White Washed History of Punk

It is said in almost any and every “History of Punk” publication that Punk was started in New York City by the Ramones and London by the Sex Pistols in the 1970s. These are two bands made up of lower class white men. These bands are amazing, no doubt about it, but their credit is misconstrued. Punk was started by a band of black men- a band called Death.

Ramones & Sex Pistols

DEATH

Punk has always been noted to be a genre of music for the oppressed; a genre used as an outlet for those living other various systems of oppression to express their frustrations with society. So why do white men, the most privileged people of all, get credit for something made by and for people of color? White supremacy. White people have colonized the musical outlet made by and for those living under their system of oppression. So, what does this music sound look like when it’s made by those who need it the most? What does the scene look like when these people get together to call out the systems of oppression they live under? More so, what does the Punk scene look like in the most oppressive places in America- Southern California and South Texas?

California Chicanx Punk

Historically, Los Angeles, California has been racially segregated. Mexican Americans have been pushed to the lower income Eastern part of the city. Los Angeles and Hollywood are hubs of American entertainment. The Punk scene in Los Angeles emerged in the early 1980s, right after the birth of this genre in NYC and London, but it was seen as the most hardcore Punk scene at the time. Like the city, the Punk scene was racially segregated.

The Chicanx Punk scene was fast, hard, and socio-politically charged. Unlike the white bands, Mexican Americans not only combined elements of Glam and Classic rock, but also mixed in elements of ska, corridos, and mod beats. Like all Punk bands, lyrics were about rejecting the norm and relieving frustrations of economic oppression. But, Chicanx Punks also spoke about Mexican culture, racism, and what it was like growing up in the Barrios of East L.A. They highlighted struggles unique to Mexican Americans, like working in the fields.

Los Illegals and Los Crudos show posters.

Because of the racial segregation, Chicanx Punks were kept on the East side. Chicanx Punk bands like The Plugz, The Zeros, Nervous Gender, and The Bagz, could not book shows in the white scene around other parts of LA. This led them to play in each other’s backyards and garages, and eventually open their own venues on the East Side. One of the very first Punk venues was a Catholic Church. Chicanx Punks played in the youth building of this church. This concentration of Mexican American Punks was oppressive, but also resulted in amazing and successful Punks. The band that first utilized the youth church, Los Illegals, eventually created the first Chicanx Punk venue in East L.A.

Until now, the Chicanx Punk scene of East L.A. was always viewed as invalid and less substantial than the white scene of L.A. But they are now rightfully recognized as a core scene of California Punk from the 80s and 90s. The Chicanx Punk scene is still alive and well in East L.A.

 

 

Valley Punks

Texas is a large state that has had a thriving Punk scene for years. When the Sex Pistols first came to the states, Texas was their first stop. Houston, Dallas, and Austin all had thriving Punk scenes- but what about the border towns?

Punk came late to the RGV; the scene didn’t start until the 1990s, twenty years after the birth of Punk. The hub of RGV Punk was in McAllen and the surrounding areas. Because a prominent Punk came so late, it was a small and underground society where everyone knew everyone. The bands would play in backyards and salons. In typical Valley fashion, the bands not only wrote about life as Mexican Americans, but parodied the quirks of the RGV. The real fire of the underground Punk scene only lasted about a decade as the scene grew old – literally, the Punks became adults.  But the nostalgia still lives on.

Boatwright, Angela. “‘East Los’: The Backyard Punk Scene of East Los Angeles.” DangerousMinds. N.p., 01 May 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

“Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas, Vol. 1, by Fernando A. Flores.” Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas, Vol. 1, by Fernando A. Flores. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

“East L.A. Punk.” East L.A. Punk. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

Jacobs, Harrison. “The Backyard Punk Scene Is Alive And Well In East LA [PHOTOS].” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 02 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

Solomon, Dan. “Music Monday: An Introduction To The Rio Grande Valley Punk Rock Scene’s Golden Era – Texas Monthly.” Texas Monthly. Texas Monthly, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Solomon, Dan. “Punk Rock, McAllen Division: Fernando A. Flores’ Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas, Vol. 1 – The Texas Observer.” The Texas Observer. The Texas Observer, 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.