Wisconsin Mariachi’s Academia Popular: Wisconsin Mariachi’s Academia Popular: Building Community Through Mexican American Cultural Appreciation

The Chicana/o & Latinx Studies program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is thrilled to announce the start of the Wisconsin Mariachi’s Academia Popular Project (WISMAP). WISMAP invites private and public educational institutions in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin to engage in a series of public encounters to recognize and discuss the contributions of Mexican American culture, and mariachi in particular in the region. The initiative recognizes the incredible work already being done in the state to advance the recognition of this popular facet of Mexican American heritage, and invites a collective reflection about its current challenges and future possibilities to generate a sense of community.  Join us on Thursday, March 14th at 5:00PM at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Music Hall for an inaugural performance by Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán, directed by Dr. José Torres-Ramos. Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán is the internationally renowned ensemble founded in 1977 at the University of Texas at Austin. The ensemble is named in honor of Dr. Américo Paredes, a seminal figure in the history of border studies.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, March 14th,  2024
• Time: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
• Venue: UW Oshkosh Music Hall
• Address: 1001 Elmwood Ave, Oshkosh, WI 54901
• Admission: Free (Open to the public)

Additional encounters planned for WISMAP:

1. Round Table Community Discussion: Present and Future of Mexican American Arts in Educational Spaces. This community conversation brings together academics, local educational leaders, mariachi advocates, and community members to discuss the challenges facing mariachi music in the region, and opportunities for growth, particularly in educational spaces. Saturday, March 16, 2024, 2:00 to 3:00PM at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. This is a free event and open to the public.
2. Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán at Kaleidoscope Academy. The ensemble will work with music students at the school to introduce the basics of mariachi tunes and sounds. Friday, March 17, 2024.
3. Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán at Appleton Bilingual School. The ensemble will perform a musical set and engage with students at the school. This event is free and open to all students of the Appleton Bilingual School and their families. Friday, March 17, 2024.
4. Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán at Appleton Children’s Museum. Saturday, March 18, 2024. 9:00 AM to 10:00AM 
5. Public Talk: Growing Mariachi Culture in Wisconsin by Francisco Hernandez. Mr. Hernandez  has devoted the last few years as a volunteer, tutor, intern and instructor for the Latino Arts Strings Program in Milwaukee. For the past 7 years, Mr. Hernandez has worked as a professional performer and musical director for Mariachi Monarcas de Milwaukee, an ensemble that has allowed him to share the stage with world renowned musicians. Monday, April 1st, 2024, 2:00 to 2:50PM at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. This is a free event and open to the public. This event will be held in English and Spanish.
6. Public Talk: Mariachi Culture in Educational Spaces by Dr. Sidury Christiansen. Dr Christiansen is a professor of TESOL/Applied Linguistics at the University of Texas San Antonio. She will present and lead a discussion on Mariachi Culture, Community Building, and Language Learning. Monday, April 22nd, 1:50 to 2:50 PM, at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. This event will be held in Spanish and English.

For more information and to receive updates about the upcoming WISMAP events, see the link below:

https://forms.office.com/r/xtH917CFxR

About Wisconsin Mariachi’s Academia Popular (WISMAP): WisMAP is a culturally enriching opportunity for academics, artists, and the community at large to connect through the interpretative appreciation and performance of Mariachi music, its history, and its impact in our local communities. Organized by the Chicana/o & Latinx Studies program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, this project supports an integrative engagement between the public, local experts, and nationally recognized scholars around the history of Mariachi music and invites reflection about its future. The multimodal platform planned for WisMap includes in-person keynote addresses, public performances, and interpretative workshops in the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin. 

The series of events will be organized around exploratory themes that will invite participants to discover a discrete facet of Mariachi culture, its history and the people behind it. Events will run from March 14th March to April 22nd, 2024. 

WISMAP is funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Wisconsin Humanities strengthens our democracy through educational and cultural programs that build connections and understanding among people of all backgrounds and beliefs throughout the state.

About the Chicana/o & Latinx Studies Program at UW Oshkosh: The Chicana/o & Latinx Studies program is a new interdisciplinary program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The program aims to provide an integrative curricular approach to students at UWO interested in growing their expertise in the complex social and cultural realities, challenges and possibilities facing LATINX COMMUNITIES in the US.

Students, faculty, and community members are invited to interact through a variety of academically enriching activities including classes, community based learning opportunities, participatory research, outreach initiatives, community events, and collective CELEBRATIONS of LATINX EXCELLENCE.