It is impossible to tell the story of Mexican cultural and artistic practices of Chicago without taking account of the new communication technologies that have come to pervade social life across the globe.  While the quote above demonstrates that the use of digital technologies is not limited by age, young people in particular use cell phones, text messages, email and websites such as MySpace to build relationships and share information.   Such technologies are not only incorporated to the planning, execution, and promotion of informal artistic activities, but also contribute to the transnational transformation of cultural traditions. For example, celebrations such as the quinceañera—a rite of passage marking the beginning of womanhood when girls turn fifteen—have become more elaborate, not only in Chicago, but also in Mexico.  In addition to remittances, family members in Mexico receive images and stories of increasingly lavish trends in the US.  Extravagant celebrations are modes of asserting social status, as well as affirming traditions and cultural forms that are uniquely Mexican.   Digital media play a significant role in maintaining, as well as transforming, such transnational cultural practices.


Continue to Network Diagrams >>