The PBS film series The Latino Experience answers that question
My apologies to Jimi Hendrix for appropriating the name of his classic album Are You Experienced? for the title of this blog. However, the question remains. Despite the growing demographic and presence of the Latinx community in all parts of the United States, a large percentage of the American population have no idea, or very narrow ones, of what the Latinx culture is all about.
You will find people with Hispanic surnames in every zip code in America. California and the Southwest have long been the traditional home of the largest Latinx community, especially Mexicans. But Mexicans can also be found flourishing in the Midwest and the South.
Florida has a huge, vibrant and influential Cuban population. New York and other East Coast cities have been blessed with Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. This colorful and significant Latino tapestry has been enriched by the addition of paisanos from all over Central America to all those parts of the United States previously mentioned.
A KALEIDOSCOPE OF DIVERSE CULTURES
While Spanish is the common language for all these communities, the Latinx universe is a marvelous, swirling galaxy of diverse ethnic blends of Spanish, Indigenous and African DNA that make Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors look like a pale, tasteless one-trick pony.
This kaleidoscope of cultures has produced a uniquely beautiful people, the most delicious cuisine of all time, great art, music, dance and without a doubt the greatest baseball players, toughest boxers and best fútbol (soccer) players in the world.
The PBS film anthology The Latino Experience, which premieres July 6 on PBS SoCal and July 7 on Los Angeles’ KCET and runs through July 20, is an important visual exploration of the many sights, sounds, shapes and colors that make up the Latino mosaic. The series will be available online at PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
WE ARE NOT A MONOLITH
Wendy Llinás, senior director of programming and development at PBS and one of the executives in charge of The Latino Experience, says, “The main point of all the films in The Latino Experience is to illustrate to the viewers that we are not a monolith. These short films told in the forms of narratives, documentaries or satires at once show the uniqueness of Latino culture as well as its universality.”
No, Latinos are not a monolith. But it could be argued that we Latinos are a megalith. For over five hundred years, Latinos have been the historic bedrock foundation of North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. People of mixed Spanish, Indigenous and African ancestry were living and thriving in this country a century before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The first European language spoken in the New World, including the United States, was Spanish not English. The Latino Experience film series is a cinematic testament to that often inconvenient but unavoidable historical fact and reality.
FEATURED FILMS
Following is the list of some shorts with their respective airing dates and times:
The Blue Cape. July 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and July 7 at 9 p.m. on KCET
Set in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico two months after Maria hit the island, ten-year-old Junior (Yanniel A. Arce Rivera) is summoned by his mother to search for the medicine his grandfather so desperately needs. To embark on his journey, Junior wraps himself in a cape made from the blue tarp that covers his roof. Written, directed and produced by Alejandra López. Co-produced by María José Delgado.
Body and Spirit in Times of Pandemic. July 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and July 14 at 9 p.m. on KCET.
Edwin Siguenza is a Guatemalan immigrant truck driver and pastor of a Latino evangelical church in Los Angeles. When the pandemic hits, Edwin has to navigate the risks of being an essential worker while attending to the needs of his congregation and the pressure to keep the church open. Directed and produced by Andrés Caballero.
Pasos de Valor. July 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and July 14 at 9 p.m. on KCET
The film tells the story of Val (Nathalie Carvalho), a pregnant university student pursuing a master’s degree whose due date and final exam are in conflict. Determined to create opportunities for her Mexican American family, Val takes the exam despite her professor’s refusal to make accommodations. Written, directed and produced by Natalia C. Bell, the film is inspired by the director’s own birth story.
The Daily War. July 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and July 21 at 9 p.m. on KCET
A co-production with Latino Public Broadcasting, the film is the story of a veteran (Adelina Anthony) and her son, who struggle to make ends meet. When a job opportunity presents itself, it ends up triggering her PTSD. Directed and produced by Karla Legaspy. Co-produced and written by Adelina Anthony.
Noche Buena. July 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and July 21 at 9 p.m. on KCET
This film takes place on Christmas eve as a dysfunctional Cuban family gathers around the dinner table. Caro (Erica Adams) struggles to get through the night as everyone grapples with political correctness, current events and the incessant battle between left and right. As resentment escalates into verbal and literal diarrhea, they uncover hard truths about themselves—all before the ?an. Written, directed and produced by Andres Rovira. Also produced by and starring Ray Tezanos.
All three episodes from The Latino Experience will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast.
Featured Photo: ‘The Blue Cape’ by director Alejandra López (Credit: PBS)