Origins Of High School Mariachi Groups In South Texas
EDINBURG, Texas — Join the Museum of South Texas History for a Sunday Speaker Series panel discussion, “The Origins of Mariachi Music in South Texas Public Schools,” featuring panelists Ofelia de los Santos, Amancio Chapa Jr. and Miguel de los Santos, Ph.D., at 2 p.m. on July 24.
The presentation will feature three school leaders who played pivotal roles in introducing mariachi music into the La Joya school district. In the early 1980s superintendent Miguel de los Santos, school board member Amancio Chapa Jr., and public relations officer Ofelia de los Santos laid the groundwork for the introduction of cultural programming in La Joya ISD. They will chronicle the process through which this innovation occurred.
Ofelia de los Santos is a long-time South Texas civil rights advocate. She is a lawyer, an active member of the Catholic Church, and a mother and grandmother who has fought tirelessly for the rights of the poor and the dispossessed. She was a public relations officer at La Joya ISD when mariachi was introduced.
Amancio Chapa Jr. is a historian, cultural arts empresario and a long-time education leader in the La Joya school district. He was a school board member in the early 1980s, when he set in motion the idea of building a mariachi program in La Joya.
Miguel de los Santos is a retired school superintendent and university professor of educational leadership. He served as superintendent of La Joya ISD when he instructed his staff to create a mariachi program.
This program is made possible by the generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was committed to educational causes in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created by her family to honor her memory and to continue providing educational opportunities for the community.
About Museum of South Texas History
The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003, following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook and Instagram, follow on Twitter, find on YouTube or call +1-956-383-6911.