Mexican Roots

For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.

RMPBS Passport

Please log in to your PBS Passport account to watch this video

Become a Member

Mexican Roots

Season 8 Episode 5 | 49m 54s | CC

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the deep Mexican roots of talk show host Mario Lopez and comedian Melissa Villaseñor, uncovering ancestors stretching back to the 1500s. Weaving together stories of migratory farmers, Spanish Conquistadors and Native Americans, Gates conjures up personal histories of diverse, sometimes conflicting, elements.

Finding Your Roots

Watch more episodes

52:14

Finding Your Roots

Where Did We Come From?

Erin Burnett, Amy Carlson and André Leon Talley trace their ancestral roots.

52:09

Finding Your Roots

Hidden in the Genes

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. investigates the family history of Rebecca Hall & Lee Daniels

52:09

Finding Your Roots

Activist Roots

The family history of Brittany Packnett Cunningham & Anita Hill.

Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Support is also provided by Ford Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Candace King Weir; by the Inkwell Society together with many of its members; and by public television viewers.

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Get trusted Colorado stories, programs, and events from Rocky Mountain PBS straight to your inbox.

Set Your Preferences >