Brisket or Lechón? Coleslaw or platanos maduros? Lemonade or parcha?

It doesn’t matter for artists Dxtr Spits and Lester Rey because at the end of the day we have more in common than we think. That’s the message both artists want to send in their new music video “Arrachera”, the first song released as part of their collaborative project, Hyphens.

“Arrachera” is a song reminding us that hyphenated Americans are the backbone of this country, and whether we’re protesting on the streets or enjoying a cookout this summer, we take care of each other and everybody eats.

Dxtr Spits honest delivers sharp rap verses that paint a clear picture of how hyphenated Americans and specifically people of color are viewed in larger society. “You actin like we just comin to America / You brought us here now you acting like you scared of us,” is about as blunt as you can get.

Labor, food, and music are just a few of the aspects of American society that Black and Brown communities have influenced for generations, yet we don’t receive the credit and often see our contributions stolen for others to profit from. Worse still, the violence inflicted on Black and Brown America leaves us with a feeling of neglect and rejection that can be hard to overcome. Lester Rey reminds us though, “se están quejando porque estoy ganando”, they complaining because we’re winning. Despite the obstacles, we’re gonna get ours. We’ve been getting ours. Black boys are acting out their joy, Latinas are getting their phds, hyphenated Americans and Black and Brown people across this country are eating arrachera and we will thrive together.