In 1971, a group made of sons of Mexican migrant workers was the first act to be described as “punk rock” in a magazine. That’s right -- Latin artists have been instrumental to the creation of punk music, even before it was called punk. In this episode, Question Mark and the Mysterians’ guitarist Bobby Balderrama reveals the story of the band of self-described “Mexican kids” from Michigan who performed onAmerican Bandstand and ruled the charts. As we’ll see in Punk In Translation, they were hardly the first - or last - Latinos to make a mark on punk.

Chicana punk matriarch Alice Bag’s impact can be felt in later feminist acts like Bikini Kill and even viral sensation the Linda Lindas. In this episode, Alice traces her journey from a violent household in East LA to the stage of Hollywood’s legendary punk club The Masque, and talks about how growing up speaking Spanish, listening to rancheras and admiring chola girls’ style influenced her identity as a Latin punkera.

We take you to the revolutionary East L.A. punk scene of the late 70s, led by Chicano punk rockers who embraced their Latin roots, documented barrio life, and rejected stereotypes in their music; even at the expense of fame and fortune. We explore the story of “La Bamba'' from Mexican music cliché to anarchic punk takeover to global hit through Los Lobos’s little-known punk past. Willie Herrón of the seminal band Los Illegals tells us why punk is an extension of Chicano pachuco and cholo gang culture, and Teresa Covarrubias of The Brat reveals how the band was met with the worst cliches of systemic racism when it found success and signed with a major label. John Doe of X attests to the influence of Chicano punk rockers beyond the barrio.

Punk is not just white, straight, cis, or male. Queer Latin punks have been fighting for a more expansive, inclusive vision of the scene since its early days. We meet Kid Congo Powers, a queer Mexican American kid from East LA who went on to form The Gun Club, and later joined The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as a renowned guitarist. We explore how intersectionality influences punk music with Letty Martinez, lead singer of the Texas band FEA, who talks about growing up Latin and queer along the border. Joan Jett tells us how FEA is carrying on her legacy of women in rock.

Activism is inherent in Latin punk today, with punkeros and punkeras inspiring and uplifting their communities and demanding change and justice. Victoria Ruiz, frontwoman of Downtown Boys, got into punk at the same time as she was working as a labor organizer in Rhode Island. Tony Abarca, frontman of Los Angeles band Generación Suicida, talks about growing up in South Central, a neighborhood marked by racial riots, gang rivalries, and police harassment, and making music “from the barrio and for the barrio.”