VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos

After Sylvia Mendez was denied school enrollment due to her darker skin, her family – and other Mexican families who had faced the same discrimination – brought a lawsuit against the Westminster School District of Orange County, California. Represented by civil rights attorney David Marcus, they won the case, which established a crucial precedent for the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

Historian Paul Ortiz calls the rise of the United Farm Workers “the single most important event in Latinx history.” John Leguizamo meets Dolores Huerta, who formed the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with César Chávez in 1965, and hears firsthand about their struggles – and victories – in fighting for the rights of farmworkers.

Latinos were instrumental in winning the American Revolution. John Leguizamo and historians share stories of Bernardo de Gálvez and other Latino patriots whose contributions were vital in winning the fight for American independence.

After the Civil War, goods were in high demand, especially in the West where towns and cities were springing up overnight. But major railroad infrastructure was needed to connect the wide-spanning country – and Mexican and Mexican American track workers known as “traqueros” were instrumental in bringing the railways to the Southwest, allowing for the rise of cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Teotihuacán was the great capital of Mesoamerica, and one of the cradles of Western Civilization. Alongside archaeologist Sergio Gómez Chávez, John Leguizamo explores the network of tunnels beneath the great pyramids of Teotihuacán that was unearthed in 2003 – originally built two thousand years ago, without the use of machinery or power tools.

La Malinche served as Hernán Cortés's interpreter, and provided him with sensitive information that aided his conquest of Mexico, leading many to view her as a traitor to her people. But she was also enslaved by Cortés, and many now see her as an icon of motherhood and feminine power. John Leguizamo and historians explore this complicated legacy.

Join creator and host John Leguizamo on a quest to uncover Latino and Latina heroes and their contributions. Leguizamo takes viewers on a captivating journey, delving into both well-known and lesser-known stories of Latino history, spanning thousands of years, from the Ancient Empires to the present, and shining a light on the rich and often overlooked history of Latinos.