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Harvard’s Long Standing Mariachi Tradition

Growing up as a Mexican-American, I have had the privilege of being able to enjoy the musical genre known as mariachi from my earliest years. Mariachi is a style of traditional Mexican music born out of the cultural mixing following the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Its songs encompass generations of cultural history, with lyrics portraying themes of love, loss, patriotism and every emotion in between. Consequently, this music has become intertwined with many important experiences throughout my life. From birthdays, weddings and graduations to the mourning of family members, mariachi has been critical in shaping both moments of my life and, more importantly, my cultural identity.

As such, I was so excited to have the opportunity to represent my culture and hometown community in the big leagues upon being admitted to Harvard. Yet, I was also equally anxious about finding outlets to stay connected with my identity while away from home.

However, my worries quickly dissipated once I heard the familiar sounds of violins, trumpets and guitars, during the student organization fair shortly after my arrival. It was at this moment I became acquainted with campus’ one and only mariachi: Mariachi Véritas de Harvard (MVH).

From that point onward, I swiftly became one of the group’s biggest fans which ultimately led me to join sophomore year, and I can now proudly say that I am the current president of the group. Following taking over leadership, I soon met with Professor Américo Mendoza-Mori to discuss ways for MVH to connect with both Harvard and Boston’s Latine community outside of performances. This promptly led us to put together Mariachi Véritas’ first ever community roundtable discussion. In collaboration with Harvard’s Ethnicity, Migration, Rights (EMR) program, Harvard-Radcliffe RAZA and Lowell House, members of the Harvard and greater Boston community were invited to participate in an open dialogue with the group as we opened up about our experiences of being mariachis at Harvard. This event took place in Lowell House’s Junior Common Room, with our members sitting with their instruments in a semi-circle facing an audience consisting of professors, students, community members, and MVH alumni.

Introduced by our faculty advisor, Professor María Luisa Parra, the 90 minute-discussion delved into MVH’s history, its present state and what lies ahead for the group. While these topics may seem superficial, the questions asked pushed everyone to reflect on the significance of having a mariachi at Harvard. It provided a platform for the group to consider the ways in which we serve not only as ambassadors of Mexican and Latine cultures on Harvard’s campus, but also the special way we offer those unfamiliar or interested in learning about these cultures a safe space to do so. Moreover, this sparked a deeper conversation regarding the group’s diverse membership. Founded in 2001, MVH has seen various iterations of the group featuring individuals from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and walks of life. Although some may question how this impacts our ability to be “authentic,” this conversation gave us the space to emphasize that anyone can relate to this style of music and, more importantly, add their own emotion, energy and passion to a song. Ultimately, the conversation shifted to questions regarding Mariachi Véritas’ impact both on Harvard’s campus and the greater Latine community of Boston. We discussed how our performances on campus are some people’s introduction to mariachi and how it is not only a great privilege to introduce them to this tradition, but also an opportunity to invite them to learn more about it. Further, we also examined the ways in which our performances help showcase the strong latine presence on campus, which is important as it highlights the on-campus diversity and makes Harvard more accessible to the outside community. This was especially true this past year, as the group reflected on the new connections we made with nonprofits such as ZUMIX and La Colaborativa who work closely with the Latine communities in the greater Boston area.

Overall, the conversation closed with reflections about the group’s future. Since its inception in 2001, Mariachi Véritas has seen its share of successes and challenges, along with going through a variety of changes over the years. With the group’s 25th anniversary quickly approaching in 2026, this community conversation provided us a genuine moment to consider the long-standing impact the group has brought to the Harvard and Boston communities and the ways it can be extended. Moreover, this event ultimately caused me to reflect on the ways in which Mariachi Véritas has become an important part of my life as a Harvard undergraduate. From the small moments shared in rehearsals, to the big moments on stage, Mariachi Véritas has become synonymous with many of my fond memories here at Harvard while also supporting my relationship to my cultural identity. As the event came to a close, I found myself filled with pride knowing that the many ways in which Mariachi Véritas has become my family away from home and will continue to be shared for generations to come.