John Leguizamo reaches back in time to reclaim Latin American history for a PBS documentary series

AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — If you think Latin American history starts with Christopher Columbus, John Leguizamo would like to have a word. He points out there were great empires and civilizations during the thousands of years before 1492 — the mighty Incas, Aztecs and Maya, whose great strides in medicine, engineering and science echo today. Leguizamo is spreading the word with a new PBS three-part series, “VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos,” which unspools the fascinating history and often overlooked contributions of Latino people. It starts airing Friday with a look at the Maya, Aztec and Inca empires.