Xóchitl Morales is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, poet, and community organizer from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Born in Porterville and raised in Delano, they come from a family deeply embedded in mariachi music and community activism. Xóchitl’s father, a mariachi educator and composer, and mother, a studio manager and organizer, founded a mariachi studio that has taught generations of students across the Central Valley.

Growing up immersed in mariachi music, Xóchitl learned violin, guitarrón, vihuela, guitar, and trumpet under her father’s guidance, with further mentorship from Javier Rodríguez of Los Camperos. Alongside her sisters, also musicians and educators, the Morales family has become a key force in regional arts education.

Xóchitl spent nearly a decade performing with Mariachi Mestizo—their father’s youth ensemble—on stages like Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, while remaining deeply connected to community-based music-making. Xóchitl began teaching violin at age 12 and now leads Sonidos Unidos, a grassroots program that blends music education with discussions of migration, history, and justice.

Their creative work bridges art and activism. A published poet and Harvard graduate, Xóchitl gained national attention as a teen for a spoken word piece on pesticide poisoning and Latina identity. Their experimental album, Descansos, merges mariachi with poetry and political commentary. Through ACTA and Radio Bilingüe, Xóchitl led a community corrido competition, arranging, directing, and performing songs rooted in local experiences.

Now stepping into a leadership role in their family’s work, Xóchitl is committed to evolving mariachi into a platform for empowerment and justice. Whether teaching youth in Richgrove or performing protest songs in Poplar, Xóchitl is shaping a future for Mexican American arts grounded in memory, resistance, and cultural power.