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Abstract:In May 2022, Robb Elementary in Uvalde became the scene of a grisly massacre of nineteen fourth graders and two teachers. After the case made national headlines, many journalists seeking to understand more about Uvalde, this small town southwest of San Antonio, found a chapter in the 2021 book Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas. The book was published by the University of Texas Press and edited by Max Krochmal and J. Todd Moye. That chapter, “The 1970 Uvalde School Walkout,” written by Vinicio Sinta and Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, detailed an insurrection by hundreds of Mexican American children and their families to protest unjust treatment. The walkout was precipitated by the school board’s refusal to renew the contract of George Garza, but in fact, that was only the catalyst. Dissatisfaction had been brewing for years and was about not just one single teacher, but rather a societal structure in the ranching community that relegated Mexican Americans to a subservient status.

Abstract:This essay introduces Voces of Mariachi, a multiple-individual interview session (MIIS) organized by the Voces Oral History Center in San Antonio, Texas, in 2020. A team of researchers and volunteers came together to record and process fourteen oral testimonials of mariachi musicians, promoters, and educators based in Texas. Drawing on their lived experiences, mariachis from multiple generations and different career pathways shared their recollections from a life of learning, thriving, and sharing their craft. Interviews showcased musicians' reflections on their personal connection with mariachi music; the origins, current status, and the future of the genre; and their own involvement in promoting and disseminating Mexican traditional music.