Corridos, Tequila (and others), and Mexican/Chicano Masculinity

Abstract

The Mexican corrido is one of the most popular cultural manifestations both in the United States and Mexico. From its origins in the mid-nineteenth century, the corrido has dealt with “people’s stuff,” such as war, love, honor, immigration and/or belonging to a land, among other everyday life issues. The corrido is, in short, a symbol of identity and belonging, and can be considered a marker of the Mexican identity on both sides of the border. In this sense, it is to be expected that the corrido, as an expression of “people’s stuff,” voices the relevance of a “national” symbol. In the same way, tequila is regarded, at least internationally, as directly related to “lo mexicano/chicano,” and in many cases also to Mexican/Chicano masculinity. Starting from this premise, the aim of this article is to observe the presence of tequila and its significance as a symbol of “lo mexicano/chicano” in the work of Los Tigres del Norte, one of the most prominent corrido bands, both locally and internationally.

Sex integration in equestrian sport: Challenging male dominance of horseracing in Mexico

“…Drinking is a social act and is related to public reinforcement of a particular hegemonic masculinity in Mexico (Ibarraran-Bigalondo, 2020). We regularly observed groups of men at the parejeras drinking beer as they stood around chatting and watching the horses prepare for and compete in the races.…”

Horseracing as gendered leisure events: doing and redoing masculinities in Mexico

“…There has been limited attention paid to leisure in theorisation of Mexican masculinities, but Ridge (2017) notes that football is an important mechanism in upholding the patriarchal order through use of homophobic language and the exclusion of women. Alcohol is also an integral aspect of Mexican masculinities, and Bigalondo (2020) suggests that drinking is a social act and related to the public reinforcement of a particular hegemonic masculinity in Mexico. However, Ponting and Yarris (2019) argue that gender relations in Mexico are in flux; influenced by economic restructuring and urbanisation which have made it difficult for many men to achieve the expected model of masculinity which is characterised by being economically independent and able to support a wife and children.…”