Latino Americans, a new three-part, six-hour documentary series narrated by actor Benjamin Bratt, premieres on PBS television in the United States on three consecutive Tuesdays, 17 September, 24 September and 1 October 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). The series will also be broadcast nationally in Spanish on Vme, the Spanish-language channel on public television, over six consecutive Fridays, beginning on 20 September.
Latino Americans is the first major documentary series in North America for television to chronicle the history and experiences of Latinos, who have for the past 500-plus years helped shape what is today the United States and have become, with more than 50 million people, the largest minority group in the U.S.
The Latino Americans production team, most of who are Latino Americans, includes individuals who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran and Dominicans heritage, among others. In addition to Bratt as the narrator, the musical score for Latino Americans is by award-winning composers Joseph Juli�n Gonz�lez, a native of California�s Central Valley of Mexican descent, and Claudio Ragazzi, a native of Argentina; and the acclaimed singer-songwriter Lila Downs, born in Oaxaca, Mexico, serves as the featured artist for the series, performing the closing song in Latino Americans.
A companion book by Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for PBS Newshour, will be released to coincide with the series.