Lydia Mendoza was the first female Tejano musician who paved the way for the future of the Tejano genre according to an article written by Dacia Garcia Mendoza and her family, “started a band in the 1920s and eventually moved to San Antonio…In 1932, the family played on street corners and at restaurants. Mendoza’s father built her the 12-string guitar she became known for.” Without her influence, some of the greatest Tejano artists like Selena, Emilio Navaira, or Los Lobos wouldn’t exist.
Throughout her career, she traveled the country sharing her experience as a Mexican-American with albums such as La Gloria De Texas, First Queen of Tejano Music, and La Unica.
Even after her death in 2007, Lydia Mendoza is still inspiring others to experience Mexican-American culture, this time in the form of education.
According to the University of Houston’s official website the Lydia Mendonza Fellowship, “was established in 1972 as an interdisciplinary academic program encompassing the liberal arts, education and social science focusing on the Mexican American and broader Latino experience in the U.S.”
On February 19th the University of Houston announced that theComisión Federal de Electricidad has granted 1.2 million dollars to the Lydia Mendoza graduate program to continue educating students who desire to learn more about the Mexican-American and Latino experience.
An article written by Laurie Fickman cited the percentage of Latino students, “rising from 1.5 million in 2000 to a new high of 3.8 million in 2019, according to the Pew Research Center.”
