In February 2026, The Mariachi Brothers, a musical group of 3 teenage boys, were detained by ICE during a scheduled court check-in. After their release, the brothers were invited by Country music star Kacey Musgraves to open her shows in New Braunfels, Texas. Continuing the legacy of Tejano Music, that in many ways is the story of Texas, migration, and the tension of assimilation.

In this episode, two years after the death of icon Johnny Canales, we look back at the origins of Tejano music. And how Canales, the man known as the Oprah of Tejano music, changed the genre forever.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.

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