This month, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the rich history, culture, and perspectives of Hispanic communities throughout the U.S. Explore our extensive collection of programs featuring thousands of stories that highlight the diverse experiences and contributions of Hispanic individuals throughout history.
Collections and Exhibits
The Hispanic Heritage Collection showcases thousands of public radio and television programs from the 1960s to the present, highlighting the rich cultures of diverse Hispanic communities in the United States. This includes communities with origins in Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Cuba, Central and South America, and other Spanish-speaking regions around the world. The collection also features content from Hispanic Americans living in territories that became part of the U.S. after the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. Available in both English and Spanish, the collection spans a wide range of topics, including cultural histories, artistic endeavors, immigration experiences, civil rights, workers’ rights, and bilingual education.
Latino Empowerment through Public Broadcasting Exhibit
Latino Empowerment through Public Broadcasting draws on Spanish, English, and bilingual programming in the AAPB collection to explore how public radio and television over the past fifty years have provided Latinos with platforms to communicate their cultures, histories, hopes, and concerns. Beginning in the late 1960s, Latino activists associated with farmworker, Chicano, and Puerto Rican movements spearheaded efforts to establish bilingual community radio stations in rural areas and to create television programming in urban centers that reflect the diverse lives of Spanish-language speakers and bridge Latino and Anglo cultures. This exhibit is also available in Spanish.
The Línea Abierta collection features more than 8,100 broadcasts from the only nationally aired, daily Spanish-language public radio call-in show. Línea Abierta continues to broadcast today from Radio Bilingüe—the leading Latino public radio network and Spanish-language content producer in U.S. public media—based in California, with a weekly broadcast from Mexico. The show covers topics ranging from farmworker issues, civil rights, health, and race to bilingual education and Mexican culture.
The WIPR: Arts and Culture in Puerto Rico Collection consists of over 8,000 programs from 1953-1997, originally broadcast on the 940 AM radio station in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation (WIPR), also known as La Corporación de Puerto Rico para la Difusión Pública, is a government station that, since its creation in 1949, has produced a wide range of shows highlighting life and culture in Puerto Rico. WIPR’s radio programming, primarily in Spanish, allows listeners to experience more than 40 years of Puerto Rican history, culture, and society, providing insight into La Isla del Encanto and its relationship with the world.
The Radio KDNA Collection features over 100 Spanish-language and bilingual programs from 1982 to 1998, originating from the farmworkers’ community in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. These programs address key issues such as gender equality, the challenges faced by farmworkers, bilingual education, and the fight for Latino rights during the 1980s. Radio KDNA (pronounced “cadena,” meaning “chain” in Spanish) was co-founded by farmworkers Ricardo García and Rosa Ramón, alongside radio producers Julio César Guerrero and Daniel Robles. As a cultural force for Chicano movement activists in rural Washington, Radio KDNA played a pivotal role in amplifying the voices of the community. There are over 100 episodes available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the entire digitized collection available at GBH and the Library of Congress.
Series
Buenas Noches,a KDNA public affairs talk show, focused on issues directly impacting the Latino community in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. Covering topics like education, community events, immigration, and workers’ rights, 81 episodes from 1982 to 1998 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the entire digitized collection available at GBH and the Library of Congress.
As a pioneering bilingual and multicultural television series, Carrascolendas, produced in Austin, Texas, offers half-hour programs designed for Spanish-speaking, English-speaking, and bilingual children aged six to ten. Aiming to bridge cultural gaps, the show provides children of Spanish heritage with positive cultural representation. Six episodes from 1972 to 1974 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with additional programs available for viewing at GBH and the Library of Congress.
¡Colores! is a weekly arts and culture show from New Mexico that celebrates the creative spirit. The series dives into topics like prominent artists, local politics, and the histories of southwestern communities. Over 1,300 episodes from 1991 to 2021 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the full digitized collection accessible at GBH and the Library of Congress.
Produced by KRCB in Rohnert Park, California, En Camino presents educational and entertainment segments highlighting bilingual education, homelessness, Latino artists, the AIDS epidemic, and immigration. Ten episodes from 1986 to 1989 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the entire digitized collection available at GBH and the Library of Congress.
Espejos de Aztlán (Mirrors of Aztlán) is a weekly half-hour interview program on Albuquerque radio station KUNM dedicated to news and cultural and political discussions impacting Latino/Chicano/Hispano communities in New Mexico. Focused on social justice, the program is still on air today, produced and presented by the Raíces Collective. More than 120 episodes from 1979 to 2009 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the full digitized collection accessible at GBH and the Library of Congress.
The Emmy award-winning bilingual show Images/Imagenes features documentaries and expert panel discussions centered on the lives, history, and cultures of Latino communities in New Jersey. More than 40 episodes from 1981 to 2010 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the full digitized collection available at GBH and the Library of Congress.
Produced by Betti Maldonado of KUHT at the University of Houston, New Visions, Nuevas Visiones delves into the artistic, political, and social life of Latino communities in the Houston area. All five episodes from 1989 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room.
Realidades, produced and broadcast by WNET-Channel 13 in New York, was the first national Latino television series in U.S. public television history. The program combines news, entertainment, and education in a magazine format, showcasing Puerto Ricans, Chicanos, and other Latinos and their contributions to American culture. Thirteen episodes from 1973 to 1977 are available in the AAPB Online Reading Room, with the full digitized collection available at GBH and the Library of Congress.
Documentaries
- Huelga!, NET (1968)
- Mexican Americans: The Invisible Minority, NET (1969)
- A Thirst in the Garden, KERA (1976)
- Notes from the Mambo Inn: The Story of Mario Bauzá (1991)
- Mi Puerto Rico, Ortiz/Simon Productions (1996)
- Los Braceros: Strong Arms to Aid the USA, KVIE (2006), also available in Spanish as Los Braceros: La Historia de Los Braceros en Los Estados Unidos
- Valentía: Mexican Americans in World War II, KVIE (2007)
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