Geno DeBlasio

CIS 111
October 22, 2014

California
Culture and its
Impact on the
Nation

If you take a look at some of the attributes the United States has as a
powerhouse nation, having unique and diverse states is near the top of the
list. The west in itself is a culturally enriched area that has much to offer, but
if you single out California, it sticks out like a sore thumb to me. On
September 9th 1850 the US officially made California a state of the nation. It
has brought the nation much culture and today works as a melting pot in
several ways. From the Gold Rush of the 1800s to the modern day film and
music industry that is largely based out of California it has always been a
place of ingenuity and economical advancements. Locations such as Los
Angeles, San Francisco, and Malibu are some of the most diversified and
beautiful areas in the country. From the Natives that roamed the canyons
centuries ago, to the Mexican culture that is as strong as ever in Southern
California the area is booming with all sorts of different races. In Northern
California cities such as Santa Cruz and San Jose bring a unique cultural
experience to its visitors. Ranging from Sexual Orientation, drug use, blend
of race, and even location, California brings so much more to the table than
people think.

Today, California is known by most as a melting pot for all sorts of Races.
After its inception in 1850, with the Gold Rush going as strong as ever people
from all over the country and world flocked to the area. The Gold Rush put
California over the top and had immigrants coming from Mexico, Russia,
Native Tribes, and people from all over the country.
(Group of panhandlers at the Gold Rush of 1849
: http://www.water.ca.gov/swp/history.cfm)
However, only a short year into
statehood many Chinese immigrants
began flocking to the west coast. It
is said that soon after they began to
arrive, the Chinese made up an
entire fifth of the population.
(Johnson, Susan Lee. Roaring Camp:

The Social World of the California

Gold Rush. New York: W. W. Norton

& Company, 2000). Although it was a place of great opportunity for these
foreigners, they suffered through much prejudice and discrimination along
the way.
(Group of Chinese Immigrants
working during the Gold Rush of 1849
http://www.abbottmemorial.org)

Most Chinese immigrants had

occupations that were less than
appealing such as cooks, launderers,
and of course mining. Though the mining occupations held great opportunity,
the Chinese foreigners arrived much later on than some other races at the
time. They often received jobs like assisting some of the other miners. It was
a period of struggle for the Chinese-Californians; they were constrained by
the Constitution and California immigration laws. The Constitution at this
point in time reserved the right of naturalization for white immigrants,
making it impossible for Chinese immigrants to own land or file mining
claims. (http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/chinesecal/history.html). Those foreigners who came to the west coast looking for
gold and a solid living paved the way for future Chinese-Americans. Today in
California, the Chinese make up a huge percentage of some of its biggest
cities. In San Francisco there are 172,181 Chinese-Americans, which makes
up a whopping 21.4 percent of its population. Though they faced much
scrutiny at their time of arrival, the impact they had on the region lasts to
this day.
The Chinese werent the only ones who struggled during the
California Gold Rush. African Americans ventured to the west coast in search
of an end for their poverty as well. Like a lot of the other races that
immigrated at the time they were disappointed at what they had found. The
state legislature passed a fugitive slave law in 1852, making it illegal for
enslaved African Americans to flee their masters within the states
supposedly free borders. All African Americans lived in constant fear of being
arrested. (Starr, Kevin, and Richard J. Orsi, eds. Rooted in Barbarous Soil:
People, Culture, and Community in Gold Rush California. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2000). Most black miners worked along other
foreigners, and the ones who actually made money at the time werent
miners. So unfortunately until after the Civil War, California wasnt the
safest location for African Americans or Chinese immigrants. Though
fortunately this did not deter most immigrants because today in California

the Chinese and African American populations make up about 17.5 percent of
its entire population. Without the Gold Rush attracting all of these different
kinds of people to California, it would most likely not be the cultural
powerhouse it is today.

(African American during the Gold Rush of 1849

http://thecaliforniagoldrushp5.weebly.com/migration.html)
Despite all of this seemingly never-ending discrimination that was occurring
at the time, California was slowly becoming the cultural hotbed that it is
today. With people flocking from all over new traditions, cultures and
languages began to bloom in locations all around California. One of the most
unique and interesting locations is San Francisco. San Francisco has so many
blends of different cultures, religions, and orientations sometimes its hard to
think of all of them. Over the years, San Fran has maintained its strong
reputation in a big way, even growing in some ways. In the past it has drawn
writers such as Mark Twain and Jack London and was a long-time central for
writer of all sorts. In the 60s it was home to the Haight-Ashbury hippie
counterculture that practically revolutionized the music and film industry.
(Anti-War demonstration in San Francisco during the 1960s
http://www.altmanphoto.com/Page7b.More.Sixties.html)

More recently, I see San Francisco as a welcoming place for all cultures and
orientations including homosexuals who have garnered much attention in the
city. In fact, San Francisco is ranked number 1 in percentage of homosexual
citizens in the US. With a percentage of 15.4 percent and population of
94,234 homosexuals, San Fran has twice the population of number 2 on the
list in Seattle. Coming in at 6th unsurprisingly is Sacramento, another
cultural hotbed in California. Though it much of the attention the city
receives for this sort of openness is frowned upon in areas, it is a trend they
are setting in another way. It is paving the way for homosexuals who deserve
more rights and respect in cities across America. As recently as 2012
Business Week named San Francisco Americas best city. This shows that
California in fact has one of the nations most important cities not only for
culture but also in general for people all over the world.
California isnt just a place of culture and many races, but is also a
state that has set a lot of trends for other states around the country. From
marijuana being used as medicine, making gay marriage legal, and using
stem cells for research California has paved the way for some big things. In
2004 its voters created Californias Stem Cell Agency backed by proposition
71. Basically the goal of Stem Cell research is to develop new therapies and
treatments for deadly diseases and disorders. If it is proven to work it could
potentially cure AIDs, Parkinsons, and even Diabetes. Though there is a lot
of controversy surrounding how the stem cells are obtained, its benefits
cannot be denied. Today in California Proposition 71 has created thousands
of jobs, created much revenue, and is getting closer and closer to finding the
necessary cures for fatal or debilitating diseases. Only New Jersey had
agreed for funding of Stem cells before California had, and since 2004
Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire,
New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin have adopted
some sort of propositional funding. What makes Californias proposition so
interesting is that it is the largest funding in the world for this particular
science and it has since turned California into the epicenter for Stem Cell
research.(Jonathan Thomas, board chairman for the California Institute of
Regenerative Medicine.) Something like Stem Cell Research can prove to be
monumental for people all with diseases in all sorts of different locations in
the near future. The new culture of scientists that have been flocking to
California to join labs will certainly make impacts in Stem Cell research as
well. What a perfect example to show how California raises the bar and
blazes a path for other states in the nation.

Another trend that has just seem to catch fire in recent years is the medical
marijuana debate that California sparked in 1996. On November 6, 1996
California became the first state in America to legalize marijuana for medical
usage.
(Campaign ad in support of
proposition 215 to legalize medical
marijuana
http://www.drcnet.org/guide1096/prop215.html)
At the time this had generated much controversy around the nation. Medical
marijuana has always been in conversation but when California took the leap
Oregon followed soon after in 1998. Where we currently stand today, its safe
to safe that California paved the way in this category substantially. For
almost 20 years now people in California have been able to safely and
effectively use marijuana for medical reasons. This is also a positive for the
state as well. It generates much tax revenue and makes the government
practically billions a year. According to a 2010 study from Cato, legalizing
marijuana would generate $8.7 billion in federal and state tax revenue
annually.(by:Caroline Fairchild). As controversial and problematic as this
process may seem, it is turning out to be quite the positive surprise. Now
there are 23 states across the nation have marijuana available for medical
purposes, with two of them being completely legal for even recreational use in
Colorado and Washington. It is likely that California will be the next to adapt
that policy as well. In the coming years more states will most likely adapt
these propositions and regulations. California will be looked back upon for
years to come for setting a trend that will not soon go away.
Today the film and music industry are among some of the most
powerful businesses in the world. The impacts that these industries have on
cultures in cities everywhere on the planet are immense. It has been evident
for decades now and has opened the eyes of many through advances in
technology especially. While New Jersey was the home of film for a good
while, it was in a small town in California called Hollywood that changed art
culture forever.
(Picture of the Hollywood sign on
Mount Lee)

It is almost known as a sort of Mount Olympus for the film, music, and
television industries. Hollywood became one of Californias first established
communities in 1853 soon after its inception of the US. It was known earlier
on in its history for its real estate, and frankly, still is but it was the music
and film industry that blossomed in the early 1900s. It has transformed
Hollywood into one of the most renowned and heard of cities across the globe.
The Hollywood lettering across the hills of Mount Lee is a symbol many
recognize worldwide. Beginning in the late 1920s, the Film Industry had
some of its biggest studios arising. Studios such as Paramount, MGM, 20th
Century Fox, and RKO began to take form which meant movies being filmed
and produced in Hollywood would start to be shown across the United States.
Around some time in the 1950s, Television and Music industries began to
make some noise as well. Hollywood today is still booming with the sort of
culture and industrial enterprise it was in the 20th century, and has most
importantly spread film culture throughout California. There are several
locations around the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley areas that are
packed with Television and Film studios. The media industries keep
spreading and continuing to impact cultures throughout the world and
Hollywood is the epicenter.
Film, Music, and Television are also a huge part of what people like to
call Pop Culture. This Pop Culture idea is basically engrained in cities
Hollywood and Los Angeles. Advancements in technology have given us social
networking such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram which play a huge role
in pop culture with actors, musicians, and celebrities of all sorts. With all the
information available to us so easily cultures and trends are spreading
quicker than ever. Whether youre sitting at home reading something on
TMZ, or you are over seas seeing a gory Hollywood action film pop culture is
an influential part of the world today.
(http://socialnewsdaily.com/26772/wayne-knight-death-hoaxpranksters-create-fake-tmz-website-to-spread-rumor/)
(TMZ article from March 2014
portraying the death of Wayne
Knight, which turned out to be
a hoax)
The power of entertainment media is
undeniable. Celebrities from all
around come under intense scrutiny
because of the attention and media
they receive.

That alone has almost become a form of entertainment for people. Newspaper
companies, News channels, and magazines are on the constant prowl for new
and interesting material to be putting out there. Seemingly, it is these
celebrities that garner most of the attention. A positive of pop culture
spreading to various countries is how it exposes our language, and our
American traditions. Through all sorts of film, music, and TV people can grow
accustomed to the English language. English is currently the 3rd most spoken
language all around the world and is evident in most if not all countries. This
is largely attributed to the media influences all across America, and streamed
constantly around the globe. From your computer screen to a 28-foot screen
in the theatre the English language is being spread like a wildfire. If it hadnt
been for advancements in Hollywood and the Film industries English may
have not been as prominent as it now is. In most European countries
American film and music are a sort of cultural experience for theyre people.
Between Netflix, YouTube, and other social medias cultures everywhere get
inside access constantly, and this provides our nation with much attention.
Whether its good or bad attention, Pop Culture is undeniably powerful in
many places you go in America, especially California.

California is listed today as the 3rd largest state next to Alaska and
Texas. In fact, some may say that California is so big it could be split into
Northern and Southern California. Although at first glance it seems like a
ridiculous idea, but there is definitely more to the conversation. It is said that
you could probably even fit about 7 or 8 of the east coast states in California
that is how big it is. The cultural differences between Southern and Northern
California are immensely noticeable in many ways. Northern California is
for sure more liberal and laid back. It seems like Southern Cities like LA and
Hollywood are much more crowded and polluted areas, whereas everyone sort
of keeps a positive attitude around here as well as maintaining a pollution
free environment.(Ted Elattrache, student at University of Santa Cruz). I
experienced this cultural change first person as I recently ventured out to the
west coast. Landing in LAX and going through traffic down the 4 lane
highways most definitely has a different feel than Northern California. I
drove from Malibu to Santa Cruz and immediately became surrounded in Red
Woods.
(Bridge in the woods at UCSC leading to a classroom building
http://www.ucsc.edu/visit/maps-directions.html)

Upon my arrival I noticed it was one of the cleaner looking places I have
traveled to, and included various cultures and interesting forms of art. Its
places like these that rub off on people and inspire them to become cleaner
and better people in my opinion. The surroundings and people in Santa Cruz
have a unique cultural feel and is one of the most beautiful places Ive had
the honor of visiting. Northern California features many more cities of this
sort and most of them have the same great attributes in common.
The element of sporting culture is as evident of any of the other topics I
have listed about California. Rich with history in sports such as football,
hockey, baseball and more it is home to many prominent teams. Sports are
the sort of thing that brings people together no matter what race or culture.
For instance hockey is an extremely Canadian sport, being founded there
originating from the nation to the north. California has three ice hockey
teams in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and in San Jose. Thats not even to mention
that two of those three teams have brought home the Stanley Cup 3 times in
the past 10 years. This sort of meshing cultures is a big part of why
California is a cultural mecca. It is home to FIVE baseball teams, more than
any other in the US. Baseball has been an integral part of American culture
dating back to the 19th century. When it comes to sporting culture, many
could consider California among one of the most prominent environments.
(The Los Angeles Kings celebrate with the Stanley Cup on June 14th 2014
http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2013030415)

If you ask someone what comes to mind when they think of the state of
California, they may think of beaches, cool water or the film and music
industries. One of the main things that comes to mind for me is what a
cultural hotbed it has been since its inception in 1850. It has brought so much
variety to the nation through various forms of entertainment and all sorts of
races. This is a place that will continue to prosper and be known as one of the
great states of America. A place of opportunity for people all around which
includes tons of interesting cultural backgrounds. California is thriving in
many aspects, and will be a place of fascinating culture for many years to
come.

Citations/ Sources

http://www.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/chinesecal/history.html
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#safe=off&q=chinese+population+in+calif
ornia
http://www.nhusd.k12.ca.us/Pioneer/pages/classrooms/FourthGrade/4thGrade
Gold/pages/AfricanAmericans.html
http://www.history.com/topics/san-francisco
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-is-a-political-trendsetter/
http://www.cirm.ca.gov/about-cirm/cirm-faq
http://www.canorml.org/medical-marijuana/patients-guide-to-california-law
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/legalizing-marijuana-taxrevenue_n_3102003.html
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3871.html
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/opinion/columnists/article_c3ea5b04-cd845c7e-ba25-b8c913a08a80.html
http://pocketcultures.com/2010/12/17/is-california-splitting-apart/