Loud & Proud: The Music of a Mexilachian Future

04/30/21 • 77 min

The Nuestro South Loud & Proud series focuses on the Poder y Cultura that Nuestra Gente in the South can possess. From the comida que cocinamos, the music we play, and our labor which plants, cleans, and builds-- Nuestra Gente has grown deep roots in the south.
In this episode- What does it mean to be Half-Hillbilly and Half-Mexican? How do Latinx families come to settle in the Appalachian regions? How does our music and culture express a new vision for our communities future?
Like the broader US South, Appalachia is a vast region filled with its own history and nuances but it is still largely stereotyped as a particularly white space . The truth and history is much more nuanced, and just like in the deep South, Nuestra Gente has roots all across Appalachia and has enriched the region with their food, language, music, and culture.

Tune in to discover the cultural bridges being formed through the Mexilachian music of the Lua Project, and the activist sounds of the Latingrass group Che Apalache as Sophia Enriquez walks us through her own family's journey and the significance of our music in the Appalachian-Latinx experience.
Sophia is a scholar, teacher, and musician from Appalachian Ohio. She is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at Ohio State University. Her dissertation titled “Canciones de Las Apalaches: Latinx Music, Migration, and Belonging in Appalachia” sheds light on the long-standing contributions of Latinx people to Appalachian music. Sophia plays Appalachian and Mexican music styles—such as ranchera and bluegrass—and performs with the folk trio the “Good Time Girls” in Columbus, Ohio.

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Instagram: http://instagram.com/nuestrosouthTwitter: https://twitter.com/nuestrosouthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NuestroSouth/The Nuestro South Loud & Proud Interview Series is produced by Axel Herrera, Julie Weise, and Erik Valera with generous sponsorship from the Whiting Foundation, the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, and LatinxEd.

To learn more, check out:
https://nuestrosouth.org/

Previous Episode

Loud & Proud: Race, Labor, and Chicanos in the South

The Nuestro South Loud & Proud series focuses on the Poder y Cultura that Nuestra Gente in the South can possess. From the comida que cocinamos, the music we play, and our labor which plants, cleans, and builds-- Nuestra Gente has grown deep roots in the south.
In this episode- Why don’t children of Mexicans in the South identify as Chicanos? How do racial dynamics impact the workplace for immigrants? Do Latinos have a Southern accent?
Our conversation with Professor Perla Guerrero helps us explore how geography influences racial dynamics in her hometown of Arkansas and how young southern folk can find a sense of belonging and purpose within our diverse history. Perla M. Guerrero is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Latinx Studies. She is the author of Nuevo South: Latinas/os, Asians and the Remaking of Place and is working on a second book about deportation and coerced return to México.

To learn more, check out:
https://nuestrosouth.org/

Subscribe to this channel for new podcast episodes on
iTunesSpotifyGoogle Podcasts
Follow us:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nuestrosouthTwitter: https://twitter.com/nuestrosouthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NuestroSouth/The Nuestro South Loud & Proud InterSeries is produced by Axel Herrera, Julie Weise, Erik Valera with generous sponsorship from the Whiting Foundation, the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, and Latinx Ed.

Next Episode

Loud & Proud: “Las Polleras de Mississippi” Part 1 (En Español)

The Nuestro South Loud & Proud series focuses on the Poder y Cultura that Nuestra Gente in the South can possess. From the comida que cocinamos, the music we play, and our labor which plants, cleans, and builds-- Nuestra Gente has grown deep roots in the south.
Part 1 of "Las Polleras de Mississippi" is a bilingual conversation with a fellow friend and immigrant from Guatemala and professor Angela Stuesse.
In this episode- ¡Es como un mini-Guatemala! A pesar de vivir en una región que tiene una historia bastante compleja y racista para personas Afro-Americanas o cualquier otra minoría, Mississippi ha llegado a ser un hogar para muchos inmigrantes.

Nuestro invitado nos cuenta su historia acerca de cómo fue que llegó a decidir dejar su hogar en Guatemala, su experiencia al llegar a Mississippi, y como ahora tiene sus propias raíces y comunidad en Mississippi.

Angela Stuesse is an associate professor of anthropology and global studies at UNC Chapel Hill. She spent the last 20+ years doing activist research alongside Latinx Immigrant communities in the south. She is the author of Scratching Out a Living: Latinos, Race, and Work in the deep South. She continues to write and advocate for workers that are increasingly vulnerable in the times of heightened immigration enforcement and health and safety within a pandemic.

To learn more, check out:
https://nuestrosouth.org/