JOHN LEGUIZAMO & DIRECTOR BEN DEJESUS HONORED AT LA CENA FOR VOCES: AMERICAN HISTORIA: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF LATINOS

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- La Cena, the signature multi-city dinner series founded by entertainment executive Ruben Garcia, hosted its annual event on February 21st at NeueHouse in Hollywood. The gathering brought together Latino talent, industry leaders, and community advocates to celebrate the transformative power of Latino culture. The evening was filled with recognition and storytelling, honoring Mi Familia, civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, and history-making actress Nava Mau, among other distinguished honorees. La Cena remains committed to its mission of creating a platform for thought leaders to network and expand the community's impact.

This year, La Cena: Los Angeles honored John Leguizamo’s groundbreaking project, VOCES: American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos, along with its director, Ben DeJesus.

The award to VOCES: American Historia was presented by Academy Award Nominee Edward James Olmos:
“What Ben DeJesus and John Leguizamo have done is monumental. Ben DeJesus is a great filmmaker. We love you. You are truly a gift."

In his acceptance speech, Director and Executive Producer Ben DeJesus expressed his gratitude, stating:

“First off, thank you to La Cena for this beautiful recognition. Over seven years ago, John and I began this journey to celebrate the culture and greatness of our people. The amount of doors that closed in our faces was definitely disappointing, but we were more committed than ever to bring American Historia to the masses. So we decided to do something that seemed drastic at the time, but actually is pretty simple. We gave ourselves the green light and we just continued marching forward. Fortunately, one door that did open for us was PBS and our family at Latino Public Broadcasting, founded by my Hollywood padrino Edward James Olmos. Thank you for always believing in the mission.

Shout out to my incredible team and crew—our powerhouse showrunner Nicole Pritchett and producers Jill, Edgar, Belinda, Alessandra, Ariel, Jean, and more. And of course, our fearless and very loud leader, John Leguizamo. Thanks to the efforts of our entire team, American Historia has now been added to the curriculum of over 10,000 public schools across the country.”

About VOCES: American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos
VOCES: American Historia features John Leguizamo traveling through Mexico and the U.S., visiting historical sites and interviewing key figures to uncover both well-known and lesser-known Latino history. Inspired by his Broadway show, this initiative has now been incorporated into the curriculum of over 10,000 schools nationwide.

La Cena Los Angeles 2025 was made possible by presenting sponsor HarbourView Equity Partners; official sponsors Cartier, Tequila Don Julio; supporting sponsors NeueHouse, United Talent Agency (UTA), WME; and community partners Friends of the National Museum of The American Latino, Justice for Migrant Women, Latinos in Heritage Conservation and the Latino Film Institute. Cocktails for the evening were curated by Tequila Don Julio.

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Director/ Executive Producer Ben DeJesus at La Cena LA