Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper, actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, revealing origins in Italy, Korea, and Mexico.
/ Watch Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Encore Saturday, May 16 at 6 p.m. on KPBS TV On this episode, Henry Louis Gates maps the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, exploring records in Italy, Korea, and Mexico to uncover ancestors whose stories were lost when their families immigrated to America.
Henry Louis Gates explores the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, introducing them to ancestors whose stories were forgotten when their families immigrated to the United States. Drawing on long-lost records from Italy, Korea, Mexico, and Switzerland, Gates helps his guests to re-imagine their families and connect to their vanished histories.highlights the genealogical backgrounds and ancestral stories of prominent guests that helped to define who they are today.
The season features actors Jamie Chung , Brian Cox , Billy Crudup , Claire Danes , Jeff Daniels , Viola Davis , David Duchovny , Richard Kind , Joe Manganiello , Tamera Mowry , Edward Norton , Julia Roberts and Danny Trejo ; pop star Cyndi Lauper; comedians Carol Burnett and Niecy Nash; athlete and sportscaster Tony Gonzalez; journalists Jim Acosta and Van Jones; activist Angela Davis; and statesman Jeh Johnson. Because of a strained relationship with his father, actor Danny Trejo never learned much about his roots.
But here, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals the story of his great-grandparents' and their four children's grueling journey by foot from Mexico to the U.S. shortly after World War I. At the center of it all, guiding every discovery, is host and executive producer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University.
“I am deeply proud of this series—and especially this season. I think it is so important today to show what we have in common, as Americans, and as human beings, despite our apparent differences. The stories we find in our guests’ family trees demonstrate—repeatedly— that we are a fundamentally blended nation that draws strength from our diversity. ”and Kimberly Morgan, who together have solved hundreds of mysteries and reconnected innumerable lost relatives over the past two decades.
Singer Cyndi Lauper, who has devoted her life to an array of social causes, had a great-grandfather who, as a"general agitator," helped organize a rebellion against unfair monetary policies in Switzerland in the early 1650s.designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier.
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A new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS premieres January 3, 2023 8/7c! Tune in for all-new episodes as renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides influential guests into their roots, uncovering deep secrets, hidden identities and lost ancestors. Each of us has a story. And that story is connected to other stories, all of which lead to our roots.
Finding Your Own Roots shares tips and information to assist in genealogy research and better tell the stories of our ancestors. Jen is a web producer at KPBS, responsible for program promotion, membership-related activities, and is the editor of the KPBS community calendar. Jen has worked at KPBS since 2000. She is originally from Las Vegas and attended UNLV.
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Henry Louis Gates Family Trees Phenomenal Guests Ancestors Italian Records Korean Records Mexican Records American Immigration Strained Relationship History Foot Journey World War I
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