WETA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Sundays at 12pm starting September 14 on WETA PBS

Join creator and host John Leguizamo on a quest to uncover Latino and Latina heroes and their contributions. Leguizamo takes viewers on a captivating journey, delving into both well-known and lesser-known stories of Latino history, spanning thousands of years, from the Ancient Empires to the present, and shining a light on the rich and often overlooked history of Latinos.

September 21 at 1pm on WETA PBS

Trace the life and legacy of labor activist Cesar Chavez. Through interviews with Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and more, see how music and the arts were instrumental to the success of the social movement Chavez helped found, which mobilized thousands of farmworkers across the U.S.

September 23 at 8pm on WETA PBS and Metro

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.

September 23 at 9pm on WETA PBS and Metro

The life of Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949), a life filled with drama, adversity and triumph, is one of the great stories of the modern era. Despite poverty, childhood rheumatic fever that damaged his heart and an explosion in his youth that cost him his left hand, Orozco persisted in his wish to become an artist.

September 26 at 9pm on WETA PBS and Metro

Celebrate the recipients of the 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. The evening includes performances and appearances by some of the country's most celebrated Hispanic artists and visionaries. This historic program, created by the White House to commemorate the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month in America, is among the highest honors by Latinos for Latinos and supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions.

September 26 at 10pm on WETA PBS and Metro

Meet the beloved Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, who has thrilled audiences for over half a century, from the stages of Havana’s legendary nightclubs to her worldwide fame as part of the Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club.

Saturdays at 7pm starting September 27 on WETA PBS

Explore the life of celebrated artist Frida Kahlo in a three-part docuseries. See the major personal and political events of her life, including her stormy and devoted relationship with artist Diego Rivera, whom she married not once but twice.

Saturday, September 27 on WETA PBS

In each episode, Pati embarks upon an exciting and entertaining journey, where each dish serves as a point of departure into Mexico’s rich history and culture, Pati’s personal experiences, her family life, and her ongoing conversations with cooks in both Mexico and the US.

Thursday, October 2 at 10pm on WETA Metro 

Based on correspondence with his sister in exile, "Letters to Eloisa" recounts the life of Cuban literary great José Lezama Lima, author of a homoerotic novel, "Paradiso," and tells the story of his silencing by the Cuban revolutionary government.

Repeats 9/23 at 10pm

Friday, October 3 at 10pm on WETA Metro

Explore the story of Dominican-American poet and novelist Julia Alvarez, who burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors.

Saturday, October 4 at 7pm on WETA PBS

Follow Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s journey to America as they achieve celebrity, and Frida experiences tragic losses with the death of her mother and a miscarriage, inspiring her to create some of her most powerful and iconic paintings.

Tuesday, October 7 at 9pm on WETA PBS and WETA Metro

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces trail-blazing journalists Jim Acosta and Van Jones to the ancestors who blazed a trail for them, meeting runaway slaves and immigrant settlers who took enormous chances so that their descendants might thrive.