Introduction / Revolutionary scripts: the politics of writing systems / Linguistic landscape and language maintenance: the case of Los Angeles and Miami-Dade counties / Music as cultural and linguistic ambassador for Latin America / Culture, language and global issues / From heavy to light: communication technology and vernaculars / Maya voices and identity: two case studies / The language spoken and unspoken on the Jerry Springer Show / Ethics and political symbols: the basis for comparative cultural analysis / Cross-cultural encounters through cartoons / Synthesis and conclusion