LOS ANGELES -- For fifth generation musician Jose Hernandez, mariachi is more than the music of his motherland Mexico. It is ingrained in his heart and something he needs to listen to or do everyday.

Jones Middle School in Boone County is using its mariachi program to help students connect with their heritage and explore new cultures through music.

Students in the East Valley are strumming guitars, belting out festive tunes on trumpets and singing passionate melodies in mariachi ensembles to celebrate Mexican culture. But the culture isn’t ...

When Mexican American student Diego Quintanilla moved from Texas to New York City for college, he encountered a wave of ...