Somos Más Americanos

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"Somos Más Americanos"
Song by Los Tigres del Norte
from the album Uniendo Fronteras
Released2001
GenreNorteño

"Somos Más Americanos" (transl. "We Are More American") is a Norteño song performed by the Mexican and Californian group Los Tigres del Norte. Released in 2001, the song first appeared on the album Uniendo Fronteras. With lyrics told from the perspective of an undocumented alien in the United States, living in lands previously part of Mexico, the song has become an immigrant anthem and was included by Rolling Stone on its 2025 list of "The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far".

Lyrics

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The lyrics are written from the perspective of an undocumented Mexican immigrant living in the United States and reacting to Americans telling him "I should go back to my country because there's no room for me here." Referencing the fact that eight of United States (including Texas, California, Colorado, and Arizona) were previously part of Mexico, the song reminds "the gringos" that, "I didn't cross the border, the border crossed to me", noting that "they marked a line" so that "I'm a foreigner in my own land" and now they call me an "invader". The chorus asserts:

We are more American

We are more American

than the children of the Anglo-Saxons.[1]

Reviews

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On its release, Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News called it "the most powerful" song on the album, "a jaunty, polka-style track drenched in accordion."[2]

Legacy

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In 2011, a live version was recorded for MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends featuring Zack de la Rocha.[3]

In 2015, the Mexican rock band Maná covered the song in a "rock-guitar-meets-Mexican-polka" style. A review of the song in the Los Angeles Times wrote that the song "serves as an anthem to immigrants in the United States."[4]

At the Latin Grammy Awards in November 2015, Maná and Los Tigres del Norte performed the song together. At the end of the performance, the groups unfurled a Spanish-language banner translated as "Latinos United, Don't Vote for racists." The Los Angeles Times called the song a "rousing immigrant anthem".[5]

During his time as President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador frequently cited the song to counter anti-immigrant rhetoric from Amerian politicians.[6][7]

During the Presidency of Donald Trump, the song was described as a "cultural battle hymn" on behalf of undocumented immigrants.[8]

In January 2025, amid a diplomatic dispute between Colombia and the United States, Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted a video of the song accompanied by the question, "Who is the invader?"[9]

In October 2025, the song was ranked at No. 185 on the Rolling Stone list of "The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far".[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Los Tigres del Norte – Somos más americanos". Lyrics Translate. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  2. ^ "Listening Room". The ventura Star. October 5, 2001. p. 36 (Time Out) – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Prunes, Mariano. "MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends: Album Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  4. ^ "Maná plans plenty of surprises at Staples". Los Angeles Times. June 18, 2015. p. E10 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Carolina A. Miranda (November 21, 2015). "Music and a show of politics". Los Angeles Times. pp. E1, E5 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Qué dice la canción de 'Los Tigres Del Norte' que AMLO retomó para hablar de los migrantes; ésta es su historia". Infobae.com. August 1, 2023.
  7. ^ ""Somos más americanos", la canción de Los Tigres del Norte que puso AMLO". Aristegui. May 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "Troops are for war, not border". The Gainesville Times. April 24, 2018. p. 5A – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Corrido de Los Tigres del Norte suena en medio de crisis diplomática entre Colombia y Estados Unidos". abc7.com. January 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far". Rolling Stone. October 8, 2025.