Social Justice & Community
UCSC alumnus featured in latest episode of “Leguizamo Does America” on MSNBC and Peacock
Dr. Rafael Enrique Delgadillo (Ph.D. ’24, Latin American and Latino Studies) is featured in the latest episode of Leguizamo Does America on MSNBC and Peacock.
Dr. Rafael Enrique Delgadillo (Ph.D. ’24, Latin American and Latino Studies).
UCSC alumnus Dr. Rafael Enrique Delgadillo (Ph.D. ’24, Latin American and Latino Studies), a historian and cultural tour guide, appears in the latest episode of Leguizamo Does America (season 2, episode 4) on MSNBC and Peacock.
Hosted by Emmy-winner John Leguizamo, the acclaimed series explores Latino contributions across the U.S.. In the New Orleans episode, Delgadillo shares stories from his research that trace the city’s deep ties to Latin America—histories often left out of mainstream narratives.
“Coming from a Dominican background and growing up here [in New Orleans], I’ve always looked at this city through its layers of history and its cultural similarities to the Caribbean,” said Delgadillo. “New Orleans is complicated, beautiful, and deeply connected to the rest of the Americas. I just try to help people see that more clearly.”
A first-generation Dominican American and lifelong New Orleanian, Delgadillo earned his Ph.D. in Latin America and Latino Studies from UC Santa Cruz in 2024. His research positions 19th-century New Orleans as a vital geopolitical crossroads in the Americas.
In the latest episode of Leguizamo Does America, Delgadillo offered a powerful lens on New Orleans’ layered identity and its deep historical ties to Latin America and the Caribbean, connections he explored through his dissertation at UC Santa Cruz and now brings to life through public storytelling and education.
Delgadillo currently serves as a researcher at the University of New Orleans and leads Spanish-language walking tours every Saturday in the French Quarter, offering visitors and locals a deeper understanding of the city’s layered past.