Professor Cassiani-Obeso spoke with SPA 108 students about the representation of Palenque as a mythical space where the Western gaze both fetishizes and exotizes the lives of its inhabitants. In addition to explaining the origins of the region and the significance of the unique customs and language found there, she described the profound impact that Palenque’s designation as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has had on the region, particularly regarding tourist exploitation by external actors and its effect on the identity of the Palenqueros.