The start of Hispanic Heritage Month is still a couple of months away, but we can’t wait to let you know about  LATINO AMERICANS — the first major (and bilingual!) documentary series for television to chronicle the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos. The much-anticipated series, narrated by Benjamin Bratt, will air on PBS on September and October, 2013: Tuesdays – September 17, September 24 and October 1 – 8-10 p.m. ET. Additionally, the series will broadcast nationally in Spanish on Vme, the Spanish-language channel on public television, over six consecutive Fridays beginning on September 20.

We’re thrilled to finally have such a comprehensive tool to truly educate our Latino kids, and others, about our heritage in this country. Our history is definitely as varied as we are, but there are so many things that bind us together — language being the main one — and give such rich color to our tapestry.
 

Educational Curriculum in English and Spanish

 
Education continues to be one of the most important issues Latinos in the US face today.  To this end, the LATINO AMERICANS project has a commitment to leverage the stories and content in the series to inspire youth and their families to learn more about their unique cultural heritage, history, and contributions to this nation.  A team of Latino educators developed a rich curriculum that will be available at no cost via the PBSLearningMedia.org web site in September,

A total of 14 multi-media lessons and activities have been developed to enrich the learning experience offered through LATINO AMERICANS:

• Six comprehensive lessons address themes across diverse Latino experiences, communities and events.

• Eight mini-lessons focus on a particular event, experience or community in the story of Latino Americans.

• All 14-lesson modules include supporting materials such as discussion guides and lesson plans, and correlate to the program’s web resources such as timelines and maps.

• Resources for grade 4 through college, with an emphasis on critical thinking and writing skills for grades 6-12 in the areas of social studies and civics.

• Teachers, parents and tutors will be able to search content by grade level, subject area, topic or standard.

• All materials are aligned to relevant Common Core and National Social Studies Standards.

• All content are free and accessible online, as of September 2013, at www.PBSLearningMedia.org .

• Story Share: Teachers and students are invited to construct and share their own stories through the program website’s story sharing interface. 

Here are some easy things your community, school or organization can do to participate:

 
Ask for a complimentary one-on-one coaching session on how to use the content in learning settings or with community groups by emailing LatinosPBS@gmail.com.

Promote broadcast tune-in gatherings at local schools, PTA committees, faith organizations, and other service and nonprofit agencies.

Tweet during the broadcast, #LatinosPBS.

Contact LatinosPBS@gmail.com to obtain video(s) for screenings in your local community.

Upload a 2-minute video about your family, history, Latino pride: http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/

On Sunday I took my daughter to the movies and was surprised to see a huge movie poster for the documentary “Hecho en México” with a picture of musician Carla Morrison on one side and of the band Kinky on the other – two Mexican artists I listen to all the time.

I immediately went online to find out what this was all about and found this trailer:

Now, I can not wait for November 31st to come around because I feel this film is speaking to me. Even though I was born in El Salvador, I now believe that my soul is from México. The five years I lived there taught me more about myself, my passions and my role in life that any other time in my life. I am definitely “Hech(a) en Mexico” in so many ways – my musical tastes, the culture and the foods that bind me, the connections to the land and its magic. In fact, this is “my Mexico”…the real one.

Last year I was an official México Today ambassador and wrote about the many beauty and wonders in México. Today, I am still an ambassador at heart and need to spread the word about this documentary because I feel it’s the closest one I’ve seen to portray what México is really all about. I even want my daughter to see this with us and her #HechoenMexico papá!!

Learn more about the movie HERE and Like “Hecho en México” on Facebook since they’re sharing lots of fun clips and songs.