L.A. Mariachis Launch Their Own 'Occupy' Movement

By Michael Lopez

This coming Monday, the streets of downtown Los Angeles will be flooded with horns, acoustic guitars, black sombreros, and loud chants. Yup, over 100 of So Cal's mariachis will be marching to their own mini #Occupy movement, to demand better wages and immigrant legalization.

The latest protest is the brainchild of Arturo Ramirez, who will be leading the charge and playing the famous traditional hymn, "El Son de la Negra." Interestingly, the United Nations for Education, Science, and Culture (UNESCO) recently recognized mariachi music as an essential part of the global culture.

"Immigrants, descendants of Mexicans living abroad, as well as Latin Americans, have made the modern mariachi a symbol of community identity," UNESCO said in a statement. "It is a bond linking them to their roots in spite of the distance."

Not coincidentally, the recent recognition spawned L.A. mariachis to speak out about unfair wages and the need for legalization. Typical bands consist of seven musicians, most of whom are vastly underpaid for their services. Add to that, the fact that up to 50 percent of Los Angeles mariachis are undocumented and it's easy to see employers taking advantage of the situation.

"We want to scream that the mariachis need legalization, just like the rest of the workers in this corridor," political strategist Javier Rodriguez said. "[With this movement,] we’re helping them to get rid of a group of unscrupulous contractors who are totally cheapening the wages of the mariachis, almost to the tune of almost 70 percent."

As we've mentioned before, the #Occupy initiative in L.A. has taken on a life of its own, focusing heavily on issues like immigrant rights. This mariachi movement seems to be right up that alley and we expect a very big (and very loud) turnout when the sombrero-clad songbirds take to the streets on December 12.

Are you a fan of traditional mariachi music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Immigration, Mariachis, Música, Occupy L.A., Politics, UNESCO