Los Angeles, it has been said, is where the future happens first.

L.A. is a cultural crossroads like no other, a meeting ground of north and south, east and west, the past and the present. It is the first and largest “majorityminority” city in the United States: the Hispanic or Latino/a community numbers 47% of the L.A. county population, while Caucasians are 29%. L.A. has the nation’s fastest-growing Asian-Pacific Islanders community. The region is one of the country’s youngest, too: 28% of L.A. county’s 10 million residents are under 18 and 36% were born outside the U.S.

The Los Angeles region is a leader in technology, entertainment and innovative responses to environmental issues.

And it is a city where many of the conventional borders between people, nations and even ways of thinking have disappeared.

In May 2010, Los Angeles is the city where the museum community will meet to take stock of its present and focus on shaping its future. Can we be a community of museums without borders?

The young 21st century is about connectivity. Not only in the technical sense through the Internet but through the explosion of virtual access and social networking. We now share information instantly on every conceivable topic.

Connectivity has helped to dismantle borders—social, cultural and geographical. It has made us more aware of our dependence on one another and on the physical world around us. This new perspective changes old views on issues from the environment to the food supply, education and healthcare. Yet interdependence brings risks as well as rewards. In the new global economy, the recession that began in 2008 affects every region and every nation. No one is immune.

Museums are positioned to be among society’s most active participants in this new interconnected world. We represent history, culture and knowledge and are trusted sources of relevant, valuable information. We are dynamic manifestations of societal views and communities. Museums can be the connectors and bridgebuilders, helping visitors of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities and locations better understand one another.