Houston's Livestock And Rodeo 2016 Music Lineup Absent Of Tejano Headliners

The lack of a major Tejano lineup in the Rodeo Houston 2016 event this year will no doubt draw huge protests by Tejano music enthusiasts.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 11, 2016

Houston, Texas - On Monday, organizers of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR), a Texas non-profit organization that sponsors a 19-day rodeo in March announced their 2016 music lineup at the NRG arena on Facebook (RodeoHouston), which once again is absent of any major Tejano groups playing at the main events stage. The HLSR has for years discriminated against both Mexican nationals and Tejanos. 

Discrimination against Mexican nationals, the HLSR has denied scholarships to the sons and daughters of festivalgoers who attend the 19-day event, especially the Mexican genre music lineup. Los Huracanes del Norte and Band Los Recoditos were booked for March 13, the "Go Tejano Day". It seems that the HLSR 2016 major artist lineup is no exception from last year, this year once again there were no major Tejano groups scheduled to appear at the main NRG stage.

With the absence of a major Tejano group at the HLSR in March, anticipated organized protests by Tejanos are expected.

In brief, the HLSR receives funds from major corporations, sponsors and held fundraisers, including the 19-day rodeo event, which according to their federal tax reporting, they generated about $133M of revenue in 2014. In the last five years, the HLSR Educational Fund has given out more than $60M in scholarship awards to college bound students and students already in college.
In 2015, about 2,100 students attending 100 different colleges in Texas have received at least $40M in scholarships, not including grants from other sources. The HLSR committed more than $24M for the HLSR Educational Fund in 2015, according to their Web site.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) learned in 2015 that not one dollar of those scholarships has ever been awarded to DREAMers or undocumented student immigrants in Houston and Texas. The HLSR has a discriminatory guideline and requirement that excludes DREAMers and undocumented student immigrants from applying for scholarships, only U.S. Citizens and a Texas resident can apply for those scholarships.