Mariachi Vaqueros a legacy of Sam Houston HS’ mariachi program
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for many to celebrate their cultural traditions with loved ones. For one Arlington ISD couple, it’s an opportunity to share the vibrant sounds of mariachi music with the world.
Albert and Beatriz Becerra — an assistant principal at Speer Elementary and secretary at Key Elementary — both discovered their love for mariachi music as high school students. Beatriz Beccera began her mariachi journey at Sam Houston High School while Albert Beccera followed a similar path in his hometown of El Paso.
The duo met while performing mariachi, fell in love and eventually married. Their shared passion led them to form Mariachi Vaqueros, a group devoted to preserving and celebrating mariachi music in their community.
“For me as a first-generation American, playing mariachi allowed me to connect with my roots and honor our culture,” Beatriz Beccera said. “My parents are from Mexico and performing this music gave me a way to connect with them and our heritage.”
For Albert Becerra, it’s about keeping the history of mariachi alive.
“Being able to depict the music of our culture and spread it around is so awesome,” he said. “We’re letting people know how special it is and to keep carrying that history on.”
The Becceras formed their mariachi group, Mariachi Vaqueros, nearly a decade ago with Sam Houston alumni who were members of Sam’s first mariachi group, Mariachi Tejano de Sam Houston.
For the past eight years, they’ve been performing at the Dallas Cowboys Hispanic Heritage Month game. This season, they officially signed to play at every home game.
“It’s been really fun to incorporate the culture within the gameday experience,” Albert Beccera said. “We’ve had people come up to us and share their backgrounds. It’s really cool, you kind of get chills. We’re from here but we get to portray their culture to the best of our ability and showcase the talent we have here in Texas.”
Those connections are what make each performance so special. 
“I love it,” Beatriz Beccera said. “We get to provide such a unique experience to people from all over the world who come out to AT&T stadium.”
With Sam Houston having the only mariachi program in the district, Albert Becerra hopes to bring the art to Speer. Growing in schools throughout Texas, mariachi has even become a UIL-sanctioned event, further fueling their passion for teaching it to future generations.
“Our kids are the future,” Albert Becerra said. “They get to carry on this legacy.”
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates that legacy and underscores the uniqueness of American diversity.
“The fact that we have a month to celebrate the different cultures is amazing,” Albert Beccera said. “As an educator that’s always at the forefront, I’m educating people on the culture, the music and the traditions.”
And that’s exactly what Mariachi Vaqueros aims to do — celebrate, educate and share the beauty of mariachi with audiences far and wide!
Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month.