Through her new PBS travel show on Latin America, Kim Haas wants to show viewers how Afro-Latino heritage has left a lasting imprint within this corner of the world.

The new series, “Afro-Latino Travels With Kim Haas,” will made its premiere on Saturday, Sep 12, with a two-part special showcasing the historical, epicurean, and artistic influences of this heritage in Costa Rica.

“It’s an integral part of Latin America,” said Haas, who is the show’s host, executive producer, and creator, “and the legacy is so deep that it's profound.”

In providing a definition for Afro-Latino, Haas said that the term overall refers to someone who is from Latin America but also identifies himself or herself as having African ancestry. This affinity is traced back to the 16th century, where millions of enslaved Africans were brought on ships to Latin America via The Middle Passage up through the 18th century. In the present day, genetic research findings estimate that at least one in three Latin Americans have African ancestry.

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