Culture. Inspiration. Pride. These words come to mind for UC Santa Cruz students and Los Mejicas co-directors Kaitlyn Larrondo and Daniella Maldonado when asked what it means to be a part of Los Mejicas, the university’s folklórico dance troupe.

“It’s something that helps us connect to our roots because we weren’t born in Mexico or because we’re not there anymore,” Maldonado expressed. “It’s like a conduit that allows us to be able to experience that culture even though we maybe weren’t raised there.”

As the Trump administration continues to target the Latine community, Maldonado says cultural community is more important now than ever before. 

“We are here and we’re not leaving,” Maldonado said. “Regardless of what’s going on in the world, we are an open safe space to everyone and anyone that is going through this.”

53 years of Los Mejicas

Since Los Mejicas’ founding in 1972, generations of UCSC students have practiced and performed folklórico dances. This is all set to the rhythmic beat of traditional folklórico shoes, which contain small nails in the heel and toe that create the signature sounds that accompany the music as the dancers move. 

Los Mejicas members practice in the activities room of the UCSC Athletics and Recreation Center. Photo by Dave Ordoñez.

The troupe performs throughout the year at campus events such as El Día de los Muertos celebration, put on by El Centro, the Chicanx Latinx Resource Center. 

“It’s definitely very rewarding to … have that connection to Mexico. Those holidays aren’t really celebrated here, [so] to be able to have that little piece of the homeland here is really nice,” Maldonado said. “It’s so nice to see the community come together to honor the people we love.”

Containing about 60 members, Los Mejicas functions not only as a club, but also offers an optional class with the choice to enroll in two or five credits. With three days of practice a week, and up to 20 hours of dancing, it is no small feat to turn out the colorful and interactive productions Los Mejicas is known for. 

Dancers also spend the last quarter of the academic year preparing for their annual spring show, in which multiple regional dances are performed.  

For co-director Kaitlyn Larrondo, Los Mejicas is ingrained into her life as a student, on and off the stage. 

“If it wasn’t for Mejicas, I genuinely don’t know if I would have found a space on campus where I felt like myself.”

In hopes of continuing traditions and building generational communities, the directors of Los Mejicas are working to create an alumni panel. This panel would allow current troupe members to learn from previous members’ experiences while recognizing the work their predecessors have done for Los Mejicas.

“We like to acknowledge and honor our alumni because those who came before us were able to give us the spaces that we use on campus now … They fought for us to be an organization on campus,” Larrondo said.

Dance as Resistance

This past January, the Trump administration revoked legislation limiting immigration enforcement near certain protected areas, including schools and college campuses. To ease the fears of what implications these federal actions may have on the Latine community on campus, Los Mejicas has worked to create a safe place for its members. 

Performers from Los Mejicas dance at a 2025 rally at the base of the UCSC campus. Photo by Reggie Sasaki.

“It’s really tough, but Los Mejicas just exists as a space in itself for these people to come to and find solace and pride in their culture, especially in a time when our culture is being attacked and looked down upon,” Maldonado said. 

Larrondo and Maldonado are hoping to reinstate healing circles, in which they open the practice space for dancers to share their feelings and shift the focus away from the atrocities plastered across the news, to the common love and resilience Los Mejicas has represented since its inception. 

“Our existence on campus itself is a political statement because it was so hard for us to get here when so many people didn’t want us here,” Maldonado said. “Being able to perform our art and something we love and showcase our culture, showcase and represent our family, our ancestors, is something I hope that UCSC and the rest of the students on campus [can] recognize.”