Multiracial Identity in Essays by Julia Alvarez and Danzy Senna

Latino students are able to stay connected to the stories that their parents know and their grandparents know. In addition, music is significant because it helps to have the feeling of home and aware of one’s feelings and thoughts. Moreno also explains, "Everything that happens in our society is reflected in music and people don't really stop to think about that. For example, in the last five years, there has been a rise in Narco Corridos coming out of México and that can be attributed to the record levels of violence we so often hear about on television” (6). Thus, through Spanish-language music students in universities are informed of issues currently going on in the world, particularly of places they know very well. They are informed of the hardships that are going around and music has much of a tremendous impact in creating the way people view their culture. Much of Spanish-language music tell of current events or of romanticism. These are crucial in constructing identity. It influences whether students will act upon the current events based on the music or they will be influenced to gather romantic

It is clear that the hip hop culture plays a huge role in the lives of many people. It has influenced the way people dress, the way they talk, and the way they act. Unfortunately, many big corporations have taken advantage of this and commercialized rap music in order to gain a profit (Blair, 497). Commercialization is a very complex topic; however, it is important to understand. This is because of the fact that when something becomes widely known, such a hip hop and rap have, it is vulnerable to change (Phillips, paragraph 9). An example of this is when author Nicole Phillips states, “Hip-hop became more about edge and less about the content of the message. It became about sales….” (Phillips, paragraph 9). Therefore, in order to prevent any further change, one needs to understand commercialization and how it works. This paper is going to explore the complexities and nuances of commercialization of the hip hop culture. In order to do this, this paper will consider what commercialization of hip hop culture entails. This paper will also discuss how Elizabeth Blair, author of “Commercialization of the Rap Music Subculture,” conceptualized commercialization, as well as how she discusses the situation in general. After discussing these topics, the paper will move on to discussing cultural appropriation. This discussion will include how authors describe cultural appropriation, and a debate regarding this topic.

Music is all around us; it is a universal language in which unites people from different cultures. From a basis level, Music has emerged from individual reasons and influences, allowing it to divide into smaller sub entities which end up being contributors to all cultures creating a globalized community. Further more, different sub genres of music such as Dance, Jazz, Classical, and Alternative have derived from an origin and were created because of varied factors and to this day influence specific groups. On an international latino level, this specific community has become highly recognized in today’s world. The Latin Music consists of many sub genres but the most influential ones are Reggaeton, Salsa, Bachata, Samba and Mariachi and Tango

In its most basic form, the radio has always played an inherent role in the development of societies around the world. Before the mobile first generation, and even the television, the radio was the device that families would allow into their home and embrace as a connection to the outside world. With no exception to this rule, Hispanic radio has shaped the growing minorities ' role in American society ever since its boom. Hispanic radio has been the unifying force between Latino communities, which provided them with culturally relevant news and information in their native language at a relatively low cost. Entire communities were given access to information relevant to their native land almost unattainable before. It has served as the political voice of Hispanics in America and offered alliance during the immigration purges of history. But for a long time Hispanic radio was nonexistent, many American companies were reluctant to cater to this specific public thinking that it would not turn out to be profitable. Hungry for a voice, Hispanic entrepreneurs took matters into their own hands and began to forge their own path in the radio world. Through much struggle, lack of funding, and even political opposition, Hispanic radio was born. Today, it is a successfully established platform used to influence the people 's taste in music, but also their political views and social perspectives as well as their shopping habits. In this article, I will discuss the

In the boiling pot of America most people have been asked “what are you?” when referring to one’s race or nationality. In the short story “Borders” by Thomas King he explores one of the many difficulties of living in a world that was stripped from his race. In a country that is as diverse as North America, culture and self-identity are hard to maintain. King’s short story “Borders” deals with a conflict that I have come to know well of. The mother in “Borders” is just in preserving her race and the background of her people. The mother manages to maintain her identity that many people lose from environmental pressure.

Section A: I am a Mexican-American woman, born to Mexican immigrant parents, and by birthright an American citizen. In my phenotype, I do not look like a stereotypical American, with blonde hair, blue eyes, or a light complexion. I have black hair, dark brown eyes, and a light brown skin complexion. While exploring my identity and my sense of belonging in my Mexican-American, or Chicana identity, I can relate to the growth and development described in the Model of Death and Dying. For, I have the privileges of an American, but have witnessed discrimination against my fellow Mexicans counterparts.

When addressing self-identification, some multiracial or biracial individuals do identify as being two or more races. Some identity as just one, or that they feel closer to a certain racial group. About 69% of Multiracial adults with a black background considered themselves as black/African American (experiences, social interactions that align them within the black community). While Multiracial Asian adults, with a white and Asian background, feel more connected to the white community than to the Asian community. Another group of multiracial individuals, are those that are white and native American, and around 22% say they have a lot in common with the in the US that is native America. And 61% say they have a lot more in common with the whites.

There are multitudinous types of Chicano music that include all types of instruments, verses, backgrounds, and purposes. According to Tatum (2001), “The popular Hispanic folk music has deep roots in Spain and Mexico, but it is a living cultural form that is forever changing and adapting to new social conditions and musical currents (Robb 1980, 5)” (p.15). Modernization also plays a key role in the diversion of Chicano music. For example, as new instruments were being invented, they were then incorporated into the music, making it sound more different and attractive. The types of Chicano music range from romance which could narrate an event, corridos, which was a form of cultural differentiation, alabanzas, which were specifically religious, and the canción, in which lovers expressed their deep adoration for each other (Tatum 2001). If a man who was lost in his woman’s eyes wanted to choose a song for their

In 1995, the Latino and American music industry lost an icon to what has become known as one of the most tragic deaths in the music industry. Selena Perez-Quintanilla, only 23 years old at the time of her murder, was known as the "Queen of Tejano.” Despite her short lifespan, Selena achieved what few people had ever achieved before her – that is a successful crossover. It should be made clear from the start that the term ‘crossover’ does not refer to her entrance into the mainstream American music industry but rather her entrance and success into the Latino music industry. Too often this side of Selena’s success story is ignored and the focus is instead placed on her ‘crossover’ into the American market. Such was the case in the film Selena

Abstract Cultural representation of Latin America in 'Latinoamérica' Cultural representation is hard to pinpoint, but if you define it is people associated to the same culture must have general similarities, to a great extent, mental systems of representing themselves and very similar in symbolic. However, there are different kinds of cultural representation, both regional and continental. Here, we will discuss the continental cultural representation of Latin America. The entire culture of Latin America is too much to discuss so we focus on the message of the song 'Latinoamérica'. The cultural artefact, the song 'Latin America', tells about the culture and problems in Latin America through music.

The broadcasting and recording industries did not solely represent the conquering racial assumptions of the 1950's, they internalized them and helped to continue them. Racial conventions permeated the organization and structure of the music industry at every level. The very existence

In the United States, there are 117 symphony orchestras, and only four percent of those orchestras are made up of black or Latino musicians(WQXR). The first issue of racism in classical music are the remarkably low percentages of minorities in classical music and the uncomfort that minorities face in classical music culture. This percentage isn’t just low in the US, in Britain only five percent of minorities make up professional orchestras (mediadiversified). When you think of the music industry as a whole, it looks extremely diverse especially in pop music, since the industry is so diverse its easy for diverse

A, perhaps, unavoidable outcome of this intermixing was the controversy that arose in the mid-1930s that centered upon the supposed corruption of tango music by jazz. Argentinians had, in the previous two decades, consecrated the tango as Argentina’s national music and naturally felt protective of the musical genre that was already becoming strongly associated with Argentinian identity. The controversy over the undue influence of jazz reached truly international scope in industry publications of the 1930s. The magazine, La Canción Moderna, starting with the rather portentous title “American Music Has Begun to Displace the Tango,” expressed its concern that “our musicians” are being “conquered by syncopation” and that Argentine singers have

One of the earliest instances of music censorship occurred betwen 469-399 B.C.E., when Plato and Socrates called for censorship of popular music. Thousands of years later, music censorship still affects democratic societies, like the United States. Popular music has been a driving force because of its role in shaping, critiquing, and celebrating American culture. It provides a platform that protests, calls for change and works as a strong emotional outlet. Additionally, popular music has long served as a common ground for racial divides in America, first with jazz and now with hip-hop (Humphreys, p. 6). However, ultimately, scholars recognize that popular music is really about “political and/or cultural domination” (Humphreys, p. 4) and this analysis seeks to determine the forces that undermine such domination.

Nationalism is a source of modernization and political legitimacy, especially in Latin American countries such as Nicaragua, Argentina, and Mexico. An inclusive national identity can serve as a means for the development of belonging, and this globally-acclaimed notion of diversity is attractive for nations struggling to find their footing in the international community. Looking towards the future, the key to achieving this inclusion is the use of culture, specifically employing music as a tool of integration. However, the decisive variable here is adolescents. Though these popular music forms may be the “music of the people,” they are ultimately dictated by the youth. In modern times, music is integral for youth as they delve into discourses of identity and equality, so focusing in on marginalized youth gives the government an opportunity to explore attitudes and national inclusion among individuals who are in a critical period of development. Even though teens are influenced by their parents' beliefs during childhood before advancing their own views, youth are ultimately the starting point for incorporating ostracized groups into nationalist discourses because they are the developers and executors of music movements. Furthermore, the attitudes of young people regarding inclusion and exclusion provide an indication for the sustainability of such diverse national identities in the future.