Staff Writer
Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) today announced that VOCES, the acclaimed PBS documentary series exploring Latino arts, culture and history, will premiere two new films this fall on PBS.
Premiering on Tuesday, September 15th is Chelsea Hernandez’s Building the American Dream follows immigrant construction workers in Texas fighting for justice in an industry rife with exploitation. Building the American Dream takes viewers to Texas, the site of a massive construction boom. Its dirty secret: the abuse of immigrant labor. The film captures the rise of a workers’ movement fighting widespread construction industry injustices. Grieving their son, a Mexican family campaigns for a much-needed safety law that would allow workers 10-minute breaks for every four hours of labor, while a Salvadoran couple of skilled electricians owed thousands in back-pay fights for their children’s future. A story of courage, resilience and community, the film reveals eye-opening truths about the hardworking immigrants who build our American Dream.
Hernandez (See the Dirt, An Uncertain Future) is an 8-time Emmy award-winning director, producer and editor. She is a Mexican-American filmmaker based out of Austin, Texas. Hernandez began her career in media at age nine as a co-host and producer for a local children’s educational TV show with her mother, but began her documentary career right after college.
Premiering on Tuesday, October 6th is Bernardo Ruiz’s Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground which follows the high-stakes effort to mobilize the burgeoning Latino electorate in this year’s pivotal election. In the upcoming presidential election, nowhere are the stakes higher for both political parties than in the nation’s swing states. There, community organizers, local activists and political operatives are targeting Latino voters, projected to be the largest eligible bloc of non-white voters this year. But operatives seeking to woo this diverse electorate using a “one size fits all” strategy do so at their own peril. Taking an immersive approach, Latino Vote delves into the campaigns in the battleground states of Nevada, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania to explore how Latino voters are poised to shape not only the upcoming election but the future of the country.
Ruiz (The Infinite Race, Harvest Season, Reportero) is a two-time Emmy award-nominated documentary filmmaker. He has directed and produced four feature documentaries and a host of nonfiction programming for a variety of outlets including PBS, HBO, ESPN and Facebook Watch.
“We’re proud to present these two timely documentaries in what has become a uniquely challenging year for the Latino community,” said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of LPB and executive producer of VOCES. “Building the American Dream shines a light on the important role Latinos play in essential jobs such as construction, but also reveals how immigrants often work in dangerous conditions and are denied benefits to which they are entitled. Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground provides a fascinating, in-depth look at the lead up to the presidential election in battleground states around the country. With Latinos poised to be the largest non-white voting bloc in November, it’s more important than ever that the concerns of our community be a part of the national conversation.”
“As one of the nation’s most trusted sources for news and public affairs programming, PBS is pleased shine a light on the important role this community will play in our upcoming democratic process,” said Perry Simon, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming.
Part of the PBS election and democracy special programming premiering this fall, both films will be available on PBS, pbs.org and the PBS Video app.