Conclusion
Ask to name favorite things about Mexico and people might say food, tequila, and tequila. But there is another import South of the border that is at least as popular: mariachi music. We have all seen the brightly colored outfits and wide brimmed hats, but beyond the surface is an art form, with a rich cultural background keeping to grassroots heritage. Mariachi has survived for more than a century, and is still continuing to thrive in Los Angeles today.
What we have learned so far from these musicians living around Mariachi Plaza is that integration of Hispanic culture in Los Angeles is a difficult one. Southern California is well-known for having a wide set of diverse backgrounds, but the one fact that is preventing Hispanic culture such as mariachi music from integrating into the norm is the increasing amount of Hispanic population living in Los Angeles.
Connections made among these musicians and other cultures are very limiting. Statistics show that those living in and around Mariachi Plaza are approximately 90% Hispanic. Los Angeles is a city known to bring all types of groups together and break down the barriers of race. Through interviews with musicians and personal observations, both Andrea and Damian agree that the integration of cultures is almost invisible. Of course there are people who are non-Hispanics and love listening to mariachi music, but with the increase in Hispanic population in Los Angeles, the plaza is limited to different cultures experiencing mariachi music.
As mentioned earlier, the percentages of different ethnicity's that come to see the performers are extreme. More than 90% of visitors are of Latin origin, and the other 10% range from African-Americans, Asians, and Caucasians. The only people who really take the time to stay and listen to the musicians are Latinos, the others just walk by and not stop to listen.
Mariachi music has a beautiful history behind it and a cultural context that not many people understand. Even those native to the music are not completely sure how it came to be. Integration between this genre of music and other cultures has not been easy for the musicians in Mariachi Plaza. As much as they would love for other groups of people to enjoy their music and book these musicians for jobs, it does not seem to come so easily. Perhaps it is the language barrier of the music, as mariachi music is primarily sung in Spanish. Or maybe it has to do with the increase in Hispanic population in and around Mariachi Plaza.
In the end, mariachi as a culture is one that welcomes everyone no matter what background you are from. Perhaps in the years to come, we as a Los Angeles community will see more integration of mariachi music within other cultures.
What we have learned so far from these musicians living around Mariachi Plaza is that integration of Hispanic culture in Los Angeles is a difficult one. Southern California is well-known for having a wide set of diverse backgrounds, but the one fact that is preventing Hispanic culture such as mariachi music from integrating into the norm is the increasing amount of Hispanic population living in Los Angeles.
Connections made among these musicians and other cultures are very limiting. Statistics show that those living in and around Mariachi Plaza are approximately 90% Hispanic. Los Angeles is a city known to bring all types of groups together and break down the barriers of race. Through interviews with musicians and personal observations, both Andrea and Damian agree that the integration of cultures is almost invisible. Of course there are people who are non-Hispanics and love listening to mariachi music, but with the increase in Hispanic population in Los Angeles, the plaza is limited to different cultures experiencing mariachi music.
As mentioned earlier, the percentages of different ethnicity's that come to see the performers are extreme. More than 90% of visitors are of Latin origin, and the other 10% range from African-Americans, Asians, and Caucasians. The only people who really take the time to stay and listen to the musicians are Latinos, the others just walk by and not stop to listen.
Mariachi music has a beautiful history behind it and a cultural context that not many people understand. Even those native to the music are not completely sure how it came to be. Integration between this genre of music and other cultures has not been easy for the musicians in Mariachi Plaza. As much as they would love for other groups of people to enjoy their music and book these musicians for jobs, it does not seem to come so easily. Perhaps it is the language barrier of the music, as mariachi music is primarily sung in Spanish. Or maybe it has to do with the increase in Hispanic population in and around Mariachi Plaza.
In the end, mariachi as a culture is one that welcomes everyone no matter what background you are from. Perhaps in the years to come, we as a Los Angeles community will see more integration of mariachi music within other cultures.
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