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Stars unite in CBS' 'Essential Heroes' event to honor Latino achievements

Eva Longoria
Actress Eva Longoria is cohosting the CBS special "Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event." (Rich Fury / Getty Images)

It's almost time for CBS' star-studded special "Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event," highlighting the contributions of America's Latino community.

In recent weeks, a number of famous hosts, guests and performers have signed on for the telecast, which promises to amplify Latino voices through musical performances, comedy sets, documentary shorts and more.

"Every American — and in particular, the Latino community — we are philanthropists. We are patriots. We are heroes," executive producer Henry R. Muñoz III told "Good Morning America" Monday.

"And Momento Latino is meant to bring those stories forward so that we can feel better — so that we can be hopeful and inspire. And if there's ever a moment in our country's history where we need that inspiration, that cultural understanding, I think it's right now."

Earlier this month, CBS added comedian George Lopez, actor John Leguizamo, screen icon Rita Moreno and other celebrities to its lineup. And last week, Pitbull and Luis Fonsi joined the virtual project as performers. Here are all the details about the show, including how to watch, who's appearing and what to expect.

What time is the event, and where can I watch it?

“Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event” airs Monday at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand at CBS All Access.

The hourlong program will honor Latino culture as well as the sacrifices Latino people have made while continuing to provide for their communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who's hosting?

Actress Eva Longoria and musicians Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin will serve as cohosts of the show, which will also feature a performance from Estefan.

"We did a study that showed 34% of frontline workers are from the Latinx community — that's your nurses and your drivers and your farmworkers. And so a large part of people from our community are keeping the engine of this economy going during the pandemic, and we thought, 'How do we honor these heroes?'" Longoria, who is also an executive producer of the special, told "Good Morning America" Monday.

"These people that are often going to work without PPE, without livable wages, with horrible living conditions. And we thought, 'We need to say thank you and let our community know, we are here for you, we see you and we thank you.'"

Who else is participating?

Also set to appear during the "Essential Heroes" broadcast are José Andrés, Arturo Castro, Isabela Merced, Ana Navarro, Freddy Rodriguez, Wilmer Valderrama and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The virtual festivities will also include musical sets from Estefan, Pitbull, Fonsi and Kelsea Ballerini.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.