When PBS needed an expert on Puerto Rican history for its new series “Voces American Historia,” it reached out to CLS affiliate faculty Jorell Meléndez-Badillo. His interview, which is part of the program’s second episode, offers important perspective on the strategic importance of the island and the reasons the US was interested in possessing the territory in the late 19th Century. The three-part series follows actor John Leguizamo on a quest to uncover Latine voices and their contributions to the history of the territory that is now the United States. It airs on PBS Wisconsin Tuesdays at 10:00pm.