Join us in celebrating the diversity of Hispanic experiences and cultures for Hispanic Heritage Month! Below we’ve gathered a list of educational and enlightening programs that offer a glimpse of the diverse achievements, history, culture, and traditions airing on PBS KVIE, available to stream for free on the PBS app, or available to stream with PBS KVIE Passport. Discover, reflect, learn, and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month not only from September 15 to October 15, but all year long.
Programs Airing on PBS KVIE
La Recua: The Mule Pack Train
September 15 at 10PM
Follow an aging vaquero as he builds and reenacts a historic pack train, la recua, that takes him across 200 miles of beautiful desert and sections of the Camino Real. He overcomes hardships of health, rattlesnakes, and hot days on rocky, forgotten trails, to honor the memory of Lower California’s “long-haul” equine merchants.
ViewFinder: Royal Chicano Airforce – Art and Activism
September 17 at 7PM
Discover how Sacramento’s own Royal Chicano Air Force used art, poetry, and music to advance the cause of social justice and how these artists’ indelible legacy continues today.
Finding Your Roots: Mexican Roots
September 23 at 8PM
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, and sometimes conflicting, elements.
VOCES: Letters to Eloisa
September 23 at 10PM
Meet Cuba’s Jose Lezama Lima, an all but forgotten figure of the Latin American literary boom that included Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz, and Mario Vargas Llosa, and witness the haunting portrait of a writer’s life and struggle for artistic freedom.
ViewFinder: Valentía – Mexican Americans in World War II
September 24 at 7PM
Examine the experiences of Mexican Americans during the Second World War through interviews with veterans of all branches of our armed forces. Members of later generations also honor those who gave so much for our freedom.
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS app
Rob on the Road: Rob at Home – Region Rising: Dolores Huerta
Join us for an illuminating conversation with Dolores Huerta, the trailblazing labor leader and civil rights icon who co-founded the United Farm Workers. Discover the stories behind her tireless activism, the challenges she faced in the fight for workers’ rights, and her vision for a more just and equitable society.
American Masters: Jovita Idar — Mexican American Activist and Journalist
Jovita Idar (1885-1946) helped organize the first Mexican American civil rights conference in 1911 to address racism, lynching, and dismal educational opportunities for Mexican American children.
American Masters: Lights, Camera, Acción
Discover the candid perspectives of Latino actors, writers, producers, directors, and showrunners across generations as they dissect the ever-evolving issue of Latino representation in Hollywood. Featuring Edward James Olmos, John Leguizamo, Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai), and Julissa Calderon (Gentefied), Peter Murrieta (Mr. Iglesias), Marvin Lemus (Gentefied), and more.
KVIE Arts Showcase: IMBA Dance Center
Watch how the local dance company Instituto Mazatlán de Bellas Artes, home of ballet folklorico in Sacramento, is helping children not only connect to the arts but to their heritage as they learn Mexican folk dancing with an inspiring professional dance troupe that tours throughout the world.
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS app with PBS KVIE Passport
PBS KVIE Passport is a benefit of station membership. Members gain extended access to more videos available to stream on the PBS App.
American Experience: A Song for Cesar
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 farmworkers movement Chavez helped found.
American Experience: Rita Moreno – Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
Discover how Rita Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winners. Explore her 70-year career with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles, and scenes of the star on set today.
Becoming Frida Kahlo
Explore the life of celebrated artist Frida Kahlo in a 3-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.
The Cavern Sessions: Ozomatli
With an eclectic blend of urban-Latino and global influences, Ozomatli’s musical artistry mirrors the cultural tapestry of Los Angeles. Over 27 years, they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy, and the title of U.S. Cultural Ambassadors.
VOCES: American Historia – The Untold History of Latinos
Join actor and playwright John Leguizamo as he travels throughout Mexico and the U.S. to shed light on both the known and lesser-known Latino stories. His frustration over the whitewashing of American history while preparing for his 2018 Broadway show “Latin History for Morons” produced an obsession with reading and researching the history of the Americas and resulted in this 3-part series.