Wisconsin is home to a vibrant, growing array of Latinx communities. Together, PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Latinx History Collective are highlighting many of the unique experiences, traditions and histories of the families in these communities through a new digital video series available now at pbswisconsin.org/latinxhistoryseries and on the PBS Wisconsin Facebook and Instagram pages.

The series, supported by a grant from Latino Public Broadcasting, features the stories of two Wisconsin families – the Sánchez family in the Milwaukee region and the Gonzalez family in the Weyauwega area. Each family is featured in three short videos that explore their families’ unique experiences both here in Wisconsin and beyond.

Javier and Natividad Sánchez brought their family to Wisconsin from Mexico in the 1960s. Their story and history includes Javier’s experience as a celebrity charro and their journey to the state with their children. Those children remain heavily inspired today by their parents’ generosity and generational compassion that has spread through their community.

Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe and his father, Segundo, are members of the Kichwa Saraguro community who own a dairy farm in Wisconsin. An Ecuadorian immigrant, Segundo came to Wisconsin to pursue higher education and become part of the state’s dairy industry. Now, through his family-owned farm, he has created jobs in his local community. Luis’ work includes research around the importance of embracing cultural identity and a new initiative empowering Indigenous Latinx youth in Wisconsin.

These stories of Latinx families and their experiences in Wisconsin are part of the broader collection of stories from Latino Public Broadcasting’s VOCES series, which is available to stream online at pbswisconsin.org/voces.

The Wisconsin Latinx History Collective is a network of researchers, organizations and Latinx community members dedicated to retrofitting Latinx history and identity into broader public understanding of Wisconsin’s historical narrative.

PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

PBS Wisconsin is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA-TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.

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