This article explores how Mexican American farmworkers in Merced built a thriving Grupero music scene in the 1980s and 1990s. - Farmworkers gathered at bars and dance halls after work to hear Spanish-language music.
- Bands like Los Kinos and La Migra played at venues such as Scorpio and Mixatorium. - The scene declined after Castle Air Force Base closed and cruising on Main Street was banned.
- Musicians like Adolfo Sanchez and Enrique Villegas balanced farm or day jobs with weekend performances. The music provided a sense of community and home for workers in the Central Valley.