U.S. Latino popular musics encompass diverse music repertoires shaped by
regional, cultural, and linguistic considerations. Few people realize the
extent to which Latino musical genres have influenced U.S. popular musics.
Mexicano/Chicano musics have a long and distinct history in the United
States, both within Mexican descent communities and the broader American
popular culture. Approaching Mexicano/Chicano musics as a Mestizo tri-ethnic
musical heritage (European -  primarily Spanish, Indigenous and African),
students become familiar with selected Mexican American performance genres-
conjunto, mariachi, corridos, and Chicano rock. A focus on ethnicity,
traditionalism, and authenticity explores the socio-cultural significance of
these expressions and their meanings within a broader U.S. Latino musical
realm. Course readings include sources from ethnomusicology, anthropology,
folklore, sociology, art history, archaeology, psychology and U.S. Latino
History. Students will be required to submit one major research paper, a
listening journal, and participate by facilitating one group discussion.