Esmeralda perez [she/her]

My love for music stems from watching films from Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema throughout my childhood with icons such as Pedro Infante. Watching these classic Charro films was a means of connecting with my parents and my Mexican roots, making mariachi music to me all the more special. I learned to play the violin in 5th grade and continued in orchestra throughout the rest of my public education. It wasn’t until I reached highschool that I would finally play in a student lead mariachi as well as attain my first mariachi suit and learn to sing to a crowd. Having music form part of my life not only helped form my identity but also helped me throughout my academics. 

I was born and raised in the Yakima Valley, as a first-generation graduate and from a family of agricultural workers so I understand the challenges and sacrifices that come along with pursuing an education. Luckily with the support of my family and help from scholarships I was able to complete a B.A. in Spanish and Psychology at Central Washington University. While attending the university I was a part of Mariachi del Centro, a mariachi club later established into a class and certificate at CWU. During my last year in my bachelors degree I was given the opportunity to become a member of a local mariachi band and I am still an active mariachi musician to this day. 

My desire to form part of YAMA is to give back to my community and hope to spread appreciation for music and educate students in the beautiful genre of mariachi music. I hope to offer a welcoming space to students and families where they feel represented and feel comfortable in asking questions without fear of a language barrier.