American Masters “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez” airs Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.
A founding figure of the Chicano Movement, filmmaker and playwright Luis Valdez is best known for his play Zoot Suit, the Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba and the theatre company El Teatro Campesino.
The son of migrant farmworkers who became a revolutionary artist, Luis Valdez changed American culture. In the 1960s, his El Teatro Campesino performed on flatbed trucks and helped mobilize farmworkers to win their first union contract. In 1979, his “Zoot Suit” was the first Chicano play ever performed on Broadway. His feature film, “La Bamba” was a breakout blockbuster in 1987 that authentically depicted Mexican American life and shared it with the world. Founded in 1965, Valdez’s El Teatro continues to be a beacon for Latino/a creators. American Pachuco is the story of a pioneering artist who gave voice to the overlooked and opened pathways for generations.
Repeats Saturday, October 10 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
Official Trailer