These are the reflections of some of the musicians when asked about the ways in which their music and their presentation in the plaza involves other communities. This information has been observed mostly by the senior mariachis, musicians who have seen the changes the genre has gone through over the time they have spent in this community.

As one musician puts it, "these are people who do not know what we do, who we are and why we do it. These are people who just look at us the same way they look at things they haven't come across of: with unfamiliarity and curiosity." -Anonymous musician

The 5%, as how one of the mariachis explained, of visitors who are not of Latin American descent have not hired him or have demonstrated interest in knowing more about the genre of music.

This isolation of integration can in a way be connected to isolation that many other cultures experienced throughout the years, such as Japanese living in Little Tokyo during WWII. Not many people outside of their own race would communicate with them or conduct in their services. Granted, mariachi musicians are not discriminated racially, but they do have a limited amount of communication with the various cultures living in Los Angeles. Mariachi Plaza is considered a community where anyone and everyone is free to come and enjoy live music, and yet many people of different cultures choose not to. This space is an important safe haven for these performers because without mariachi plaza, how would they get work? Or support their families?

Whether we like it or not, mariachi music is here to stay in the United States, and especially in Los Angeles. Mariachi music connects people in a way that allows individuals to be informed of the history behind Hispanic cultures and to enjoy the gifts it brings to our society. Mariachi Plaza is not just a space for these men, is is a place where people from all walks of life come together and enjoy good music with good company and good food. That is the goal of mariachi music.

Another possible reason why mariachi music might not be integrated to other cultures is because it is regarded as "cantina music" or music for the bar/restaurant. Sometimes mariachi music is seen in a negative light and defined as "commercialized" for tourists. As the creator for "Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza" Cynthia Munoz puts it, “People still have that image of the Frito Bandito little guy in their head. And so many times when people think about mariachi music, it's more in the negative,”. However, just because not many American mariachi musicians have made it big, doesn't mean it will never happen.

Take for example 12 year-old Anani Rhames. She was the only female African-American to be a finalist at a mariachi contest. This alone breaks all the barriers and stereotypes of mariachi music. This girl brings hope that one day mariachi music can be enjoyed by all types of cultural backgrounds. But another thought to remember is whether or not other cultures performing mariachi music still makes it authentic. Can this still be considered mariachi music with everything else remaining the same except for the person singing?



However, it is to the conclusion of Andrea and Damian's observational study that Mariachi Plaza as a place has not fully integrated itself among other cultures besides Hispanic. Based on the 2008-2012 census, the population of Southern Los Angeles is heavily integrated by Hispanic or Latino descent. With increasing Hispanics living in Los Angeles and less non-Hispanics living around Mariachi Plaza, perhaps the answer to our study question is that Mariachi Plaza is not able to integrate into other cultures because it has become isolated among its own culture.

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