:01

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