Osborn mentions, “mainstream culture does tend to kind of narrow the scope of the lifestyles we see of Mexican-American families down to often ones of crisis.” Going Varsity in Mariachi deems to humanize the youth of the borderlands by showcasing their lives as just that, people having regular high school careers with a little bit of spice, of course.

“It’s a movie about these mariachi competitions, but it’s more about growing up along the border,” Vasquez adds. The film illustrates the students’ growth in Mariachi but also their personal successes in love, learning to drive, applying for college, and graduation.

Bella, one of the team captains, now living in San Antonio, expresses,  “I see how beautiful the Valley [is] and how that was really home to me… the movie really makes me think about that… It made me appreciate it more.”

What this documentary provides for Mexican-American youth across the nation is regardless of proximity to their heritage, they have a right to “engage with their Mexican culture,” as Osborn put it, who is half Mexican. Having this film star real students celebrating a Mexican art form within the United States is inspiring and far expands the traditional coming-of-age guide. It’s a perfect blend of music but also showcases the uniqueness of living in a predominantly Hispanic community, where Mexican culture can be freely celebrated. Going Varsity in Mariachi may not be a history lesson on Mariachi, but it shows us the most important part: la gente, the people who put their soul into the music.