Music, Dance, and Kinship: Baile As Shared Substance Among Diasporic Mexicans in Quincy León García
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 Music, Dance, and Kinship: Baile as Shared Substance Among Diasporic Mexicans in Quincy León García Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC MUSIC, DANCE, AND KINSHIP: BAILE AS SHARED SUBSTANCE AMONG DIASPORIC MEXICANS IN QUINCY By LEÓN GARCÍA A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2008 The members of the Committee approve the Thesis of León García defended on August 20, 2008. Dale A. Olsen Professor Directing Thesis Frank Gunderson Committee Member Joseph Hellweg Outside Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................................. v Abstract ........................................................................................................................... vi 1. MEXICO AND MEXICANS IN QUINCY ................................................................ 1 Mexico ................................................................................................................. 1 Mexicans in Quincy ............................................................................................. 2 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................ 4 Methodology......................................................................................................... 5 2. THE MEXICAN DIASPORA IN QUINCY ................................................................6 First Contact with Juan .........................................................................................7 Juan in Mexico ..................................................................................................... 10 Juan’s Journey to the United States ..................................................................... 11 Juan and His Music .............................................................................................. 15 Don Fermin and Discolandia ............................................................................... 16 Victor ................................................................................................................... 19 Manuel ................................................................................................................. 20 3. ONE BIG FAMILY ..................................................................................................... 22 Traditional Mexican Kinship Challenged ............................................................ 22 Juan’s kin ............................................................................................................. 29 Don Fermin’s kin ................................................................................................. 32 4. THE TROPI-NORTEÑO STYLE ................................................................................ 38 Música Tropical: Cumbia .................................................................................... 39 Cumbia Sonidera ................................................................................................. 42 Música Norteña ................................................................................................... 43 Musical and Social Fusion ................................................................................... 47 5. THE BAILE .................................................................................................................. 53 Music as a Symbol ............................................................................................... 54 The Baile as Social Drama and Symbol .............................................................. 60 Baile Canon Creation ........................................................................................... 62 6. CONCLUSIONS: MUSIC AND BAILE AS KINSHIP .............................................. 65 iii APPENDIX: FORM OF CONSENT ............................................................................... 70 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 71 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Music as a Shared Substance……………………………………………....... 5 Figure 2.1 Baile Advertisement……………………………………………………….....18 Figure 2.2 Manuel in the Rehearsal Room……………………………………………....21 Figure 3.1 Baile Advertisment …………………………………………………….........26 Figure 3.2 Diagram of a Traditional Mexican Family …………………………….........27 Figure 3.3 Juan’s Mobile Home ………………………………………………………...30 Figure 3.4 Juan’s Kinship ……………………………………………………………….32 Figure 3.5 Don Fermin’s Immediate Family ……………………………………...........33 Figure 3.6 Don Fermin’s Property ………………………………………………….......34 Figure 3.7 One Big Family ………………………………………………………….......36 Figure 4.1 Musical and Social Fusion ………………………………………………......38 Figure 4.2 Example of Cumbia ……………………………………………………….....41 Figure 4.3 “Yolanda” by Rafael Padilla …………………………………………….......41 Figure 4.4 Example of Cumbia Sonidera ……………………………………….............43 Figure 4.5 Example of Norteño Music ……………………………………….................45 Figure 4.6 “Mis Tres Animales” by Los Tucanes de Tijuana …………………………...46 Figure 4.7 Music as a Shared Substance…………………………………………...........49 Figure 4.8 Example of Tropi-Norteño ………………………………………………......50 Figure 4.9 Lyrics of “Raquel”………………………………………………………........51 Figure 5.1 Discolandia Party Venue ……………………………………………….........56 Figure 5.2 Juan’s Band During Preparation for the Baile …………………………….....57 Figure 5.3 Discolandia Dance Floor …………………………………………….............59 Figure 6.1 Baile Advertisement in Tallahassee ………………………………................67 v ABSTRACT In this thesis I argue that a weekly baile (dance) in Quincy, Florida, constitutes a symbolic process of unification in the Mexican diaspora and that music functions as a symbol of shared substance in the creation of kinship. I examine the lives of some of the people who make up the Mexican diasporic community of Quincy and musical performance and social issues found in the community. I also discuss processes of reciprocity involved in the creation of musical symbolism, which creates a shared substance on which new kin relationships are established. vi CHAPTER 1 MEXICO AND MEXICANS IN QUINCY Mexico Mexico is a country with more than 100 million people and a republic divided into thirty-two states. People from the southern state of Chiapas are typically very different from people in the northern state of Monterrey. In recent years migration from Mexico has come largely from rural areas, primarily from the southern states such as Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. The rippled orography that separates these states from Mexico City’s centralized government has left these states out of the overall development of the country. Many of these rural areas experience scarcity of resources, and farming has become increasingly difficult because of trade agreements such as NAFTA, which has left behind many poor Mexican farmers who do not have the necessary technology to compete. While many Mexicans from large cities immigrate to the United States, many others come from a poor, rural background. In order to understand Hispanics in the United States and to discuss their social organization, it is important to acknowledge the differences within the diaspora. Mexicans in Quincy, Florida, are primarily from rural areas in Mexico, and they undergo a different acculturation process than those who come from middle or even lower class backgrounds in one of the larger Mexican cities. Mexicans in Quincy Hispanics constitute the largest minority in the United States,1 and their presence contributes largely to the economic growth and cultural diversity of the country. The Hispanic presence in the United States has been widely researched, primarily in big cities such as Los Angeles and New York. Small towns with fewer than ten thousand people and growing Hispanic populations, however, have not been researched in great depth. The impact that migrant communities are making on small towns in the United States has economic, cultural, and political implications that have not yet been fully explored. 1 The term “Hispanic” is commonly accepted as both an adjective and a noun to refer to Spanish-speaking people. I prefer this term to “Latino” because the latter technically would have to include French-speaking and Portuguese-speaking peoples of the Americas. 1 Several decades ago, Mexicans in Quincy were only seasonal visitors picking tomatoes on local farms, but today they are a permanent community. As new job opportunities open in areas such as the construction and restaurant industries, Mexicans have changed their status from visitors to residents, and now they constitute more than five percent of the population in Quincy. Their presence affects many realms of economic and social life. Today, signs in Spanish are commonly found around Quincy’s streets, restaurants, and grocery stores, many of them advertising products that are imported from Mexico such as nopales (cactus), chorizo (Mexican sausage), and even botas (boots). Cultural and sports activities for the Mexican community are held regularly in Quincy,