John Leguizamo is a great actor and it is even more apparent in "Latin History for Morons" as he tackles centuries of Latin history. He finds ways of making each individual person he talks about stand out in a unique way.
Leguizamo is also not afraid to make a fool of himself. He is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end, although not if you're a Conservative, white male and proud Trump supporter. (And really I don't care if Leguizamo hurts your feelings :P)
Leguizamo covers the history of all the indigenous peoples of all the Latin countries as well as the state of being Latin in the modern world. He provides interesting facts (and their sources) as he tries to get his son excited for his roots.
The premise of the show is that his 8th grade son has been bullied by another classmate who has called him a "beaner". The bullying, as well as a school project, inspire Leguizamo to research Latin history in order to provide his son with a sense of self pride.
Leguizamo transitions smoothly from the historical figures to the present day where he plays himself and each member of his family.
The set is simple, but provides everything Leguizamo needs to teach his son and the audience all about the rich history of the Latin community.
Leguizamo takes his role as educator seriously, though he is also not afraid to have fun. There are many dance breaks in the show that, of course, tie into different jokes within this history lesson..
The portions in which Leguizamo deal with his family are also heartwarming. He is the goofy husband to his ever patient wife. His daughter is oddly aware of the things going on around her and offers poignant advice at the most unexpected moments. His son struggles to find his identity as all the historical figures his father mentions are flawed in some shape, way or form.
There were some facts presented by Leguizamo that are common knowledge (although we'll see how long that lasts with the way some textbooks are being written). There are a lot of facts though, that I was not aware of. They filled me with great pride and sadness all the same. My people have done wonderful things, but we have not been acknowledged for these things. These are things that might bring more respect to our community, though that might be wishful thinking.
The final point of the show is driven home by the completion of his son's project. It is a satisfying and beautiful ending.
Leguizamo is angry and I understand his anger. I am tired of being ignored. I am tired of being told that my people, and our Latin brothers and sisters, are nothing. That we have done nothing. That we are a smudge that the United States cannot erase. Leguizamo points this out as he tells us of an incident he experienced while in Texas. Texas will always be my home, but that does not mean I don't know about the prejudice and racism that lives in my home state.
This show may not speak to everyone, but it spoke to me and I know it will speak to those who feel as ignored as I do. While the show is full of serious topics, it never feels like a downer as Leguizamo keeps the laughs coming. He does know when to transition to serious moments when a point needs to be driven home which is also nice.
What is nice as well is that this is not the show that premiered a few months back. As in Leguizamo finds ways to add current events into his show. There were jokes told the night we went that could not have been part of the original script as the events mentioned hadn't happened yet. This adds to the humor.
The show is funny although the events Leguizamo talks about are not. The humor keeps the show from being too heavy. It is sad that even in 2018 accomplished Latinos can feel like they are treated like second class citizens, but if we remember our history and the things we have accomplished we can have pride in the beauty that is us.
