Music, Migration, and Mexicanness in the Digital World

This chapter examines the intersection of Regional `norteño¿ music, Mexican immigration, and digital platforms, with a focus on TikTok¿s role in shaping and expressing Mexican identity. Historically rooted in the U.S.-Mexico border¿s unique cultural landscape, `norteño¿ music has evolved alongside migration patterns, becoming a pivotal medium for the Mexican diaspora to articulate their experiences, identity, and connections to their homeland. Parting from a historical review of the origins of `norteño¿ music and using a methodology of content analysis of TikTok videos, this research highlights how traditional and contemporary `norteño¿ styles, including `Corridos Tumbados,¿ facilitate community bonding, cultural resilience, and the negotiation of Mexicanness in the digital age. Our findings reveal that digital rhetorical resources such as hashtags and musical curatorship in TikTok videos serve not only as expressions of cultural identity but also as tools of persuasion that shape narratives of immigration, authenticity, and even conflict about contemporary Mexicanness. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Rubria Rocha de Luna and Maricruz Castro Ricalde; individual chapters, the contributors.