LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA Makes Public Television Debut in Southern California Exploring Thriving Latino Communities Across the United States, Headlining Over 20 Programs Highlighting Latino Heritage Month Content on PBS SoCal
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Allison Gray
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Los Angeles, Calif. – Sept. 4, 2025 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS organization, announced today a specially curated programming lineup of documentaries, specials and dramas to celebrate National Latino Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15). PBS SoCal is committed to honoring culturally significant contributions from diverse Latino individuals and providing a platform for underrepresented stories through a robust slate of new documentaries, series and specials for Southern California viewers. Headlining the month-long lineup is PBS SoCal’s public media broadcast premiere of the documentary series LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA, which follows acclaimed award-winning actor John Leguizamo across the country to bring viewers inside America's thriving Latino communities - all with his characteristic edge, energy and wit, as evidenced by his 2024 PBS series VOCES: AMERICAN HISTORIA that will also encore throughout the month. LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA premieres on Sat., Sept. 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Originally premiering in 2023, LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA received strong reviews and ratings with episodes focusing on New York City, Miami, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and even Puerto Rico. The series, now in season two on MSNBC, serves as a celebration and exploration of LatinX culture, highlighting its diversity and deep roots within the fabric of American society, with the goal of increasing visibility and countering the erasure of Latino stories.
In VOCES: OMARA – CUBA’S LEGENDARY DIVA, the extraordinary life of beloved Cuban singer Omara Portuondo is explored, from the stages of Havana’s famed nightclubs to her worldwide fame as part of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club. The documentary portrait follows her as she performs for passionate fans from Cuba to New York to Tokyo. The film is a heartfelt celebration of an indomitable woman who has been a driving force in Afro-Cuban music for over half a century and, now in her nineties, shows no signs of slowing down. VOCES: OMARA – CUBA’S LEGENDARY DIVA premieres on Fri., Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat. Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
In addition to the October 1st premiere of the 40th ANNUAL IMAGEN AWARDS ceremony spotlighting compelling storytelling and performances by Latino creators and artists, PBS SoCal will highlight several specials during Latino Heritage Month including the 38th ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS airing on Fri., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal with recipients this year that include comedian Cheech Marin, NPR’s Felix Contreras, Rizos Curls’ Julissa Prado and global superstar Rauw Alejandro.
On Thurs., Oct. 9, PBS SoCal will support a regional LA-based screening of the upcoming 2026 documentary film at its Costa Mesa studio (3080 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626), with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the screening beginning at 7 p.m. AMERICAN SONS is a profoundly intimate documentary that traces the enduring scars of war through the story of Cpl. JV Villarreal, a Mexican American Marine from Texas, killed in action in Afghanistan. Told through raw, never-before-seen combat footage and the decade-long emotional journey of his Marine brothers and family, the film is both a tribute and a courageous exploration of grief, resilience and love. Producer Laura Varela and Producer/Director Andrew James Gonzalez will be in attendance for the event. In association with VOCES and made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Latino Public Broadcasting, Black Public Media and California Humanities. Free tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-sons-costa-mesa-premiere-with-pbs-socal-tickets-1661324027889. For more information, please visit https://americansonsfilm.com.
As LA’s PBS station, PBS SoCal’s role is to educate and inform our communities, including a responsibility to provide trusted resources during uncertain times. In this moment of increased ICE presence in Southern California, that means offering fact-based resources and creating a space for understanding—across languages, communities and experiences. As a result, PBS SoCal’s broadcast channel PBS SoCal Plus will be premiering content that highlights the Latino experience every Saturday night with additional relevant programs including EAST LA INTERCHANGE, AMERICAN MASTERS: A SONG FOR CESAR, POV: THE AGE OF WATER and POV: BULLS AND SAINTS.
Included in the lineup of Latino Heritage Month are the following series, specials and documentaries that will telecast as follows (*subject to change*):
LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA “New York City” – Sat., Sept. 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John explores the Latin culture's influence on the nation's culture capital: New York City.
VOCES: ALMOST AMERICAN – Sat., Sept. 6 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A Salvadoran family fights to stay together after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revokes the Temporary Protected Status of six countries.
POV THE AGE OF WATER – Mon., Sept. 8 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., Sept. 13 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
When three children die of leukemia in a rural Mexican community, two mothers partner with a scientist to investigate their water supply.
LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA “Miami” – Sat., Sept. 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John tours Miami's historic sector, Little Havana, with community leader Marvin Tapia, and discusses the influence of the Cuban community in Miami.
EAST LA INTERCHANGE – Sat., Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus– New!
The film follows the evolution of working-class, immigrant Boyle Heights from multicultural to predominantly Latino and a center of Mexican-American culture.
EL MOLE – Wed., Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The cultural history of one of the most emblematic dishes of Mexican cuisine and its place of origin — Puebla, Mexico.
QUINCEAÑERA – Wed., Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
In Latin American cultures, the transition from girlhood to womanhood is celebrated on a girl's 15th birthday with an event known as the Quinceañera. This event brings families together for a party filled with meaningful symbols that signify the farewell to childhood and the beginning of her new role as a woman in society. This documentary focuses on various birthday celebrations across different social strata in Mexico, highlighting the sociological themes associated with this significant occasion. Writer Guadalupe Loaeza offers insights and commentary on this cultural phenomenon.
LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA “Washington, D.C.” – Sat., Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John explores Latino contributions to U.S. history and politics in Washington, D.C., including the need for a Latino Museum on the National Mall.
MADE IN L.A. – Sat., Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
The film follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a mega-trendy clothing retailer.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS: “Mexican Roots” – Tues., Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the deep Mexican roots of talk show host Mario Lopez and comedian Melissa Villaseñor, uncovering ancestors stretching back to the 1500s. Weaving together stories of migratory farmers, Spanish Conquistadors and Native Americans, Gates conjures up personal histories of diverse, sometimes conflicting, elements.
AMERICAN MASTERS “Orozco: Man of Fire” (En Español) – Tues., Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Muralist José Clemente Orozco, a leader of the Mexican Renaissance, inspires President Franklin Roosevelt to hire painters to work on public walls during the Great Depression.
VOCES AMERICAN HISTORIA: The Untold History of Latinos “Echoes of Empires” – Thurs., Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Join host John Leguizamo as he examines the accomplishments and rise of the Great Empires and civilizations in Mexico, South America and the Caribbean, from the Taino to the Olmec, Inca, Maya, Aztec and more. The episode tells the story of the fall of the great civilizations that were already here before Columbus landed.
VOCES AMERICAN HISTORIA: The Untold History of Latinos “Threads in the American Tapestry” – Thurs., Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
John Leguizamo reflects on Pre-Colonial North America, the American Revolutionary War, the Mexican American War, the Civil War and Westward Expansion as we learn how Latino participation has influenced the course of the nation’s history. This episode highlights key figures and events in the colonization throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Central America.
VOCES AMERICAN HISTORIA: The Untold History of Latinos “Solidarity in a New Era” – Thurs., Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Join host John Leguizamo as he learns how Latinos have shaped modern America.
BECOMING FRIDA KAHLO: “The Making and Breaking” (Part 1) – Fri., Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore the early life of Frida Kahlo as she discovers her genius for painting, in this first of a three-part docu-series.
38th HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS – Fri., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
The evening commemorates Latino Heritage Month includes performances and appearances by artists and visionaries with recipients this year that include comedian Cheech Marin, NPR’s Felix Contreras, Rizos Curls’ Julissa Prado and global superstar Rauw Alejandro.
VOCES: OMARA – CUBA’S LEGENDARY DIVA – Fri., Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat. Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
This portrait of the beloved Cuban singer Omara Portuondo explores her extraordinary life, from the stages of Havana’s famed nightclubs to her worldwide fame as part of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club.
LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA “Chicago” – Sat., Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John explores Chicago's vibrant Latin community, meets local heroes and learns about the largest mass deportation of undocumented workers in American history.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS: “Latin Roots” – Tues., Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps musician Rubén Blades and journalist Natalie Morales uncover their hidden roots in Latin America.
40th ANNUAL IMAGEN AWARDS – Wed., Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Thurs., Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
The 40th annual Imagen Awards celebrates Hollywood’s most famous Latino entertainers, directors and writers in film, television and streaming. The milestone event recognizes stellar achievements across 27 categories, spotlighting compelling storytelling and performances by Latino creators and artists. Among this year’s honorees are John Leguizamo, Liza Colón-Zayas, Benjamin Bratt, Barbie Ferreira, Fede Álvarez, Sofia Carson and Sasha Calle.
AMERICAN MASTERS: A SONG FOR CESAR – Thurs., Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., Oct. 4 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A documentary film that explores the life and work of Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist and labor leader who used music as a tool to unite and inspire. Told through interviews with Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and more.
BECOMING FRIDA KAHLO: “Love and Loss” (Part 2) – Fri., Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
When an accident changes Frida's life, she channels pain and heartache into a new passion: painting. She meets Diego Rivera and her creative and romantic dreams begin to take shape.
LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA “Puerto Rico” – Sat., Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon., Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John travels to the island of Puerto Rico to highlight the many ways in which the island and its people have influenced American culture and the ways in which America is influencing theirs.
BECOMING FRIDA KAHLO: “A Star Is Born” (Part 3) – Fri., Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore Frida Kahlo’s later life, including her affair with Leon Trotsky, her trip to Paris on the eve of World War II and her return to Mexico where she divorces then remarries Diego Rivera before her death.
LEGUIZAMO DOES AMERICA “Los Angeles” – Sat., Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Mon, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John travels to Los Angeles to explore the lack of Latinx representation in the film and television industry; he meets up with several game changers to discuss what needs to happen to achieve real equity.
POV: BULLS AND SAINTS – Sat., Oct. 11 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
After 20 years living in the United States, an undocumented family decides to return home.
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