PBS Partners with Latino Public Broadcasting with Funding From Corporation of Public Broadcasting
Arlington, VA — Latino Americans, a three-part, six-hour documentary series to be produced by WETA Washington, D.C.; Bosch and Company, Inc., and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), will air nationwide on PBS in the Fall of 2013, the production partners announced today. Latino Americans, will chronicle the lives and experiences of Latinos in the United States from 1800 to the 21st Century.
Latino Americans will examine the untold history that spans more than two centuries, exploring the rise and transformation of the idea of a “Latino American” identity, formed from people of diverse backgrounds, different countries, socioeconomic classes, educational levels and opposing political agendas. The series will portray how unique and diverse the Latino culture is and yet how much they all share through a powerful identity, their Latinidad.
Emmy award-winning supervising producer is Adriana Bosch, a Cuban-American who recently did a documentary for PBS on entitled Latin Music U.S.A. “Latino Americans, is a story of pride, a story about the people whose lives and contributions are at the very essence of American life,” said Bosch.
The project brings together a diverse team of award-winning filmmakers from around the country to tell these stories, led Bosch, the team includes the Imagen Award-winning John Valadez, the ALMA Award-winning Ray Telles, the Peabody Award-winning Dan McCabe and the Emmy Award-winning Nina Alvarez (project staff list below). The newest addition to the team is Sonia Fritz as as co-director of the recreations. She was hired on after a meeting between NALIP and the Latino Americans creative team transpired at the NALIP conference in April (Read that story on the NALIP website).
The production staff will utilize the accounts of historical figures and events; present-day interviews with Latinos — from best-selling authors, entrepreneurs and pop cultural celebrities to political leaders and everyday people, as well as historians and other experts; and historical re-enactments. Latino Americans will also include a Spanish-language version of the series, a companion book by acclaimed journalist Ray Suarez, and bilingual online educational resources.
“Latinos have been part of American history since before there were 13 colonies,” Bosch said. “[They have] transformed America and transformed themselves, and having a group of Latinos tell this story in their own words is an important milestone in our history.”
“Latino Public Broadcasting is a proud partner on this series that portrays the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Latinos to our country,” commented Edward James Olmos, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB). “This project embodies our mission of providing a voice to the diverse Latino community throughout the United States in the most literal sense — from the Latino filmmakers behind the camera who are part of an impressive production team to the Latino individuals on the screen — leaders, historians, veterans — who through their personal stories will help tell this history. Furthermore, this project will create a national conversation between all Americans.”
“Our goal has been to produce a history about Latinos as has never been told. Towards that end, we have assembled an amazing line-up of filmmakers, historians and on-camera interview subjects,” said Jeff Bieber, Series Executive Producer and Vice President, News and Public Affairs Programming, WETA Washington, D.C.
Latino Americans is scheduled to air in the fall of 2013
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