UnitedNations-07-CulturalGlobalization_Pass4.indd

Many cities across the globe have their own ethnic neighborhoods where residents can enjoy food of other cultures. Pictured here is a restaurant on Dolores Street in Mexico City’s Chinatown in 2009.

Media and the Internet American movies are shown across the world. Books by international writers are translated into dozens of languages and read by thousands of people. Independent filmmakers in Africa or the Middle East submit their works to international film festivals, offering glimpses into their world and life. The media have allowed people to see into other cultures, encouraging diversity and acceptance of worldwide differences. Some complain, however, that since it is usually American media distributed across the globe, the world is not becoming more multicultural but instead is becoming“Americanized.” The Internet has made a huge impact on the spread of information and ideas. Now, people with Internet access can almost instantly gather information on nearly every imaginable subject. A student in the United States can look up Web pages describing a crisis in Africa, while an Asian businessperson might read the financial reports of a competitor half a world away. Never has so much information been so easily available to so many people.

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The United Nations