This is a bit off-topic for Latin American international relations but I thought it was interesting.
While it's great for cultural diversity and understanding that we keep moving towards a more integrated, global community, at the same time, too many traditional individual communities are being watered-down and distorted for mass consumption. Even worse, opportunistic outsiders are infiltrating these communities so they can cash in on the latest cultural fad. I know I get pissed by all the money those hokey "traditional Hawaiian" luaus make selling "traditional Hawaiian culture." Anyway, it seems in Mexico City, they have the same problem with an influx of fake and wannabe mariachis:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12525-2005Jan15.html
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An interesting phenomenon ... "traditional culture" makes a resurgence (albeit a glorified and touristicy one) which may lead to the preservation of the real deal. i.e. the hokey mariachi wannabes generate enough interest in mariachis overall that the traditional, serious mariachis benefit from all the attention, too. An interesting kind of Catch-22 situation.
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