The Sound of Digital Activism: The Empowerment of Mexican Immigrants Through Music Chapter in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • This chapter explores the role of music in digital activism for Mexican immigrants living in or seeking to reach the United States. It begins by discussing the social function of music and its ability to encapsulate the values and traditions of human communities. The chapter then outlines various ways music is utilized in activism, with a particular focus on Norteño music, especially the Corrido, which has become emblematic of Mexican migrants in the United States. The chapter also examines Fukuyama¿s pessimistic perspective on the capitulation of activism to technological neoliberal capitalism. It further explores diverse forms of digital resistance and the role of music in Mexican pro-immigrant digital activism. A key proposal is that the musicalization of migrant-related videos, shared on social media, represents a form of digital activism. Additionally, the chapter suggests that Corridos Tumbados and their accompanying video clips, streamed on digital platforms, may constitute a form of prefigurative activism. Through the multimedia interplay of music, text, and images enabled by digital technologies in music videos, Corridos Tumbados vindicate Mexican immigrants and their U.S.-born descendants. They portray these individuals as successful achievers of the `American Dream¿ while simultaneously affirming their cultural heritage and roots. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

publication date

  • January 1, 2025