American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez

American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez is a documentary that examines the life and work of filmmaker Luis Valdez. The film focuses on how Valdez overcame industry doubt and political opposition to bring Chicano narratives to cinema through his projects Zoot Suit and La Bamba, aiming to broaden the traditional American story.

Directed and written by David Alvarado, this is the second film in his career following Secrets in Your Data. The production was a collaboration between several organizations, including PBS, ITVS, JustFilms / Ford Foundation, and Latino Public Broadcasting. The documentary features Luis Valdez appearing as himself, with Edward James Olmos providing the narration as the voice of El Pachuco. Other individuals appearing as themselves include Dolores Huerta, Lou Diamond Phillips, Cheech Marin, and Taylor Hackford. The film has a runtime of 92 minutes and was released in the United States on July 17, 2026.