Overvew:

Music of the immigration protests focuses upon the perspectives of the Latina/o immigrant. Students are invited to problematize the new Spanish language version of the United States national anthem Nuestro himno [Our anthem] recreated by Latin American musicians involved in the recent immigration protests.

Grade Level: 5

Connections to the Curriculum:

       Social studies, history

Connections to the National Standards:

Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

Standard 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

Standard 9: Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Materials Required:

Song, Nuestro himno (Recording and lyrics retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5369145)

For extension activity:

Song, No me llames extranjero [Don't call me a foreigner] (Rafael Amor, from El Mundo Se Mueve, 2006 Byte & Music S. R. L., iTunes Latino)

Objectives:

Students will

• listen to, analyze, and describe Nuestro himno.

• examine the song in relation to social protest, immigration history, and current events.

Suggested Procedure:

• Invite students to name the official language of the United States.

• Explain that the United States does not have an official language. The variety of languages comes from the heritage of many people who have immigrated to this country.

• Play Nuestro himno, inviting students to raise their hands when they hear a part of the song that is familiar.

• Present Nuestro Himno as a Spanish language version of the Star Spangled Banner recreated by Latin American musicians involved in the recent immigration protests.

• Present the lyrics, posing the following questions:

How do you respond to the new lyrics and musical setting?

How does this song express patriotism, even though it is in a new language?

Is it okay to make this kind of change to an important national song? Why, or why not?

What other languages might we choose to translate patriotic songs to? Why?

What other groups have had difficulty when immigrating to this country?

Do you find song an effective tool for communicating one's political views?

 Extension:

Listen to, analyze, and discuss No me llames extranjero [Don't call me a foreigner], reflecting upon times when one has experienced feelings of being out of place, of being a stranger or foreigner.