Teaching Decolonial Sounds on the Margins Reflections on a K-12 Teacher Workshop Covering Black & Brown Musical Transculturation in Texas

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Marco Antonio Cervantes

Introduction hop and education, hip-hop academics and White students.” Chicanos in Texas have educators continue to theorize, discuss, and long struggled for success in the public At the end of a three-day summer incorporate hip-hop into their existing ped- school system (Donato, 1997; Gonzalez, teacher workshop, I assigned K-12 teach- agogies. Hill (2009) describes academics 1990; Moreno, 1999; Valencia 2004). Like- ers to write an eight-bar rap verse about and educators who apply hip-hop to their wise there remains an achievement gap the content covered. Teachers set their research and pedagogy as “Hip Hop Based between Black youth to other groups in US pens to paper and wrote diligently as the Scholars” who have constructed a strong school systems (Ferguson, 2007; Haycock, clock ticked. By the end of the workshop, case for the pedagogical value of hip-hop in 2007; Wright, Standen, & Patel, 2010). five tables of teachers, predominately the classroom (p. 11). Hip hop pedagogues These troubling realities for urban Black White, all ages, all disciplines, completed continue to use the genre as a vehicle to: and Brown youth in the U.S. are often due their eight-bar rap verses for perfor- (a) critique social policies aimed at youth of to lack of resources and the continued mance. Even the most resistant teachers color (Chang, 2005; Rose, 1994); (b) analyze enforcement of colonial ideologies by the to hip-hop expression were engaged in linguistic hip-hop elements (Alim 2007, state’s institutions. the exercise. These teachers learned that Pennycook, 2007; Smitherman, 1997); (c) the art of rapping was more than making examine development of identity forma- Addressing Black and Brown Issues words simply rhyme and that the practice tion (Dimitriadis, 2001; Gin Wright, 2004; involves breath control, organization skills, As both groups face systematic oppres- Hill 2009; Petchauer, 2007); (d) promote sion, Black and Latina/o conflict and soli- rhythm, the ability to articulate your voice, critical literacy (Akom, 2009; Alim, 2007; and conveying messages that reflect social darity have become important sources of Duncan-Andrade & Morrell, 2005); and (e) discussion. Differences in language, social experience and condition. increase student engagement and critical The often underlying resistance of class, citizenship, and views on race have at consciousness, (Dimitriadis, 2001; Mahiri, times led to major points of hostility. Not- teachers toward hip-hop is due to a number 1998; Pardue, 2004; Stovall, 2006). of factors, including policy practices. Over ing past political conflicts between Blacks and Latina/os, legal scholar Vaca (2004) the past few years, members of the Texas Opportunities for Education State Board of Education have worked to predicts a dismal future for Black and La- disavow hip-hop music in the classroom, Hip Hop as well as other musical tina/o relations because of the increasing claiming it does not belong as part of the forms linked to the genre provide oppor- Latina/o presence in the United States. Yet state’s education curriculum (Thevenot, tunities for educating on social conditions, scholars Agustin Laó-Montes (2007) and 2010). However, it remains a part of the cultural capital, and spacial geography Sawyer (2004) argue this increase in the cultural fabric of Texas and offers avenues of students. These expressions also offer Latina/o population presents an opportu- for youth to comprehend, engage, and cri- useful educational tools when covering nity to focus on corresponding marginaliza- tique the world around them. To suggest minority histories and cultures in the tion as well as linkages between Latina/o that hip hop voices should be excluded U.S. As such, offering workshops on Black and African diasporic histories. from the classroom represents a blatant and Brown musical exchanges provides a By applying an African diasporic enforcement of colonization that inhibits way to engage with the student body and reading to Mexican culture, for example, the performance of students of color in create an awareness of important cultural students can examine the importance of the education system and obfuscates the crossings in Texas amidst harsh racism Blackness within Mexico’s history (Banks, multitude of cultures and identities that and prejudice. 2006; Hernández-Cuevas, 2004; Vinson make up the state. Black and Brown youth continue to & Vaughn, 2004), as well as explore how Demonstrating the importance of hip- confront oppressive obstacles in the United Black and Latina/o historical, cultural, States. Prison rates among Blacks and and political fusions (Johnson, 2013; Latinos remain disproportionate to their Mariscal, 2005; Menchaca, 2002) can not Marco Antonio Cervantes is respective populations (Alexander 2012) only improve Black and Brown relations, an assistant professor and, like the prison rate, the Black and but make for an overall more thorough in the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies Latino push out (Attrition and Dropout education for students of all colors and of the College of Education Rates in Texas, 2009) remains high as ethnicities. and Human Development “Black students and Hispanic students are Through a knowledge of the complex at the University of Texas at San Antonio, about two times more likely to leave school connections between hip-hop and earlier San Antonio, Texas. without graduating with a diploma than Black and Latina/o musical forms in Texas,

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION Feature

teachers of students on the margins can Decolonizing the Classroom marginalized people in the US. According better educate their classes on the contri- Reaching teachers through a Black to Leavy (2009), arts based research “dis- butions, struggles, and solidarity move- and Latina/o, African diasporic workshop rupts traditional research paradigms,” as ments of both Black and Latina/o artists provides a step towards decolonizing the artists in engage in performance pedagogy and activists. Thus, this article presents classroom and allows for a more thorough that can enhance education spaces (p. 9). a critical reflection over what transpired view of history and social studies in the During the workshop we also explored during a three-day summer teacher work- United States. In this way teachers can how musicians and artists often function shop. The analysis is anchored in Critical track obfuscated points in history that as “organic intellectuals” (Gramsci 1971) Race Theory as a method of inquiry that Michele Foucault (1969) has called the “in- and can offer lessons on migration patterns allows the researcher/educator to analyze “the further entrenchment of Eurocentric curriculum” as an example of “racial in- My attempts were to show the connections equality in education” (Ladson-Billings & between musical expression and struggles for social justice Tate, 2006, p. 2). Racial inequality within Introduction Texas schools remains a visible problem amidst histories of racism, dehumanization, and colonialism. At the end of a three-day summer and pedagogical engagement on how race, teacher workshop, I assigned K-12 teach- culture, and history connect to musical ers to write an eight-bar rap verse about expression can serve as an approach to terstitial gaps” of history or the “unheard, and movements towards social justice. This the content covered. Teachers set their address this situation. unthought, the unspoken” (p. 2). Chicana process involved outlining a historiography pens to paper and wrote diligently as the scholar Pérez (1999) has argued “these si- of African-American and Mexican-Ameri- clock ticked. By the end of the workshop, Sounds on the Margins: lences, when heard, become the negotiating can struggles for civil rights and how these five tables of teachers, predominately Theorizing Black and Latina/o spaces for decolonizing the subject” (p. 5). struggles were linked to musical expres- White, all ages, all disciplines, completed Musical Transculturation in the U.S. It is within these interstitial gaps that I sion and transcultural exchange steeped their eight-bar rap verses for perfor- locate points of Black and Brown cultural in long traditions and histories. To demonstrate the significance Important to this study is the fact mance. Even the most resistant teachers of cultural crossings in Texas and how overlap to recover histories suppressed by to hip-hop expression were engaged in colonial hegemonies in place. Listening, that approximately 97% of the teachers in cultural exchanges can inform teach- the workshop were White. This was not an the exercise. These teachers learned that ers and students in the areas of history, examining, discussing, and reflecting on the art of rapping was more than making the social history of hip hop as well as other expectation I had going into the workshop fine arts, geography, and social studies, I because the Latina/o population of San words simply rhyme and that the practice constructed a Summer 2013 teacher work- popular music forms in the U.S. can allow involves breath control, organization skills, us to the see how interaction among Afri- Antonio is roughly 63.2% (U.S. Census shop for Texas K-12 teachers through the Bureau). Though I am used to teaching rhythm, the ability to articulate your voice, Smithsonian Affiliated Institute of Texan can Americans and Mexican Americans and conveying messages that reflect social in Texas, for example, reflect larger social students of color, this was an opportu- Cultures. I separated my workshop into nity to engage in discussions with White experience and condition. four parts on three days to demonstrate processes that contribute to the design and The often underlying resistance of economics of the country. teachers about relationships among race, how cross-cultural connections between classroom poetics, and cultural expres- teachers toward hip-hop is due to a number African American and Mexican American As I conducted the workshop, I saw my of factors, including policy practices. Over principal role to be a facilitator to develop sion. Some of their commentary made me artists and intellectuals contribute to the reflect on ways that the master narrative the past few years, members of the Texas cultural and economic formation of the critically consciousness, global citizens/ State Board of Education have worked to educators. I assembled activities that drew has become so powerful that bringing oth- state of Texas. I worked to present tools for er histories into the classroom becomes a disavow hip-hop music in the classroom, instructors to employ concepts surround- from cultural studies scholars who examine claiming it does not belong as part of the how popular culture and education are threat to some of these teachers’ standing ing music coming out during four different curriculum. Because of these realizations, state’s education curriculum (Thevenot, time periods: linked to systems of power (Barthes, 1977; 2010). However, it remains a part of the Hall, 1964; Hoggart, 1958; Lefebre, 1990; I feel the workshop needed a greater focus cultural fabric of Texas and offers avenues 1. 1930s-1940s: Blues, Jazz, Orquesta, and Thompson, 1968; Williams, 1960). With on Critical Race Theory in teacher educa- for youth to comprehend, engage, and cri- Conjunto Roots; the help of their frameworks, I approached tion as well as more of an integration of cultural expressions linked to racial and tique the world around them. To suggest 2. 1950s-1960s: Doo Wop, R&B and Soul; cultural crossings in Texas music to indicate that hip hop voices should be excluded how transculturation (Arrizón, 2006; Ortiz, ethnic histories. from the classroom represents a blatant 3. 1970s-1980s: the Funky Roots of Tejano 1947) occurs on the margins of society and As a way to improve the current Music; and enforcement of colonization that inhibits allows for the application of critical mestiza/ curriculum situation, a step towards implementing both African-American the performance of students of color in 4. 1990s-2000: Freestyle and Hip Hop. o and African diasporic theories (Cervantes, the education system and obfuscates the 2013). Furthermore, analyzing cultural pro- and Mexican-American Studies offers multitude of cultures and identities that My attempts were to show the connections duction through lenses of transculturation a promise of untangling the inequity of make up the state. between musical expression and struggles can help teachers and students understand education currently instilled in the Texas Demonstrating the importance of hip- for social justice amidst histories of racism, power relations in the U.S. and make for education system. My workshop provided a dehumanization, and colonization. My re- a more informed and aware teacher and preliminary overview of African-American flections on this workshop informed me on student body. and Mexican-American struggles for civil the need to focus on how racism continues rights in the U.S. and through some of the to function within classrooms and how this Using an Arts-Based Approach key musical artists from this time period, racism manifests itself in and outside of I found presentation, interaction, and per- the institution. To relay the deep connections between formance provides teachers with methods musical expression and political and cul- to link historical and sociological events tural history, I employed an arts-based with musical expression. approach to examine the social histories of

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Workshop Method an examination of how the Great Depres- by Chicanos in the mid 1950s and 1960s. Connecting Texas Musical sion in the U.S. resulted in the dispersal These were groups influenced by African- Performances and Production of thousands of Mexicans and placed Afri- American doo-wop and R&B expressions to K-12 History, Social Studies, & Fine Arts can Americans in abject poverty. Thus we that reflected a growing Civil Rights Move- explored how World War II and its after- ment of the 1960s. The teacher summer workshop in- effects created new generations of African To further examine how music can volved exploring how musical forms and Americans and Mexican Americans who reflect power relations we listened to soul performances in the U.S. reflect the history became socially more upwardly mobile, yet music from the 1960s era. Accompanying of African-American and Mexican-Ameri- experienced racism and disenfranchise- audio examples, we also covered the de- can movements for social justice. I started ment in different ways and often crossed velopment of African-American soul music by covering early African-American and paths through migratory movement. as deriving from spaces of resistance and Mexican-American cultural forms such Musical traces of these migrations can struggles that also coincided with Mexi- as gospel, blues, ranchera, and the corrido be seen in the increasing performance of can-American struggles for social justice and how the prevalence of these forms in jazz aesthetics by Mexican Americans to (Molina, 2007). One important exercise the United States reflect social histories express their identity. The rise of orquesta involved analyzing the stage names of and migration patterns. Before the 1930s, music, for instance, reflects traces of jazz artists to examine how these artists might these groups brought over their own musi- aesthetics and the Americanization of be altering their Mexican identity through cal traditions that would later shape the Mexican-American communities in Texas titles such as Danny and the Dreamers, transcultural performances of an array of (Peña, 1985). One of the workshop exercises The Sunglows, The Volumes, The Dukes, ethnic and racial groups living within the involved comparing the instruments and and Skytones. Other questions included: state of Texas. photographs of conjunto bands and orquesta How do names of bands reflect Post World To introduce the importance of these bands to show divergent classes of Mexican War II identity of Mexican Americans? musical compositions, we covered both Americans, the former representing upward Why were Chicana/os drawn to R&B and the corrido and blues musical genres, mobility and the latter symbolizing rural, Soul during this time? This inspired an and teachers engaged in an exercise that agricultural, ranchera poetics. array of responses, which I will provide a entailed writing both a corrido and a four- When comparing class differences more in-depth analysis at the conclusion bar blues verse. This required listening to among Mexican Americans, we examined of this article. the legendary corrido of “Gregorio Cortez” instruments and clothing styles in con- analyzing the format of each line and how junto and orquesta. Instruments like the Rise of Black Power and Chicano Movement the song presented social commentary on bajo sexto and the accordion, for example, The third section of the workshop historical events. We then listened to T- reflect the rural to urban roots of Mexican- Bone Walker’s 12-bar blues song, “Stormy focused on the rise of the Black Power and American culture and allow for a discus- Chicano Movements, a time when music Monday Blues” and analyzed how the sion of migratory patterns throughout blues, like the corrido, followed a struc- by both African Americans and Mexican South Texas. As the teachers examined Americans became more directly politicized tured format and allowed artists to make photos of orquesta bands, they commented social commentary through the practice of due to events such as the Vietnam War, on the big band jazz instruments in these the Watergate Scandal, and continued oral tradition, literature, rhyme, meter, and groups and how these musicians were be- alliteration. These short exercises provided disenfranchisement of Black and Latina/o ginning to adopt and borrow clothing styles communities in the U.S. We explored the a framework for the workshop, which later prevalent in the African-American cultural involved more complex examinations of importance of music to these subsequent imaginary through what Luis Alvarez calls histories and how musicians helped to cultural overlap among African-American “stylization,” or the clothing which these and Mexican-American artists. develop Black and Chicana/o political con- artists wear to represent themselves (Al- sciousness in Texas. varez, 2008). Early Influences from 1930s and 1940s I gave examples though songs, and I also introduced the development of funk, The first section of workshop exam- Civil Rights Emerge in 1950s and 1960s its influence on Chicano musicians, and ined eras between the 1930s-1940s in the The second section of the workshop its relationship to multiethnic bands in U.S. This was a time when both African covered the 1950s-1960s. Along with Texas who fused forms such as funk, disco, Americans and Mexican Americans mi- identifying key moments of the African- mariachi, cumbia, conjunto, orquesta, and grated into Texas cities and rural loca- American and Mexican-American civil more that would eventually develop into tions. Transculturation among German, rights movements, we also discussed the the Tejano sound of the 1980s-1990s. Scottish, and Mexican communities led labor of large numbers of Bracero work- to the popularity of accordion and bajo ers, called over by the U.S., who remained Hip-Hop Expression sexto driven conjunto among Tejanos. in the country when visas expired. These The last section of the workshop in- Meanwhile, African-American sharecrop- workers settled in the Texas border and pers and city workers brought the sounds volved the time period between the 1990s valley areas and also populated major and 2000s when a number of pieces of of gospel and blues from the U.S. south cities in Texas (Sanchez, 1993). Pushes (Clayton & Specht, 2003). Through work legislation worked to decrease the number to remove Mexicans from the U.S. would of Mexican immigrants into the United environment and social encounter, both spawn generations born from workers who African-American and Mexican-American States. This was also a time when the would become more Americanized in the crack epidemic and the criminal justice musicians impacted each other’s musical fabric of the U.S. cultural imaginary. We expressions (Narváez, 1994). system worked to impoverish Blacks and then discussed how transculturation can Latina/s across the country. These political These early musical forms allow for be heard when listening to R&B produced

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 10 Feature histories resulted in conflict, solidarity, and hesitant at first to touch the turntable Covering such a large span forced the the exchange of culture. and mixer, it did not take long for them to skimming and exclusion of some important During much of this time we examined warm up and begin cutting up with their chapters in U.S. history and also made it the historiography of hip-hop and explored own turntable interpretations. impossible to cover all examples of musical how the music derived from marginalized While teachers took the turntable, I transculturation in Texas. Black and Latina/o subjects living in di- utilized a touchscreen with Garageband My reasoning for covering such a large lapidated tenements in the South Bronx software on it and pulled up two songs that span was to show how hip-hop and rap of New York during the 1970s. We then I composed. With the touchscreen I demon- are connected to much larger traditions of discussed how hip-hop grew popular on the strated how different musical instruments musical fusions among Black and Latina/o U.S. West Coast and exemplified transcul- such as conjunto accordion, funk bass, funk music in the U.S., yet, a focus solely on hip tural exchange among African Americans drums, and Tejano style keyboards could hop would allow for a more thorough exam- and Mexican Americans through pachuco all be combined to create a hip hop song, ination of the cultural nuances involved in styles, khaki outfits, flannel jackets, loc and how this exercise could be used to hip hop expression. To improve this aspect glasses, and low-rider vehicles. Position- teach students about different genres and of the workshop, a focus on hip-hop, with ing this history in Texas, we discussed origins. This last workshop session, with one hour examining other cultural forms, how both African Americans and Mexi- rapping, scratching, and beat construction, might be easier for teachers and students can Americans engaged in a southern was perhaps the most engaging section to digest. Texas rap expression built on transcultural and the one where teachers began to make Also, a clear discussion on race and its spaces and urban cities in Texas such as closer connections to hip hop and other importance in musical expression should Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. musical forms. be more pronounced in future workshops. I felt that while listening to the music, we An Interactive Session A Concluding Local Performance also continually reverted back to discussions on race that were left unresolved. After this last section, we ended with To end the workshop, there was a An examination of the complex history an interactive session to allow teachers to performance by local San Antonio acts of Whiteness in the U.S. (McIntosh, 2008; engage in hip-hop expressions to further engaged in Black and Latina/o cultural Wise, 2011) and the nuances involving create connections between music, culture, exchange. I opened the event with my own racial categorizations is necessary when and identity. Each table of teachers (com- creative work as a hip hop artist and fol- examining the racialization of music prised of five each) were designated as hip lowing me were poet/rapper singer Vocab, expression and other forms of cultural hop crews, and I passed out a “construct- local funk DJ JJ Lopez, and AfroLatin production in the U.S. ing a rap song” assignment, which called fusion band Bombasta. These locally- The importance of discussing race in for the use of important terms discussed celebrated artists served to demonstrate the U.S. and abroad through W. E. B. Du- throughout the workshop such as “gospel,” theory into practice. Bois’s (1990) concept of “double conscious- “blues,” “conjunto,” and “zoot suit” in an It was enlightening for me to see a ness” and Franz Fanon’s (1967) discussion right bar verse class that had just spent three days dis- of Black Skin, White Masks and how these To stimulate teachers’ thinking and writing, I then played several instrumen- tal hip-hop tracks. Each group constructed An examination of the complex history of Whiteness and performed their own hip-hop songs in the U.S. and the nuances involving racial categorizations and most agreed that placing the words together, getting the cadence just right, is necessary when examining the racialization and composing a song was a lot more dif- of music expression and other forms of cultural production in the U.S. ficult than it appeared. All groups came up with a song and later performed while concepts apply to today’s current institu- I got on the turntables and DJ’ed instru- cussing the fusion of African-American and tion system would also be an effective way mentals. Some groups rapped in unison Mexican-American musical forms witness- to start out the workshop. As well, it would and others took turns trading verses. ing these expressions in real life practice. be important to examine anti-Black racism Two groups gave the responsibilities of This final session outside of the classroom and discrimination in the U.S. (Hartman, performing the hip-hop song to one mem- was indeed necessary to show that these 2007; Sexton, 2010; Wilderson III, 2010) for ber while the other’s “hyped” the crowd. practices where occurring, consciously and more thorough readings of race, culture, This proved to be an engaging way to get unconsciously, and that a focus on these and society. teachers actively participating in the art expressions was important. form of rapping while considering the Teacher Awareness socio-politcal roots of the genre. Conclusions, After this exercise, I set up a pho- Room for Growth, At the beginning of the workshop there nograph turntable with a record on the and Plans for Future Workshops appeared to be an understanding among platter to introduce teachers to the art of teachers about the ways race and class scratching records. Teachers took turns Though the workshop made an impact related to musical expression by African playing with the turntable and scratching on the teachers, there are some alterations Americans and Mexican Americans. In records while noting the percussive talent I could incorporate to make the workshop the section on the 1930s and 1940s, for needed to transform the turntable into an even more effective. I felt the workshop example, the teachers indicated an aware- instrument. Though some teachers were covered too much ground and needed ness of how music could reflect migration instead to be focused on one area and era. patterns and other aspects of Texas his-

SPRING/SUMMER 2015 11 Feature tory. With the blues and corrido writing would be a liability and most did not go far about border politics, the colonial status exercises, teachers responded with ways once their identities as Mexican Americans of Mexican Americans, and Black and these forms could be used to teach class. were revealed. Perhaps one of the most Brown solidarity (Mexican Stepgrand- One English teacher said this would be a famous examples of this phenomenon is father, 2010). After my set Vocab played good exercise in teaching students how to when Tejano pop star Selena’s father’s songs that featured Chicano producer DJ organize information. Another said this band “The Dinos” attempted to break into Ninja’s Latin tinged beats, demonstrat- would be a good way to teach Texas history. mainstream U.S. music and were not suc- ing a mending of Chicano Soul and R&B With these applicable examples, I noticed cessful, largely because of their racializa- sounds matched with conscious lyricism. teachers were engaged in course material, tion as Mexicans in the U.S. imaginary The San Antonio funk, reggae, cumbia yet as we engaged in more in-depth discus- (Patoski, 1997). band Bombasta closed out the night. The sion on race a few teachers became more As we navigated through the 1970s, eight-piece band presented an embodiment resistant. 1980s, and 1990s into the 2000s, teach- of much of the material covered at the In the course of activities for the 1950s ers were clear that race would be at the workshop. Songs, such as “Barrio Unido” and 1960s eras, I noticed some teachers expressed discomfort with reading race into music expression, perhaps because This awareness presents a potential to build some in the room lived through these years Black and Latina/o solidarity within classrooms and had personal connections to the music while also helping teachers and students that was presented. I found that a small become more informed citizens. group of teachers at the workshop were more overprotective and territorial about music they felt connected to and had grown up listening to. I gave examples of how forefront of discussions and that it would and “Mentiras” outlined the complexities of the music reflected times of struggle and not be acceptable to exercise a colorblind Chicana/o identity though the performance played Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna approach to these musical forms. As such, of a mixture of hip hop, funk, and cumbia, Come” and Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” there were no more comments that chal- all AfroLatino musical forms that we My suggestion that Aretha Franklin’s lenged these raclialized readings. The covered in class. The ending performance “Respect” projected the need for respect last section allowed teachers to engage was fitting because it established the fact as a Black woman was met with some in hip-hop cultural art forms such as rap- that the cultural connections outlined in criticism by a small group in the workshop ping and scratching. This was especially class were not ancient history, or connec- frustrated with the notion that race had important because it allowed teachers to tions designed by the curriculum, but in to apply to everything. Though a small become aware of the sophisticated levels fact were expressions that were practiced percentage were not convinced that a of artistry needed to perform rap songs locally in San Antonio. racial reading is always necessary when and the amazing dexterity and attention examining Franklin’s classic song, most to timing needed to scratch a record on Employing Music in the Curriculum in the group conveyed the importance of time. Throughout the workshop, the teach- applying a critical race reading to such a ers explored how they can employ music in song, given its context within 2nd wave “Performative Pedagogy” the classroom to cover the areas of history, feminist movements and the struggles for Throughout the workshop, these fine arts, geography, and social studies. African-American civil rights in the U.S. teachers were engaged in what Denzin Further, we engaged in discussions on how (1999) describes as “performative peda- African-American and Mexican-American Evolving Cultural Identity gogy” or utilizing performance as “a way of musical transculturation can help teach- There was also resistance among a few acting on the world in order to change it” ers and students become more aware of at the workshop to the idea that Chicanos (p. 228). By rapping and learning turntable the history of social injustice that both of in the 1960s altered their names because techniques, teachers began to realize that these groups face in the U.S. justice system. of experiences with racism in the U.S. One these art forms were connected to sociologi- This awareness presents a potential to teacher argued that many White artists cal and political histories of communities build Black and Latina/o solidarity within changed their names to enter the U.S. on the margins of Texas society. classrooms while also helping teachers and mainstream. I, along with other teachers, The workshop was followed by a students become more informed citizens. discussed how Mexican Americans expe- performance at the Institute of Texan As disenfranchised youth continue to rienced marginalization within the U.S., Cultures that put theory into practice. The struggle in Texas schools it is necessary which greatly impacted their own evolu- institution’s location within downtown San to value artistic and vernacular forms tion of cultural identity. Antonio presented an opportunity to bridge that come from these communities. When Before the 1960s, for example, Mexican community and university through musi- using these forms we can engage in what Americans were not accustomed to seeing cal performance, as the event was free and (Emdin, 2011) has called “Reality Pedagogy” themselves in the U.S. popular imaginary open to the public. JJ Lopez, scholar and that “focuses on the cultural understand- and the chance to fit into the White main- local radio DJ, played select records such ings of students within a particular social stream was enticing, similar to the desire as Little Jr. Jesse’s “Give Him Up” and The space” as a way reach students beyond for Mexican Americans to completely as- Royal Jesters “Girl I Can’t Forget” that such approaches as “culturally relevant” similate in the U.S. as a whole. For many demonstrated the cultural mixtures that or “student centered” pedagogies (p. 286). Mexican-American bands, identity confu- were discussed throughout the workshop. Assisting teachers to develop tools to show sion through the Americanization process I also played my own set, rapping how vernacular forms continue to reflect the

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