SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As Hispanic Heritage Month continues, KCRA 3 is taking the time to spotlight Hispanic and Latino culture in Northern California. And the culture is rich in the area, with millions of Hispanic and Latino people calling the Golden State home.
From a farmworker-turned-farm owner to a teacher using mariachi to inspire the youth, there are plenty of stories to share. Watch the full special in the video player above, but you can find the individual stories below. Learning culture through music Mariachi music dates back to the 1700s in Mexico, but now there's a modern twist as more young people learn to play the music at the Stockton Unified School District.
Inside the school, students are mastering the art of Mariachi music. Mariachi Director Tito Talamantes grew up in Stockton and teaches students how to get in touch with their culture and roots with each note that they play. He considers it is a blessing to be able to teach what he teaches.
It's a program that he wishes he would have had as a kid, so for the last ten years, he's made it his passion to pass on the tradition to his students. "There is nothing old-fashioned about this at all. In fact, I would argue that Mariachi in schools is pretty new age," Talamantes said.
"It's about culture preservation ...
A lot of these students don't come from a musical background, so they don't touch an instrument until I get them freshman year in high school, and so to see their growth from freshman year to senior ye.
