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John Leguizamo is continuing to spotlight “Latin excellence” in Leguizamo Does America.
The upcoming second season of his MSNBC docuseries sees Leguizamo, 64, exploring new cities including Philadelphia, Phoenix, New Orleans and San Antonio.
Asked what has been the most surprising thing he has learned while making the series, which kicked off in 2023, the Bob Trevino Likes It star tells PEOPLE, “I set out to look for Latin excellence, Latin innovation, Latin exceptionalism, and celebrate Latin abilities and qualities.”
“I go across the country, and I’m flabbergasted at the plethora of talent that’s out there,” he says. “Artists, politicians, activists, actors in all walks of life, and they’re doing such amazing things.”
The actor, comedian and activist further notes of the Latinx community, “We’re living this parallel shadow life in America, where we’ve been here since 1492 and before. And the first European language spoken here was not English — it was Spanish, in America.”
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During season 1, Leguizamo visited Miami, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles and his hometown of New York City.
This season, he’s also highlighting stops in Denver and Raleigh, North Carolina, aside from the aforementioned cities.
“I gotta say my favorite is San Antonio,” the To Wong Foo actor says of the Texas locale, which is the seventh most-populated city in the U.S. and the second in the Lone Star State, after Houston.
He continues, “San Antonio really rocked me in a way that I didn’t expect. Maybe because I didn’t expect it to be the [seventh]-largest city in America, and for the food scene to be so incredible and the activism and the history, the Latin history there, because obviously it was Mexico before it was America.”
“So the culture runs deep, and you feel it,” Leguizamo adds.
An official description of Leguizamo Does America season 2 reads, “John Leguizamo continues his travels across the country to bring viewers inside America’s thriving Latino communities — all with his characteristic edge, energy and wit.”
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“From Philadelphia to Denver with some surprising stops in between, Leguizamo will celebrate the history, culture, food and other contributions of Latinos shaping America, from the first Latino General Manager of the Phillies baseball team, to a dance troupe keeping Cuban culture alive in New Orleans and a Phoenix entrepreneur who has built a world-class mezcal company,” it continues.
Season 2’s synopsis concludes, “It’s part politics, part road trip and part history lesson, all wrapped in a vintage Leguizamo adventure, showcasing the fastest-growing demographic in the nation.”
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And despite the Latinx influence embedded all across the U.S., Leguizamo — who has Colombian heritage and Puerto Rican ties — tells PEOPLE, “We face so much trials and tribulations in this country, [including] right now, when I see all the assaults on Latin bodies and moms and children.”
“And I go, ‘The reason I did the show was to celebrate our Latin joy, our Latin abilities,’ and I found it in every show,” he adds. “I found so much hope, and I hope that I can pass that on to all the viewers.”
Leguizamo Does America season 2 premieres Sunday, July 6, at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC, with new episodes airing weekly through August.
