"Mariachi music isn't itself political, and in the several weeks I spent with some of the mariachis in the Washington area, musicians and audiences generally didn't bring up politics on their own. But given the sense of siege that has settled over so many Latino communities, I felt an obligation to ask. Many people told me they consider enjoyment of this music a kind of political statement. After all, mariachi " with its brassy sound, fancy suits and, on formal occasions, ridiculously big hats " is culturally unapologetic and unbowed, the opposite of living in shadows."
Hector Emanuel Documentary Photographer
Hector Emanuel is a Peruvian-born photojournalist. His work examines social, political and environmental issues in Latin America and the US.