Final answer:
The corrido is a Mexican song genre that reflects the historical period of conflict and cultural exchange along the Mexico/US border in the early twentieth century.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question involves the history of the corrido, a Mexican song genre that arose during a tumultuous period of conflict and cultural exchange along the Mexico/US border, particularly during the early twentieth century.
The corrido is deeply connected to the experiences of Mexicans and Mexican Americans, encapsulating stories of struggle, resistance, and the everyday lives of those who lived through times of intense racial and land-based conflicts.
The inclusion of corridos in the narrative of the southwestern borderlands is vital as it represents a form of cultural expression that emerged from the years following the Mexican Cession, where Mexican territory was incorporated into the United States, leading to violence, racial antagonism, and significant cultural and economic shifts.
These historical events, involving the Great Depression, the illegal fencing of the communal lands, and the violence against Mexicans and Mexican Americans, deeply influenced the themes of the corridos.
During these times, diverse groups such as cowboys, including Hispanics and African Americans, worked on the Great Plains, and their culture heavily borrowed from Mexican ranchers. The cultural contributions from Mexicans continued to influence the region, even as the tensions over landownership and ethnic prejudices escalated.
These elements combined to set the backdrop for corridos, folk ballads that narrate and preserve the collective memories and sentiments of a people deeply rooted in these historical events.
The corrido emerged as a vocal component of the cultural identity and heritage of the Mexican and Mexican American communities, the content of which reflects both the political sentiments of the time and a rich tradition of storytelling.