Will They See Me Coming? Do They Know I'm Running? Los Lobos and the Performance of Mestizaje Identity through Journey

Abstract

Los Lobos’ album The Town and The City represents a lyrical narrative and performance of journey. The album's strength and appeal is that it offers a poignant commentary on journey at time when the odyssey undertaken by immigrants to the United States are often demonized, misunderstood, or purposefully manipulated for political benefit. I argue in this essay that the Los Lobos album illustrates and complicates the performance of Chicana/o identity, mestizaje, and hybridity through the metaphor of journey. This metaphorical journey is represented as both a process and event that establishes a sense of connectivity for audiences.

Keywords:

• The Town and The City
• Chicana/o
• Popular music
• Immigration

Acknowledgements

In addition to Bernadette Calafell, Shane Moreman, and the anonymous reviewers, the author wishes to thank Stacey Sowards and Roberto Avant-Mier for their feedback and steadfast support on this project. This essay is dedicated to Margarita Talamantes and Eliana Berumen; from the past to the future.

Notes

1. Ballads popular along the United States Mexican border.

2. Mixed.

3. An open wound.

4. A folk/country style of music popular in México as well as with Mexican migrants and Mexican Americans.

5. Let's go to the dance, to party.

6. Party.

7. To party.

8. The dudes of my gang.

9. Dude.

10. Throw a shoe.

11. Song.

12. This song from the heart.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard D. Pineda

Richard Daniel Pineda (PhD) is Assistant Professor of Communication and Research Fellow at the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso