This past weekend, the Save Mart Center in Fresno was filled with joy, pride, and the vibrant colors of cultural heritage as Fresno State celebrated its 49th Chicano/Latino Commencement Ceremony. Over 1,000 graduates walked the […]
In the vibrant neighborhoods of east Oakland in the 1960s, a young girl would sit transfixed as her father played the congas, the rhythms of Latin jazz filling their modest home. By age three, she […]
The strobing lights of Studio 54 cut through the haze of cigarette smoke as the crowd falls silent. On stage stands a tiny figure, barely visible above the microphone stand. She’s just five years old, […]
There’s something about DJ Quik’s story that hits different when you’re from the barrio — or the hood, or wherever the sidewalks crack and the helicopters hum at night like lullabies made of static and […]
In an era when Latino performers were routinely asked to anglicize their names for mainstream success, Trinidad López III stood firmly against the tide. Born to Mexican immigrant parents in Dallas, Texas in 1937, Trini […]
In the pantheon of hip-hop producers who shaped the sound of the 1990s, few names deserve more recognition than Johnny “J” Jackson. Born Johnny Lee Jackson in Juárez, Mexico in 1969 and raised in South […]
In the pantheon of Latin rock legends, the Santana name reigns supreme. But while most music fans can instantly recognize Carlos Santana’s distinctive guitar tone and his band’s fusion of rock, Latin rhythms, and jazz, […]
In the sun-drenched streets of 1970s Southern California, a revolution was brewing. Not with guns or manifestos, but with polyurethane wheels and maple wood decks. At the center of this cultural uprising stood a young […]
In an industry where everyone’s waiting for a greenlight, Robert Rodriguez lit his own fire. Before Spy Kids, Sin City, or Desperado…Before he had a studio, a crew, or even a seat at the table… […]
