♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the 36th Hispanic Heritage Awards!

Tonight, we honor... Omar Apollo.

Cesar Conde.

Café Tacvba.

Siete Family Foods.

And Wisin.

With Performances and appearances by... John Leguizamo.

Xolo Maridueña.

Sasha Calle.

Alejandra Guzmán.

Pedrito Martinez.

Milly Quezada.

Alex Cuba.

Tito Puente Jr. And more!

Hosted by Leslie Grace.

[applause] ["Eternamente Bella"].

ALEJANDRA: Hello everyone!

♪ ♪ ♪ Quisiera que me dijeras una y otra ves.

♪ ♪ Te quiero baby te quiero.

♪ ♪ Y siempre te quiere.

♪ ♪ Con esa lengua extranjera.

♪ ♪ Que me ablanda las piernas.

♪ ♪ Que tienes boca de azúcar.

♪ ♪ Eso ya lo se.

♪ ♪ Que besas con quemaduras.

♪ ♪ De Veneno y miel.

♪ ♪ Que me has cambiado no hay duda.

♪ ♪ Lo se también y me gusta.

♪ ♪ Por eso voy a ser, por ti, por ti, por ti.

♪ ♪ Eternamente bella, bella.

♪ ♪ Con un hechizo de gitana.

♪ ♪ Seré la princesa encantada.

♪ ♪ Que te amara por siempre.

♪ ♪ Desesperadamente, desesperadamente.

♪ ♪ Eternamente bella, bella.

♪ ♪ Y en plena noche de la iguana.

♪ ♪ Hago un hechizo de gitana.

♪ ♪ Para que sigas siempre.

♪ ♪ Desesperadamente, desesperadamente.

♪ ♪ Eternamente bella ♪ Gracias una veces.

♪ ♪ ♪ A morir por mi.

♪ ♪ Por que ten vendes tan caro.

♪ ♪ Dime ya que si.

♪ ♪ Tras esos lentes tan negros.

♪ ♪ Que demonios piensas.

♪ ♪ Así es la ruleta rusa.

♪ ♪ Échale valor.

♪ ♪ De que te sirven las dudas.

♪ ♪ Has igual que yo.

♪ ♪ Si encuentro algo que gusta.

♪ ♪ Lo tomo y no me lo pienso.

♪ ♪ Desde hoy prometo ser por ti, ♪ ♪ por ti, por ti.

♪ ♪ Eternamente bella, bella.

♪ ♪ Con un hechizo de gitana.

♪ ♪ Seré la princesa encantada.

♪ ♪ Que te amara por siempre.

♪ ♪ Desesperadamente, desesperadamente.

♪ ♪ Eternamente bella, bella.

♪ ♪ Y en plena noche de la iguana.

♪ ♪ Hago un hechizo de gitana.

♪ ♪ Para que sigas siempre.

♪ ♪ Desesperadamente enamorado de mi.

♪ ♪ [song ends] [applause].

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome your host, Leslie Grace!

[applause].

LESLIE: !¡Hola, mi gente!

Yo soy Leslie Grace, and welcome to the 36th Hispanic Heritage Awards!

That's right!

I had the honor of performing during what we'll call "The COVID years," but I'm very excited to be here in person with you all.

We've got a great show lined up for you.

To help me introduce our first honoree, please welcome Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Award Ambassadors, Michael Cimino, and Francia Raisa.

[applause].

FRANCIA: I didn't know I was gonna go after Alejandra Guzmán, I'm standing over here still shaking my booty.

Hey girl!

In addition to the Hispanic Heritage Awards, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation has year-round programming committed to supporting the needs of Latino Communities.

One of these programs is the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, a national scholarship program that recognizes high-achieving Latino High School Seniors both in the classroom and in their communities across a variety of disciplines.

MICHAEL: This past year, I had the honor to be the Youth Ambassador and get to know these amazing student leaders who frankly make me feel like such a slacker.

As the Youth Awards begins its 25th Year, I just wanted to take a moment to formally hand off the title of Youth Ambassador to you Francia.

I know you're going to be just as inspired by these young people as I was.

FRANCIA: Now, our first honoree is also an incredibly inspirational young person.

A first-generation Mexican-American from the Midwest, he went from self-producing beats to becoming one of the hottest rising stars of his generation, even earning a "Best New Artist" Grammy nomination.

But in addition to his musical talent, he's also an inspiration for many young Latinos who resonate with his story, his identity, and his authenticity.

MICHAEL: Let's learn more about our 2023 Inspira Award Honoree, Omar Apollo.

OMAR: Growing up Mexican-American in the Midwest... That definitely wasn't that many Mexicans at my high school, but I was around a lot of Mexican people and a lot of people of color, um, because of church.

That's where I started music, started playing and singing in church.

I started making music going on 17.

Just, like, I would release these songs.

They just got playlisted and my friends are like, "Oh, you should do show, play here, play here, or play here."

For as long as somebody gave us a platform or a stage or like had a microphone or set up like it was going to be fun.

Like, we were down.

But when I got signed, I didn't, I didn't understand why, it was so strange.

I was like, "Why would you want to sign me?

Or like, why would you want to?

You know?

And I felt like I had to impress, like the people that have already signed to me.

So when I was making the first version of "Ivory", I was making it, it was very much so that version of myself.

So I started working with a bunch of people, like 20 different producers.

Prior to that, I've only ever worked with myself.

I do all these songs and they were about to shoot the first video and I had a close friend of mine at the time, tell me, "You hate this music.

You don't like this.

Make new music."

Then I was like, "Oh man, okay, like what should I do?"

Like, I remember she was like, "Set a date."

Like, "Set a date for yourself.

You have to finish.

Like, set a date.

Make that date three months from now."

I remember calling my manager.

Like I was, "Hey, you're going to be really mad.

I know we're shooting the video tomorrow, but can we cancel everything?"

I remember during that call, everyone freaks out.

Everyone's like, "Omar, what's wrong?"

I was like, "Everything's wrong.

Everything is wrong.

I need to go into a cabin in Idlewild and make an entire new album and I'll play it for you November 5th."

I was just working and working and working and working.

I didn't have the luxury of convenience when it came to making music, like it was like, this is all or nothing.

Like if I go back to Indiana after this, you know what I mean?

So I finished the album.

I'm getting ready to play it for the people.

I promise that I would have it ready for.

But they didn't know that I was gonna have like a fully sequenced, fully written, done, almost mixed album.

Like, I really went for, like, I had every song.

Like, everything was, you know, lined up.

Like, I said, "This is it.

This is what I want to be, to come out.

This is it", you know.

I made "Evergreen" over there.

I mean, like, all, you know, "Petrified", these songs that changed my life.

For the Grammys, when I got nominated, I was in Atlanta.

I was going to play a show.

I don't want to like, wake up in the morning and like, wait for it.

But obviously, my team had totally different plans.

They came into my, bust into my hotel room with a camera crew.

They pull it up.

My manager was like recording on his phone.

Soon as they said my name he tackles me meanwhile I'm screaming.

And so then I called my dad.

I was like, "Dad, I just got nominated for a Grammy."

And my dad thinks that every award is a Grammy.

Like, it doesn't he doesn't know the difference.

And he sent me a video of them receiving like the platinum pack, plaque.

And my mom is like recording my dad and saying like, "We don't know what a platinum plaque is, but we're so proud of you."

Like, obviously every song I wrote is super gay and it's like, you know, just very obvious.

But that's just the, that's just who I am.

That's just the truth.

Like, that's just, what else am I going to write about, you know?

When I first started doing shows, it was all queer Latino kids and it felt like community.

It felt like home, like, these kids would come up to me with the same exact story, like, 'my parents are from here, they're immigrants,' you know, 'I'm also queer.'

I never had anyone like that growing up.

You know, where we feel, you know, you see them yourselves and in, you know, reflections of their lives or whatever it is, you know, like pieces of it.

Even my dad called me the other day, said the most beautiful thing.

Because he's really religious, but he's like super open and he was just like saying how happy he was that I was singing to a generation of kids who can see themselves through me or like be able to find comfort in knowing that, like, queer people can be inspired.

I don't know.

That's, that's the goal is to just inspire.

[applause] LESLIE: As you may have heard, both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America are on strike fighting for better, and more equitable treatment.

We know our fight has a ripple effect outside of just the film and television industry.

It's about the future of work, especially since technology is having a greater impact on how millions of Americans make a living for themselves and their families.

For writers and actors specifically, it's about protecting our livelihoods and our artistry.

And for our Latino creatives, it's about ensuring that we can continue to tell stories that amplify and represent our culture authentically.

Here to share a bit more about what this moment means for all of us are three powerhouse Latina actresses who I love!

Please welcome Constance Marie, Annie Gonzalez, and Sasha Calle.

CONSTANCE: So, I still can't believe that just over 20 years ago I shared a little, teeny-tiny dance move with the world that was made so popular by one of the most iconic Latina artists of our time, Selena Quintanilla Perez.

[applause] And as we approach the 30-year anniversary of her tragic passing, I still feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of that magnificent project.

It's a gift and a privilege to use the power of storytelling to help elevate our people, our gente, right?

And to share that culture for audiences all around the world.

ANNIE: Like Constance, I am drawn to performing because of my love for transformative and truthful storytelling.

Even as a 6th generation Mexican American, I never really felt like I saw myself represented in media, I mean, at least not the way that I see myself represented in this crowd today by all of you beautiful people.

After a lot of hard work, I was finally a leading lady, if you will... CONSTANCE: Yes!

SASHA: Yes.

ANNIE: And I will!

CONSTANCE: Yes!

ANNIE: In a project where I was surrounded by my people, our people, talented actors, brilliant Latina writers, brilliant, Latina, and inspiring directors.

As a proud Chicana actress, a big sister, a woman, I know my work is so much bigger than me.

Because we know the creative decisions influence how people see us in the real world.

It's just, it's the responsibility of the job.

SASHA: There's is just something so special when we see our different cultures on screen.

You know, our warmth, our joy, the way we dance with our words and with each other.

You know, porque siempre bailando, you know.

Uh, our work is a love letter to the community and it's clear that our voices are necessary in humanizing us.

We get to tell stories about history makers, rule-breakers, everyday leaders, like the people that we're celebrating here.

And sometimes... we get to put on a cape, and step into a different reality, and forever shift the perception of what a superhero looks like.

ANNIE: Yes!

Wait, wait, wait, wait!

Before, before we get off this stage, Um, I think we will leave you with this cue...

Cue music!

♪ ["“baila esta cumbia"”].

♪ [applause].

ANNIE: All right, let's go, right here.

Come on, come on.

[applause and laughter] ANNOUNCER: Please welcome past Hispanic Heritage Award Honoree and host of, "Leguizamo Does America," John Leguizamo.

JOHN: It's so great to be back at the Kennedy Center for the Hispanic Heritage Awards.

Oh yeah, I had the great honor of receiving an award for the arts from the Foundation in 2004, and I brag about it at every opportunity.

Such as now.

It's especially great that I get to present the next award to a true leader in our community.

A leader in his profession.

A leader in the nation... And my friend.

I come to praise Cesar, not to bury him.

Unless I bury him in praise.

Cesar Conde is the first and only Latino to lead the most-viewed news organization in America.

He's like Neil Armstrong if the moon were news!

[laughter] And in my case, it took me six years to get my idea for telling the story of Latin Excellence to being greenlit.

Some people just didn't get it.

They were like, "America's a great melting pot.

And now that you're all melted in, we can ignore you."

But Cesar Conde immediately got it.

I didn't have to explain 500 years of our history and contributions in 20 minutes; no, because he is part of that history.

And together we produced our series, "Leguizamo Does America."

He and his team do what I've seen no other news organization do, man.

They build a team of the best, the most diverse to shine a light on the issues that matter to all of us.

If you don't know Cesar yet, here he is in his own words.

CESAR: There's a very simple premise that you know, we were taught very early on, my younger brothers and I, by our parents, which was is that the only thing in the world that no one can ever take away from you is your education.

Like millions in our community before them, my parents immigrated here to the United States.

My mom's from Cuba, my dad from Peru.

And so for my brothers and I, I mean, in that luck of life, when it comes to parents, we really hit the lottery.

We grew up speaking Spanish at home.

I think it was our parents' way of ensuring that we have a very clear sense of where we came from.

Um, a very good appreciation for our heritage.

But in the same breath that they also brought us up to be very proud and very grateful to have been born here in the United States and to be American.

The high school I went to in Miami was 99% Hispanic.

95% of that was Cuban American.

When I got to Harvard, it was the first time I think that I was in an environment where one realized that you, one wasn't the majority.

One of the things that I ended up doing was starting the Cuban-American Students Association, CAUSE.

It was the first, obviously, at the university, and it was the first of its kind and it was replicated among other universities.

And I think what it helped me and it helped those of us that have gone through that experience was bring that insight, bring all of those experiences that we had grown up with to help expose that to a broader, a broader set of people.

So I was very fortunate.

I was nominated and then accepted to the White House Fellows program.

I was fortunate to be placed to be the special assistant, or one of the special assistants for then Secretary of State, Colin Powell.

And really, my what my aspiration was to work in a field where I could have impact in a, in a large-scale way.

But two, I was very passionate about the Hispanic community.

And it was my time with General Powell, during the White House fellowship, that helped me crystallized through conversations with him to understand the power of what media could have, if practiced responsibly.

And so that's how I landed on pursuing a career in media, and more specifically, I started my career in Hispanic media.

One of the challenges of our generation is the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation that we are seeing not just here in the United States, but around the world.

In the news profession and in journalism.

Our main currency is trust.

And so building trust with all of the communities that we're trying to serve around the country and around the world is one of the primary responsibilities and one of the primary focuses that we have.

Diversity plays a fundamental role in the success of our business because we need to be able to represent all of the communities that we're trying to serve from a gender perspective, from a race-ethnicity perspective, from a socioeconomic perspective, from a diversity of geography, and from a diversity of perspective.

And if we can do that effectively and build teams in front and behind the camera that represent the broad definition of diversity like that, we are going to be able to better serve and empower all of the communities that we're trying to work with.

I think the programs that have allowed us to create mentorship opportunities for our communities, particularly younger folks in our communities we think is so fundamental, and they're very near and dear to my heart.

Unless you can see something, you can't be something.

And so, helping our youth that are coming through the ranks, especially communities that have been underserved in certain professions in the past, helping them understand that these careers, that these opportunities are possible, I think is one of the most gratifying and most important things that we can do.

I'm a big believer in that.

You know, we are all in these roles, we're all in these positions, really only for a temporary moment.

My hope is that you know, I'm able to leave whatever organization, whatever team I'm a part of in a better place when I leave it than when I inherited it.

I grew up watching this award ceremony.

The people that I grew up admiring, the people that I was inspired by to be able to join that list means a tremendous amount, and hopefully, it's going to serve as yet another of the many examples we have in our community of what's possible with the right values of dreaming big, working hard, and staying humble.

[grito] ["En El Olvido"].

♪ OMAR: Jamás tuve esperanza.

♪ ♪ Me pegó la bala.

♪ ♪ Sin tu calor.

♪ ♪ Me acuerdo de antes.

♪ ♪ Tiene otras amantes.

♪ ♪ Me da dolor.

♪ ♪ Tú no sabes tanto que yo haría.

♪ ♪ Tocarte las manitas debajo del cielo.

♪ ♪ Algo importante quiero mostrarte.

♪ ♪ Quizás no tengo el valor.

♪ ♪ Arrancaste todo lo que quedaba.

♪ ♪ Por razones que no aceptaba.

♪ ♪ Cariño, yo fui buen amante.

♪ ♪ En el olvido quiero dejarte.

♪ ♪ Renuncias lo que daba.

♪ ♪ Amor siempre se acaba, aunque tú no lo crees.

♪ ♪ Amor equivocada, aunque es lo que soñaba.

♪ ♪ Te pido perdón.

♪ ♪ Tú no sabes tanto que yo haría.

♪ ♪ Tocarte las manitas debajo del cielo.

♪ ♪ Algo importante quiero mostrarte.

♪ ♪ Quizás no tengo el valor.

♪ ♪ Arrancaste todo lo que quedaba.

♪ ♪ Por razones que no aceptaba.

♪ ♪ Cariño, yo fui buen amante.

♪ ♪ En el olvido ♪ ♪ Quiero dejarte.

♪♪ [song ends] [applause] LESLIE: To help me present our next honoree, please welcome actor and musician Xolo Maridueña and Host of "Pati's Mexican Table," Pati Jinich.

PATI: As an immigrant, I understand what it means to feel homesick.

Having to find little ways to connect to your culture, maybe through food?

XOLO: Through music.

PATI: Or art, or more food.

Finding ways to connect with your roots while you make a new life and maybe some pozole.

XOLO: For 34 years, our next honorees have been helping Latinos do just that.

Rather than rejecting their Mexican heritage, they combined it with rock and roll, earning critical and popular acclaim across Latino America.

They are defined by their reinvention, constantly finding new ways to change and reinvent themselves.

PATI: And demonstrating that embracing your culture doesn't mean clinging to the past, but using it as a starting place to create something vibrant and new.

Like quesabirria!

XOLO: Now, let's learn more about our 2023 Arts Awards Honorees, Café Tacvba.

RUBEN: El Café de Tacuba es un lugar de mucha tradición en el centro de la Ciudad de México.

Encontramos que este lugar representaba bien la música que nosotros queríamos mostrar.

El café, un grano que vino desde Medio Oriente pasó por Europa y llegó a América, y Tacuba que es una palabra de origen náhuatl, que es pues la lengua que sigue viva y que es hablada por por muchos grupos indígenas.

Es mestiza y sentimos que representaba bien lo que nosotros queríamos hacer en la música.

MEME: Hubo un momento donde en México, por ahí en por ahí en 1985 llegaron grupos de rock españoles y argentinos transformó la escena, que había aquí, musical, independiente digamos, o underground.

JOSELO: Rubén y yo siempre estábamos hablando mucho, platicando mucho sobre sobre qué tipo de música nos gustaría hacer, no?

Qué tipo de música tendríamos que hacer nosotros como mexicanos.

Cuando empezamos a hablar sobre este grupo, con este idea decíamos claro, hay que dejarnos dejar salir todas esas influencias, más que buscarlas, como ya las traíamos ahí y era dejarlas salir, dejar salir toda esta mexicanidad.

Y es que muchos jóvenes lo que trataban de hacer era taparla, no dejar salir la parte, la parte mexicana, la música o el folclor; cualquier cosa que sonara medio mexicano o tal, era echó a un lado y nosotros al contrario decíamos eso es lo que lo que queremos, lo que queremos hacer.

QUIQUE: Creo que una de las razones por las cuales cada uno de nuestros álbumes ha habido esa necesidad de reinvención es porque hay una búsqueda natural en nuestro grupo de... primero; uno, no repetirnos.

JOSELO: En nuestro primer disco, cuando salió en México, entonces hubo un boom de Café Tacvba en México.

Salimos a toda la República a tocar, en algunos lugares en Estados Unidos y todo esto.

Cuando grabamos nuestro segundo disco Re, no fue tan bien recibido en México.

Pero una cosa extraña que sucedió en Chile nos les, les encantó ese disco.

Y luego con el tercer disco con Avalancha De Éxitos, el disco pegó muy bien en Argentina, pero a lo mejor ya no muy bien en Chile y poco a poco con cada disco y iban pasando este tipo de de cosas, no?

Que, que nosotros pensábamos claro, es como esta, como con estas ganas que tenemos nosotros de ir, de ir cambiando, de ir innovando, de ir experimentando.

Y ahora la gente que que tal vez rechazó el re en su en el principio, ahora dicen: no, es que es un disco increíble y es el mejor disco que han hecho.

QUIQUE: Para mi fue una sorpresa el recibir la noticia de la de que nos querían ofrecer este reconocimiento.

Es un gran halago porque una vez que pudimos grabar un disco y este disco empezó a difundirse no solamente en nuestro país, sino el primer lugar al que fuimos como Café Tacvba, fuera de México, fue a Estados Unidos.

Ahí nos dimos cuenta de que decían bueno, es que hay una minoría hispana que está interesada en lo que pasa en México.

Ahí nos dimos cuenta de que el concepto de minoría es muy relativo, porque eran muchos mexicanos, muchos colombianos, muchos puertorriqueños y todos eran una extensión lo que estábamos haciendo en México.

MEME: Una presentación de un artista latinoamericano hace que una comunidad se reúna y es un es una energía diferente que tocar en un país latinoamericano, porque tiene una cuota de nostalgia muy grande, de añoranza de su país, de su cultura y en ese momento a nosotros nos toca esa energía, vivir con con ese momento, este tratar de ofrecerles algo, llevarles un pedacito de lo que podemos.

RUBEN: Si yo quisiera pues pues expresar que es un mensaje de aliento para las comunidades pues latinoamericanas viviendo en el extranjero, un recordatorio de la importancia de nuestra cultura, de cómo nos da fuerza, como nos da una base muy sólida sobre la cual comenzar a construir algo nuevo; no significa estar viendo hacia el pasado, es tener un pie bien apoyado y el otro pues con el otro avanzar.

La cultura como dicen, pues son flores más allá del jardín donde crezcan, pues tienen su belleza y esparcen su sus fragancias, así que pues eso agradecer; Estamos muy agradecidos porque pues trabajamos con con la belleza, con el arte, con, con esos otros mundos y esos otros tiempos.

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome our 2023 Arts Award Honorees, Café Tacvba!

["Futuro"].

♪ Yo dije que no.

♪ ♪ Ella dijo sí.

♪ ♪ Yo dije que sí.

♪ ♪ Ella dijo no.

♪ ♪ Al final no importa, es algo que Dios ya decidió.

♪ ♪ La muerte dijo sí.

♪ ♪ (La muerte dijo sí).

♪ ♪ Yo digo que no.

♪ ♪ (Yo digo que no).

♪ ♪ La vida dijo no.

♪ ♪ (La vida dijo no).

♪ ♪ Yo digo que sí.

♪ ♪ (Yo digo que sí).

♪ ♪ Al final qué importa, si muerto en vida sobreviví.

♪ ♪ Es una cuestión de tiempo.

♪ ♪ Tan breve este momento, en qué eres y en qué soy.

♪ ♪ Tú, mañana ya te fuiste.

♪ ♪ Y antes me dijiste "El futuro es hoy".

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Traigo este presente.

♪ ♪ Por las que has pasado.

♪ ♪ Ha sido pesado.

♪ ♪ Añorar a ausentes.

♪ ♪ Todo se soporta aunque esté nublado, sigamos de frente.

♪ ♪ A paso paulatino.

♪ ♪ Aún no me cansé.

♪ ♪ Unas voy a pie.

♪ ♪ (Unas voy a pie).

♪ ♪ Otras yo camino.

♪ ♪ (Otras yo camino).

♪ ♪ La verdad no importa porque no sé cuál es mi destino.

♪ ♪ Es una cuestión de tiempo.

♪ ♪ Tan breve este momento y este es el que soy.

♪ ♪ Tú, mañana ya te fuiste.

♪ ♪ Pero antes me dijiste que el futuro es hoy.

♪ ♪ Hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy.

♪ ♪ Hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy.

♪ ♪ Hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy.

♪ ♪ Hoy, hoy, hoy.

♪♪ ♪ ♪ [song ends] [applause].

[crowd chanting inaudibly] [applause] ADMINISTRATOR GUZMAN: Buenos noches, buenos noches, I have the honor of leading the federal agency in the Biden-Harris Administration that helps deliver the American dream.

Launching a business represents hope, and since the President took office, we have seen a small business boom with more than 13 million people applying to start a business.

And Latinos are starting up at 10 times the rate of other groups.

They are creating jobs, powering the economy, and adding to the diversity that fuels American ingenuity, competition, and economic growth.

NIC: And our next honoree is one of the success stories of our community.

What started as a way to help reconnect their family to their Mexican-American culture following an illness, has grown from a family of seven, siete, there's a litte clue for ya...

Spending their weekends making tortillas by hand, to the fastest-growing Mexican-American food or beverage brand in the United States.

Let's learn more about our 2023 Entrepreneurship Award Honorees, Siete Family Foods.

VERONICA: So we grew up in Laredo, Texas, a border town.

You know, there was a lot of Mexican food all around us, and I would say there was a lot of that in our house, as well.

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition when I was 17.

Not too long after college, I ended up getting diagnosed with another autoimmune condition that people are more familiar with, which is lupus.

You know, my older brother Robb had suggested I look into food, see if there was anything that was causing a lot of the inflammation that I was experiencing.

I wasn't eating any grains: no corn, no flour, no rice, even.

I definitely did feel better, but there was just so much that I felt like I was missing out on.

Basically, any Mexican dish requires a tortilla or some sort of grain.

You know, it's just... it felt a little isolating unless I was with my family, because they were all eating that way with me.

And so I started experimenting with all of these different ingredients that I hadn't really been too familiar with before.

You know, it was things like almond flour.

I know it sounds silly, but it felt like if I had this tortilla that would just, like, open up a world of opportunities for food that I could eat.

It was definitely more like a tostada, but it served the purpose at the time and it sort of just became a staple in our house.

So many dishes were back on the table again.

I can really say that in doing that, it felt like there was a reconnection to that part of my culture that was so important for me.

AIDA: We were regularly making the tortillas and so I was going to visit my mom and I took some.

My mom was such a picky eater.

I said, "Mom, I brought you some of the tortillas we're making.

I want you to taste it."

And I can still hear her saying, "Oh, heck."

So, she said, "Okay, you know, I'm going to try it."

And she tasted and that was already big.

And then she said, "I like it."

So, I said, "Wait, Mom, don't say anything else."

I got my phone out and I started recording and I said, "Okay, Mom, tell Vero."

So, she said, she looked straight into the camera and she said, "Vero, these are good.

I like them"... What did she say?

VERONICA: "They're better than mine."

AIDA: They're better than mine!

MIGUEL: I was telling Vero that she would regret not starting the business and then seeing somebody else create the product.

Maybe a few months after that conversation, she was driving up I-35 from Laredo to Austin with a Ziploc bag of almond tortillas so that we could go to a food co-op here called Wheatsville to go pitch them on our tortillas.

Around May 1st of 2014, we put two cases of tortillas to the shelf.

Come back May 2nd, there are no more tortillas.

Within six months, we became the number one-selling refrigerated item.

So, we were out selling milk, eggs, yogurt, and hummus with an almond flour tortilla.

We ended up raising money at the end of 2015, mainly so that we could buy equipment so that we could stop making tortillas by hand.

And then in 2017, after launching tortillas in different regions across the country in Whole Foods, we launched our grain-free, cassava-based tortilla chips cooked in avocado oil.

And those became the number one selling tortilla chip at Whole Foods within 12 months and the number one selling salty snacks.

So, they were outselling potato chips, popcorn, and pretzels within the first 18 months.

And so fast forward to today and it's 80 plus products across 16,000 doors with 400 million in retail sales.

And last year, we were the fastest-growing Hispanic or Latin-focused food or beverage company at scale.

VERONICA: We know that we've achieved some amount of success and we've had people believe in us that, you know, have helped us get there, whether that be, you know, the, the funding that we received or the team that has joined us on this journey.

But I also hope that we can help other Latinos get there.

That's a big part of what we want to do.

A lot of the initiatives that we've started, we want other people to be successful and start businesses and, you know, live out their dreams or live out their ancestors dreams for them.

Because I really do believe that when one of us succeeds, really, everybody is succeeding.

We're just all rising up together.

["La Tirana"].

LESLIE: Let's take you back to 1965... ♪ Según tu punto de vista.

♪ ♪ Yo soy la mala.

♪ ♪ Vampiresa en tu novela.

♪ ♪ La gran Tirana.

♪ ♪ Cada cual en este mundo.

♪ ♪ Cuenta el cuento a su manera.

♪ ♪ Y lo hace ver de otro modo.

♪ ♪ En la mente de cualquiera.

♪ ♪ Desencadenas en mi.

♪ ♪ Venenosos comentarios.

♪ ♪ Después de hacerme sufrir.

♪ ♪ El peor de los calvarios.

♪ ♪ Según tu punto de vista.

♪ ♪ Yo soy la mala.

♪ ♪ La que te llego hasta el alma.

♪ ♪ La gran Tirana.

♪ ♪ Para mi es indiferente.

♪ ♪ Lo que sigas comentando.

♪ ♪ Si dice la misma gente.

♪ ♪ Que el día en que te deje.

♪ ♪ Fui yo quien salio ganando.

♪ ♪ Según tu punto de vista.

♪ ♪ Yo soy la mala.

♪ ♪ La que te llego hasta el alma.

♪ ♪ La gran Tirana.

♪ ♪ Para mi es indiferente.

♪ ♪ Lo que sigas comentando.

♪ ♪ Si dice la misma gente.

♪ ♪ Que el día en que te deje.

♪ ♪ Fui yo quien salio ganando.

♪ ♪ Que el día en que te deje.

♪ ♪ Fui yo quien salio ganando.

♪♪ [applause].

LESLIE: Tito Peunte y La Lupe, two of the greatest to ever do it, in my book.

It is a pleasure for me to remember the magical sounds that they would create when they would come together.

And it is an even greater pleasure when I get to do it with such incredible musicians.

Please give a round of applause to our maestro tonight, Luke Frazier and the American Pops Orchestra!

Give it up, y'all!

[applause].

Please welcome Pati Jinich, Hispanic Heritage Award Honoree, Crazy Legs, and my man, Ángel Manuel Soto!

CRAZY LEGS: We need a flag.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, and as one of the B-Boys from The Bronx, I'm proud of the contributions Latinos have made to movement, and of the ways that our communities have taken the inspiration and made it our own.

PATI: Our next honoree es un pionero de la movimiento urbano.

Originalmente... As a part of one of the most influential duos of the genre.

And I'm doing this because we live in a Spanglish world... And there was a dare backstage for me to do this in Spanglish, so... Now's your turn.

ANGEL: Bueno, yo lo voy a hacer en español ¿Ok?

Pero, desde que ellos se separaron el 2014, Wisin ha podido trazar un nuevo camino en el género, enfocandose en colaboradores de otros iconos de la música latina, trayendo mucha atención, la atención necesitada para no solamente traer reconocimiento al género, pero si no, poner en alto al reguetón, al perreo, a la música de Puerto Rico, okay!

Hoy en día, él se levanta como uno de los pilares más decorados del género y no solamente la música, sino el género de reggaetón en su generación.

Todo, mientras utiliza todo su éxito para atraer la oportunidad y levantar a artistas emergentes de su ciudad natal y de su país y su nación, Puerto Rico.

CRAZY LEGS: Let's learn more about our 2023 Vision Award Honoree, Wisin!

WISIN: Yo soy del centro de Puerto Rico.

Yo crecí entre las montañas, en un pueblo de gente linda, de gente humilde.

Cayey es donde empecé a soñar.

No había dinero, no había recursos, herramientas nada de eso, solo muchos sueños dentro de un bulto.

Fui trovador, como bien tú dices.

La trova es la música folclórica de Puerto Rico.

Recuerdo que el primero que tocaba puertas era mi papá, porque yo cuando era muy chamaquito, 7-8 años, llegábamos a la lechonera allá en Cayey y el iba y les preguntaba, "mira que mi nene canta a ver si le dan un break".

Yo creo que de la trova a la música urbana es un cambio drástico, pero a la vez recursos que aprendí y herramientas que pude obtener en la trova las utilicé para poder componer y para poder trabajar en la música urbana.

Así que fue una preparación desde muy chamaquito.

Mira, Yandel es un ser especial.

Yandel cantaba con Fido y yo cantaba con Alexis del dúo Alexis y Fido.

Fido decide irse al ejército, al Army y Alexis también se fue al exterior a buscar un mejor futuro y a buscar oportunidades.

Y recuerdo que en una carrera, en una pista de carros de carrera, y estaban haciendo una competencia de quien se trepaba y quién cantaba.

Y Yandel me miró y me dijo, "!vale, vamos a meterle!

Yo sé que tu chanteas."

Nos subimos y cantamos y fue como una señal porque ganamos el premio.

Así que desde el primer momento que nos unimos, la vida nos premió y hasta el sol de hoy.

Yo creo que después de eso, pues lo demás es historia, empezamos a soñar y a trabajar duro.

Fue un poco difícil al principio porque como bien tu dices, era de otra área.

Casi todos los artistas eran del área metro de San Juan, de la Capital.

Yo creo que el ser de Cayey, como que nos dio ese distintivo diferente entre todos los demás.

Y yo creo que nosotros, tanto Yandel, yo, y voy a hablar del mismo Tego, Don Omar, Yankee, y muchos de los exponentes, verdad, que representan, Ivy Queen, el movimiento.

Venimos de un tiempo donde, como te dije, solo teníamos sueños, pero esa escalera para llegar hasta el cielo no estaba.

Así que tuvimos que poco a poco construirla.

Mira, "Pal' Mundo" fue un antes y después de nuestra carrera, porque siempre en la carrera de un artista hay un antes y un después.

Está ese disco o esa canción que hace que tu, pues, pases al próximo nivel.

Pero antes del 2006, que fue cuando salió "Pal' Mundo", nosotros estuvimos tocando muchas puertas.

Muchas puertas se abrieron, muchas puertas no se abrieron.

"Pal' Mundo", fue la llave.

Yo respetaba mucho la posición de Yandel.

las melodías, los coros.

Yo era más la fuerza, yo era la calle.

Cuando tú estás acostumbrado a jugar en equipo, como te dije, es difícil después tomar el balón y tirarla tú solo.

Pero yo creo que el atreverme a hacer algo diferente, obviamente por la necesidad de que ya no estaba Yandel, fue algo bien interesante en mi carrera.

Uno de los pasos más importantes de la carrera, no tan solo mía, sino del crecimiento del movimiento urbano, fue las colaboraciones.

Que grandes artistas nos miraran porque en aquel momento no había tanta credibilidad y ellos fueron los que nos dieron credibilidad.

Porque no solamente se chocan dos artistas en el estudio, chocan dos demográficos, chocan dos países, dos culturas diferentes.

Un ejemplo, cuando yo grabé con Enrique Iglesias "Duele el corazón", no solamente estamos haciendo un éxito, está chocando su tierra con la mía.

Demográficos que quizás no me escuchan, me prestan atención y también dicen, "wow, que interesante W se escucha en este tema, déjame escuchar su música."

Al igual que él en mi mundo.

Y gracias a Dios de ahí sale "Adrenalina" junto a Ricky y Jennifer.

De ahí sale "Escápate conmigo" junto a Ozuna, "Me niego" junto a Reik y Ozuna.

"Nota de amor" junto a Daddy Yankee y Carlos Vives.

Grandes, grandes temas que marcaron mi carrera y marcaron la música y fue porque que me atreví a hacer algo diferente.

Es un privilegio que yo esté aquí 'mano.

Y yo poder ver ese cambio entre el CD, la cassette, a todas estas plataformas digitales ha sido un privilegio, porque muchos de mis compañeros que quizás tienen más talento que yo hoy no están.

Así que ha sido un regalo del cielo y seguimos trabajando de la mano de todos ellos, siempre con respeto.

Como mencionaste, Bad Bunny, Myke Towers, Jay Cortez, Karol G, J Balvin, todos estos artistas, Arcangel, que llegaron después de nosotros.

Ellos entienden que ha sido un relevo.

el crédito es de todos, es un edificio donde muchos de ellos han puesto bloques, unos más que otros.

Quizás otros, los cimientos, el acero, pero ha sido un edificio que... un rascacielos que... que se ha trabajado en equipo.

Yo represento al barrio, yo represento a la gente humilde, yo represento a las personas que sí tú los ves de primera intención, jamás pensarías que pudieran hacer algo grande.

Eso es lo que yo quiero hacer y por eso sigo en Cayey, mi estudio es en Cayey.

No solamente tengo una empresa, tengo una plataforma, una herramienta para jóvenes que soñaron y que siguen soñando como yo, como yo sigo soñando.

Que son soñadores igual que yo.

Eso es la base.

Con un grupo de personas talentosas, puedes hacer música.

Pero cuando tienes un sitio que no solamente se hace música, sino se ofrecen oportunidades, es diferente.

Ese es el legado que quiero dejar.

Que detrás de lo que ven en el escenario puedan ver a una persona que representaba al barrio, no tan solo por las joyas o por los carros o lo que tenga, sino por lo que hizo.

LESLIE: I'd like to take this moment to give a huge thank you to all of those who made tonight possible.

Now, many of tonight's honorees have shared stories of being caught between two worlds.

Ni de aquí, ni de alla.

Neither here, nor there.

Something I relate to deeply.

But all of them found ways to embrace their culture and make meaning to improve the world for all of us.

As we close our show, we wanted to pay tribute to a past honoree who also made meaning and music that changed the world... His music owes as much to West African Yoruba drumming as it does to Latin American boleros.

As much to jazz and big band as it does to bomba y plena.

And so tonight, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, we celebrate not only his brilliance as a percussionist, arranger, songwriter, and band leader, but also his unwavering commitment to giving all of us, no matter where we're from, music that feels like home.

To pay tribute to Tito Puente, please welcome Pedrito Martinez, Milly Quezada, Alex Cuba, and Tito Puente, Jr. Give it up!

["“Elube Changó"”].

[chanting in foreign language] ♪ Babaee .

♪ ♪ Baba soroso.

♪ ♪ Babaee ♪ ♪ Baba soroso.

♪ ♪ Babaluaye iyan fomode.

♪ ♪ Baba sire sire sire sire moba.

♪ ♪ Baba sire sire sire sire moba.

♪ ♪ (Baba sire sire).

♪ ♪ Baba sire sire sire sire moba.

♪ ♪ (Baba sire sire).

♪ ♪ Elube changó.

♪ ♪ (Ah eh!).

♪ ♪ Elube changó.

♪ ♪ (Ah eh!).

♪ ♪ Elube batá.

♪ ♪ (Ah eh!).

♪ ANNOUNCER: Please welcome, Milly Quezada!

["La Guarachera"].

♪ Vengan todos a oírme cantar.

♪ ♪ Con mi voz con saludo cordial.

♪ ♪ Guarachera mi llama la gente.

♪ ♪ Yo con Tito Puente voy a guarachar.

♪ ♪ Vengan todos a oírme cantar.

♪ ♪ Con mi coro que viene alla atras.

♪ ♪ Yo si soy guarachera consciente.

♪ ♪ Y este rico ambiente.

♪ ♪ Me pone inspirar!

♪ ♪ Guarachera bongo!

♪ ♪ (Milly scatting).

♪ ♪ Guarachera bongo!

♪ ♪ (Milly scatting).

♪ ♪ Guarachera bongo!

♪ ♪ (Milly scatting).

♪ ♪ Guarachera bongo!

♪ ♪ Ha, hey!

♪ ["La Gloria Eres Tu"].

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome, Alex Cuba!

[applause] ♪ Eres mi bien lo que me tiene extasiado.

♪ ♪ Por qué negar que estoy de ti enamorado.

♪ ♪ De tu dulce alma.

♪ ♪ Que es toda sentimiento.

♪ ♪ De esos ojazos negros de un raro fulgor.

♪ ♪ Que me dominan, me incitan al amor.

♪ ♪ Eres un encanto.

♪ ♪ Eres una flor... ♪ ["“Oye Cómo Va"”].

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome, Tito Puente Jr. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oye cómo va. ♪ ♪ Mi ritmo.

♪ ♪ Bueno pa'’ gozar.

♪ ♪ Mulata.

♪ ♪ (Oye cómo va).

♪ ♪ (Mi ritmo).

♪ ♪ (Bueno pa'’ gozar).

♪ ♪ (Mulata).

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oye cómo va. ♪ ♪ Mi ritmo.

♪ ♪ Bueno pa'’ gozar.

♪ ♪ Mulata.

♪ ♪ Oye cómo va. ♪ ♪ Mi ritmo.

♪ ♪ Bueno pa'’ gozar.

♪ ♪ Mulata.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hoo!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oye cómo va. ♪ ♪ Mi ritmo.

♪ ♪ Bueno pa'’ gozar.

♪ ♪ Mulata.

♪ ♪ Oye cómo va. ♪ ♪ Mi ritmo.

♪ ♪ Bueno pa'’ gozar.

♪ ♪ Mulata.

♪ ♪ Oye cómo va. ♪ ♪ Mi ritmo.

♪ ♪ Bueno pa'’ gozar.

♪ ♪ Mulata.

♪ [song ends] [applause].

[music plays through credits] ♪ ♪