(NOTE: FWIW, this post was written several days ago, before the question arose about how often I say nice things about Latin Americans.)
When I moved to San Diego thirteen years ago, one of the things that I liked about the area was the ability it offered to listen to Spanish-language radio stations.
Faced with a lot of the junk on regular American radio, Spanish-language radio offered songs that were interesting musically and that featured lyrics that were often considerably more wholesome than what would be found on some English-language stations. (How many English-language songs have you heard about wearing a white shirt?)
But disturbing themes are present in the local Spanish-language radio market–like the image being projected by one of the most popular stations.
It’s call letters are XHTY (Mexican radio stations commonly begin with X instead of K or W) and its broadcast frequency is 99.7 FM, but it goes by the name "La Invasora."
What does "La Invasora" mean in Spanish?
"The Invader."
Here’s what the station’s web page says about it:
La Invasora is the fastest growing Spanish language radio station in San Diego. It’s the #1 Spanish language station in North County and #2 in the San Diego Metro area. *
San Diegans wake-up to El Levanton, one the best morning shows in town, which delivers humor, news, sports, great music and the hottest topics within the Hispanic Community with our popular personalities El Chon and La Chula.
La Invasora has high visibility in the market, obtained thru on going advertising campaigns on the top Hispanic television stations, print publications, billboards and community and grass roots events.
One of La Invasora’s specialties is producing high attendance events, such as Descarga Invasora Summer music festival in Tijuana had a crowd of over 45,000 in 2003 and our 4th of July music fest in San Diego drew over 25,000.
Station Profile:
La Invasora has a booming 60,000 watt Signal that reaches the greater San Diego/Tijuana area, the 3rd largest Hispanic market in the Country. Its format is the widely popular “Mexican regional” that plays a variety of today’s top Hispanic hits like Banda and Norteño collections.
Audience profile:
XHTY reaches a broad demographical and geographical are mainly composed 18-49 male and female demographic.
Now, the reason that radio stations adopt identities other than their call letters is because they think that the identity they craft for themselves will appeal to their target audience. For example, another local radio station (KPRI) has dubbed itself "Rock Without Rules," and it’s not hard to guess from its name that it wants to appeal to a younger, more rebellious audience than does station KMYT, which calls itself "Smooth Jazz."
Taking station marketing identities as a clue to who the station is trying to appeal to, what does it say when a local station starts calling itself "The Invader"?
In an English-speaking community in a radio market in the American Midwest, it might mean that the station is going after the same kind of young, rebellious market that "Rock Without Rules" is.
But when the language is Spanish and the market is mere minutes from the Mexican border and there are numerous people in the market who have crossed the border illegally, it takes on a different cast.
The cast is further affected when one realizes that there is an irredentist movement in the area in which some radical activists are advocating the idea that "Aztlan" (the American Southwest from California to Texas) should be flooded with illegal aliens who can one day gain sufficient strength to reclaim it for Mexico.
The fact that the station would conduct a massive marketing campaign for this identity, with logos like the one above put on busses, billboards, and auto decals, adds a rather brazen quality as well.
And the fact that the station is ranked as #1 or #2 in different regions of San Diego County in the Spanish-language radio market suggests that there are a significant number of individuals for whom the station and presumably its identity are appealing.
Now, I have to issue
THE BIG RED DISCLAIMER: The identity a station crafts for itself is only a part of its success or lack of success. Not everybody who listens to La Invasora views himself or herself as an invader. There are undoubtedly many listeners who just like the music mix or the on-air personalities. Not all listeners are illegal aliens or even aliens at all. And not all listeners are supporters of the radical Aztlan irredentist movement; many are also undoubtedly patriotic Americans. So the mere fact that someone listens to and likes this station is NOT an indictment of that person.
But the fact that a station would choose a marketing identity of "The Invader" and be highly successful with it against a background of massive illegal immigration including radical activists who want to remove territory from the United States and add it to Mexico is at least disturbing.
It also, frankly, does not serve to foster good community relations between English-speakers and Spanish-speakers. Like the counterproductive wearing and waving of Mexican flags at the recent anti-immigration control rallies, having "Invader" logos all over busses and billboards and automobiles is more likely to inflame community relations than calm them.
Too much should not be made of the station and its chosen identity. It’s just a radio station and a marketing campaign. But it’s a straw in the wind that reflects a disturbing underlying situation.
For years the acadamy has told us that the nation-state is obsolete. These are the same folks who now tell us that we need open borders and flexible citizenship rules.
I don’t think that it takes too much imagination to see where all of this could take us:
– Illegal immigrants riot in the streets demanding independence.
– Mexico supports the riots.
– U.S. goes to war with Mexico.
– The U.S. wins, and becomes much larger.
or,
– Illegal immigrants riot in the streets demanding independence.
– Mexico and the U.S. cooperate on this problem.
– Political union between the U.S. and Mexico is seen as a solution to the problem.
or,
– Illegal immigrants riot in the streets demanding independence.
– The U.S. government is ineffective in quelling the riots.
– American private militias decide to take up arms to reclaim the territory.
– Leftist Americans support the rioters.
– The U.S. breaks out in civil war.
Does anyone else have any predictions?
Another great and thoughtful post, Jimmy. But get ready for a storm of racialist attacks. There appear to be some elephants in the room which we are just not allowed to notice or talk about.
What’s with the hat in the Invasora logo? Can anyone explain that to me?
The whole “Aztlan” movement is scary, and moreover it is based on fantasy more than history. “Aztlan” was a mythical Aztec place, something like the Garden of Eden, from whence the various Aztec tribes supposedly came. Some latinos buy into the concept that Aztlan was that which is today Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California.
During the Mexican War of 1846, General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City. Under the then-extant rules of warfare, if you capture the enemy’s capital, the war is over and the conqueror has a free hand in what to do with his opponent. The U.S. took only the sparsely-populated areas of northern Mexico, for a number of reasons. One, it was territory which the U.S. had previously offered to buy but was refused, two, the government decided not to take on the hardship of running Mexico, as it has its hands full with Indians at the time and three, more southern territory meant possibly more slave-owning territory – which would have necessitated war with Canada to increase the northern territory to maintain the balance.
A sizeable chunk of southern Arizona, and a piece of southwestern New Mexico was purchased by the U.S. from Mexico for value. The price was inflated to more fully compensate the Mexicans for the territory previously ceded, and for which Mexico had already been compensated well more than France was compensated for Louisiana.
The hat = A cowboy hat. Mexican guys wear cowboy hats a lot.
La Invasora = A pretty common name for radio stations throughout the Southwest. In Austin they have one. Terrible.
Accusations of racism = Probably a bigger deal in California than Texas. In Texas people don’t seem to care as much, there is a lot of back-and-forth teasing.
Civil War In America = I don’t think so, that would disturb our TV time.
Elimination of the middle-class.
Reminds me of a (short lived) station here in Arkansas that was called “The Rebel” (country/rock).
They projected a “bad boy” image and used the Confederate flag on their bumper stickers (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).
It was all bluster and image. I expect this is similar.
I don’t doubt that there were a few skinhead types who appreciated it for a while, though.
Jimmy,
Keep it up. If I could confer a Courage Award on you I would.
We have the same type of stuff in Tucson and all across Southern Arizona.
We just must wake the people up about the reality of the immigration issue.
Thought.
Illegal immigrants riot in the street demanding independence.
The Unted States government finally pursues employer sanctions.
The majority of illegal immigrants return to their families in Mexico.
The Mexican government is forced by the United States government to fix Mexico, its constitution and its economy,whuch JPII has said is the first approach to a solution.
Mexican extended families are re-united and can earn a living wage. U.S. wages rise and millions of U.S. families are removed from the poverty rolls and now can buy health insurance.
We trade happily ever after on an equal basis with Mexico.
Or we could do employer sanctions now and eliminate the rioting.
Radio stations like La Invasora exist all over the southwest. I think it’s silly to even suggest that there could be an actual invasion from Mexico. Like it or not, the cultural context of the U.S. is rapidly changing – as Catholic Christians our response should not be “You’re unwelcome so go back to where you came from.”
See the article below for a further discussion:
http://tcrnews2.com/
Jimmy. Grow up.
“as Catholic Christians our response should not be “You’re unwelcome so go back to where you came from.””
Deacon DW-
If you are referring to illegal aliens, I beg to differ. Our message to illegals should definitely be “go back where you came from, get your documents in order, and try again”.
Incidentally, the term “illegal aliens” is not in the least racist, as it conveys no racial information at all.
Our response should be, we would welcome you, but you need to come back legally, and give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
Perhaps it’s “akin” to a musical invasion, like the “British Invasion” prompted by groups from overseas like The Beatles. When I hear people speak of the British Invasion, I don’t run for my gun, I turn up the radio!
“La Invasora” was also a “romantic drama” series on television in Venzuela in 2003-2004, about a poor woman who “invades” the home of a rich man she admires, his son falls in love with her, father disowns son’s, mysterious stranger then “invades” and reveals deep secret about family. See IMDb if you want to know the cast.
Note that “La invasora” is feminine. There is a masculine form, “El invasor.” It is feminine because it is “la radio,” feminine. “El radio” is the geometric radio, or area swept by a radius (e.g. area of circle) or area of influense.
So this is “radio invasion.” Do not be alarmed.
Actually, the station is in the US and “invades” Mexico! Reaching down to Rosario and over to Tecate.
Uniradio, that owns XHTY-FM, also owns other radio stations, like 860 AM (La Poderosa), which has been around over 30 years.
Jimmy, do you spend much time south of La Linea?
How about making an investigative blogging trip to orhpanages around Tijuana?
http://www.corazondevida.org/index.htm
Life is not just about laws (which should be followed and enforced), or just about borders (which should be real national boundaries, and I think an appropriate place for Uzi-toting national police).
Life is also about people, and cultures, and struggles. And I get a “vibe” from your blog that you take sort of the Pete Wilson view of Mexican culture. (Hey, he was mayor of San Diego). Spend more time on the other side. It will help you be more balanced on these topics.
Part of my family came, in the 19th century, from Spain to Mexico to that little Mexican town called Los Angeles. When it turned Anglo and hostile to Mexico in the 1930’s, my family buried their Mexican roots. Now, all the old family parish churches are again almost entirely Hispanic. Fine with me. (Other parts of family came from Germany and China; I’m not too worried about Germans taking over Califonia, but we do have Schwarzenegger; and a lot of Chinse!)
Enforce the laws? Si.
Strengthen the border (make it real)? Si.
Bash the culture? No.
Radio is culture.
Jimmy,
With all the due respect I have for you, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I think that you’re reading too much into a pop radio slogan.
God bless.
Zhou,
I am cross border all the time and appreciate the good and the beautiful in the Mexican culture, but it has its problems also.
Jimmy is putting his finger on some of the problems. It is not wise to over romanticize any culture.
The illegals are a big, big problem. We ignore the problem at the risk of the destruction of Mexican and American culture.
Jimmy has a point.
If you lived in Seattle (or Detroit), and some Vancouver (or Windsor) radio station was calling itself INVADER FM!, you’d think it was creepy. Stalker-creepy.
So it’s creepy.
– U.S. goes to war with Mexico.
– The U.S. wins, and becomes much larger.
this happened already which is part of the problem.
My Chicano friends say that their families did not cross the border, the border crossed them!
Maybe México got it all wrong ‘way back then. Maybe they should attack across the Río Bravo, then capitulate, As victors, the US would then give them foreign aid to rebuild, just as was done for Japan, Italy and Germany after WWII, and Most Favored trade status, as has been done for Red China. Or set up massive resettlement operations, ala Vietnam.
Don’t get this blue-eyed Anglo wrong, my favorite aunt is Japanese, another is from Australia, and a great uncle was of African heritage. Full disclosure: my wife is from México legally, after the INS investigated for a year the possibility that she might be an Arab terrorist.
“Maybe they should attack across the Río Bravo, then capitulate, As victors, the US would then give them foreign aid to rebuild”
Yeah, but what if Mexico acquires the Q-Bomb and actually WINS the war?
I live in Monterrey, Mexico. We also have a radio station called “La Invasora” and it’s very popular in that type of “cumbia norteña” music.
So this post looks like too much paranoia.
God bless.
I posted above. Not Dano…
“So this is “radio invasion.” Do not be alarmed. Actually, the station is in the US and “invades” Mexico! Reaching down to Rosario and over to Tecate.”
Zhou is absolutely right. I think we should be a bit more circumspect.
“I live in Monterrey, Mexico. We also have a radio station called “La Invasora” and it’s very popular in that type of “cumbia norteña” music.”
This proves it.
“My Chicano friends say that their families did not cross the border, the border crossed them!”
What they’re saying is probably such a lie it’s not even funny. Mexico never had control of what is now the Southwest. They just had some forts and missions. And current immigration policies are pure insanity. A worst case scenario for the future is a civil war that goes nuclear.
Skippy,
You are right and furthermore I understand Mexico only had what little ownership it could claim for 24 years.
it is just a radio station come on so stupid to thing this way..get a real job
Another intellect of which I am in awe!