Latino Immigrants’ Long History in U.S. Baseball
Ask students: What is the focus of the exhibition, ¡Pleibol!? How did playing baseball in local Latino neighborhood communities in the U.S. connect players to larger communities?
History of Latinos Playing Baseball Exhibit
As ballparks fill up around the country due to an easing of pandemic restrictions, the PBS NewsHour looks at a new exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. on the long history of Latinos playing baseball and how they changed the sport in the U.S. Watch the video and answer the discussion questions below. To read the transcript of the video, click here.
Focus Questions
What impact do you think an exhibit like ¡Pleibol!: In the Barrios and the Big Leagues can bring to local Latino communities? Do you think it is important for baseball fans in the U.S. to understand the history of Latino players and communities?
Media literacy: How did the shots of ¡Pleibol!: In the Barrios and the Big Leagues in between the interviews with curator Margaret Salazar-Porzio help you visualize the goal of the exhibition?
Additional Resources
Check out this piece about baseball in Latin America with a special focus on Cuban players and breaking the color barrier in American leagues here.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Extra.
Discussion Questions
- Who was Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso?
- What is the focus of the exhibition, ¡Pleibol!?
- Do you think it is important that the exhibition has bilingual signage?
- When was the picture of all-star Marge Villa taken?
- Where are some countries from which Latino immigrants brought their tradition of baseball?
- How did playing baseball in local Latino neighborhood communities in the U.S. connect players to larger communities?
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