‘It’s part of who we are’: Traditional Mexican music has been celebrated for centuries in Minnesota

Since Mexicans have been living in Minnesota, traditional Mexican has been an important part of sharing culture and celebrating tradition. In fact, Minnesota’s very first documented Mexican-born resident way back in the 1880s was a musician.Anthropologist Maya Santamaria has studied him and thousands of other Mexican-Minnesotan musicians throughout history. She is the founder and CEO of the Spanish radio station based out of the Twin Cities, La Raza. As Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off this week, Santamaria joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the enduring popularity of Mexican Music in the state.