It's hard to imagine learning history that only tells part of the truth. Unfortunately, the content of public school textbooks often fails to present the complete story of American life.
Actor John Leguizamo, a native of New York City, expressed to Idaho Today in an exclusive interview with director Ben DeJesus that he finally feels "seen." This realization has profoundly impacted his life and the lives of his children and grandchildren.
In American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos, the overlooked true stories that underscore the importance of Latino and indigenous histories are vividly brought to life. John Leguizamo and director Ben DeJesus take viewers on a vibrant and compelling journey, showcasing well-known and lesser-known stories of Latino history related to world culture and American history. Their collective creative vision for the series was to create a visual 'history book' that represents the contributions of Latino people over thousands of years—not only to the rise and success of the United States but also to crucial technological, medical, and scientific advances originating from ancient empires that are still relevant in society today.
The series is enlightening and entertaining, filled with great stories of lesser-known figures like Lola Sanchez, The Herrera Brothers, aka Las Gorras Blancas, and Admiral David Farragut, for all audiences to enjoy watching.
The three-part series spans thousands of years, from the Ancient Empires of the Olmecs, Mayans, Inca, and Aztecs to the present day. The show credits Latino veterans with their due in sacrifice and numbers fighting for America and the often overlooked history of lesser-known Latinos who have shaped and contributed to America in profound ways. Their teams visually bring these stories to life with featured art from the period, filming artifacts and locations, and even shooting where the historical events took place.
John notes that "History is written by the victors," as the production team researched and found images, some recreated accurately through academic consultation, of Indigenous, Latino, or Afro-Caribbean populations. Some imagery was preserved from the 16th century up through the Civil War. From the Spanish conquistadors to the 19th-century railroad barons to the Texas Rangers during the Civil War years, they comb through our collective past with guidance from a top-notch academic team: Davíd Carrasco, Professor of Latin American Studies at Harvard University, who specializes in Mexican American history of religion and Mesoamerica; María Elena Fernández, Professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Northridge, who has been teaching history of the Americas, Chicana/o history, and women in Latin America for 20 years; and José C. Moya, Professor of History at Barnard College with a focus on global migration all complemented each other in their respective areas of expertise, adding a veracity and strong narrative to American Historia's purpose to educate people to the fascinating stories of Latino people through time.
The series will be available on your favorite streaming platforms, including pbs.org and the PBS app.