My mother always listened to Los Tigres del Norte, especially when my brothers and I were growing up. I remember we went from cassettes to CDs and now she has her own YouTube playlist full of LTDN songs. Their songs talk about the immigrant experience and what families do to live in the US. As a first generation American born to immigrants from Mexico, I felt so empowered about the liveliness of the Latin American continent they sang about. So often we hear about the bad things of our countries of origin, the poverty and despair, and I think we internalize that at times. But we come from beautiful countries and simply find ourselves here because of circumstance. Every time I hear this song I have an immense feeling of pride swelling inside of me. I'm proud of my roots and though privileged to have been born in the US, I am reminded that our families come from rich and beautiful lands and we should be free to travel from the tip of Canada to the tip of Argentina freely. This song reminds me that America had no borders until recent times and so we should walk with our heads held high because we cannot be “illegal” in our own continent.

Now Playing: America ft. Calle 13 (MTV Unplugged Version) by Los Tigres Del Norte