At Cal Poly Pomona, the mariachi students gear up for a debut concert. Mariachi Los Broncos de Pomona had existed since the 1970s and sadly faded out. Now, in 2016, they are celebrating their reboot with talented young students who want to keep the music alive.

As I sat in the small recital hall, I could not help but think how amazing it was that in this part of the United States, on an American campus, Mexico was alive and well. The audience responded with clapping and a mariachi grito was heard now and again. There was laughter and excitement, and unless you know the skill, I cannot repeat that grito. In this music hall, the people cheered and sang along, and begged for more. Mariachi may be an old tradition, but that concert was proof that it is treasured even by the younger generations. This past time is not dead nor dismissible in this part of the U.S. The lively and passionate music that a mariachi lets out warms the cultural spirit, and is hard to describe to those that are not familiar with it. In this music hall, as a collective group, Latinos of all circumstances were singing along to Mexican classics. It is deep, and it is beautiful.

When I think about all this fear of illegals, or “un-American” people, I laugh. I laugh because, there is no such thing as “American,” the nation is a melting pot, but I laugh mostly because, in that music hall, for an instance, we might as well have been in Mexico. No one was taunting us or throwing rocks and calling us lousy Mexicans, instead we were celebrating the Mexican culture on American soil, and it is happy. There was a perfect blend of cultures happening right here, and anyone who says Latinos are toxic to the American agenda, have never been to Southern California. We thrive here, and we are the majority. How can you tell us we don’t belong, as we happily sing to a college mariachi band?

When I told one of my non-Latino friends that I was going to a mariachi concert, he let out a laugh. Yes, it sounds funny. Film and television often uses mariachi as a joke of the Mexican culture. But it isn’t a mockery. We do call on mariachis during special occasions. Their rhythm brings life and merriment. For example, If I ever get married, then not only do I need the usual band and DJ, but I will also need a mariachi. Without them, the family of the bride and groom cannot sing their state songs like “Guadalajara,” “Ay Jalisco no te Rajes” or “Caminos de Guanajuato.” It is the glue, the passion and the joy of the Mexican spirit. It is a tradition I cannot live without. So yes, my good friend, I went to a mariachi concert, and I loved it. I would recommend a good mariachi to your next party and learn to see it under different light. Not as a joke, but as music that speaks of history, and the spirit of Mexico.