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Thanks for answers guys. I will be in California next summer and I just can't wait! That's why I probably read everything and ask about things that interest me.
I live in Silicon Valley (San Jose area of San Francisco Bay Area), and it's so diverse here. It's not just Hispanics and white people. There's a huge Indian and Asian population, too (mainly Chinese and Korean, with a Vietnamese and Japanese community in San Jose, too) many of which are in the software industry.
As far as assimilating, I'm Irish and French by genes, but my best friend in high school was a Mexican girl who refused to speak Spanish. At home, her mom and grandpa spoke Spanish and she would answer in English. I spoke enough Spanish (mainly learned in school), that I could get the gist of what was going on. Pretty funny.
Mexican friends I've had would never consider going to live in Mexico. They do honor some traditions within their family homes (like quinceanera), just like my Irish/French home followed old family traditions (like wakes for the dead), but they didn't think of that as being in conflict with being American. My mother and father spoke Gaelic and French, but didn't teach it to the kids, cuz they wanted us to be Americans.
I wish more Hispanics would answer your question. I'm just a white California girl giving you my opinion based on observations having grown up here. That's valid to a degree, but not the same as hearing it from Latin/Americans.
"Culture can only really be defined by the outsider" -Russian proverb
Not from CA, but I've lived and worked here for 6 years. I've lived in FL, PA, NY, NJ, CO, AZ, TX, WI, NV, LA, Germany, France, Ireland, Australia, Egypt, the UAE, and Japan. I've studied socio-anthropology and work as an environmental engineer for the CA state government. I've also worked in retail, sales, food service, and the legal field. I've lived mostly within the poverty and middle-income brackets, but have experienced high-income lifestyle with different people.
While there are many comparable threads to this, they are closed. I've been all over this state, and interacted with many people. When you've experienced so many places and people, you can't help but notice patterns across the entire human spectrum. While we may all be diverse, "culture" is often a factor of environment and the history of a location. If you want a good measure of a locale's culture, start with the history through the lens of sociology.
CA really got started because of the Gold Rush and timber industries. So it's always been "diverse". Geologically, it's a very unique location, since much of it was underwater more recently compared to the rest of the US (until seismic activity formed the "bowl" of the valley via the San Andreas fault), which is why the valley is so flat, and once being more swamp-like continues to dry out due to climate change (most toxins settle into the valleys due to radiative forcing, pressure changes, and wind patterns, so there are more respiratory issues in lower areas). This state has more ecosystems than most, and some have compared it to China's eco-diversity. Most of the US' produce is grown here (roughly 70-80%).
While people can be a mix of mean and nice everywhere, the history of the cut-throat Gold Rush, puritanical religious systems taking root first (and perpetuating the myth of redemptive violence to preserve order and a ruling class), Hollywood's image-centric influence, retail power-structures finding a way to make anything marketable (especially where there's a lot of money, and CA is the world's 5th or 6th largest economy), legal culture (especially coupled with the spotlight in crime dramas), Fast & Furious car culture, a bustling green-energy industry epicenter, a growing socio-economic income gap, and being geographically isolated from the rest of the country (between mountains, deserts, and large spans of forest ecosystems), all of these contribute to the modern culture.
Though it is one of the most progressive states in the country (which I personally support, as all people deserve to share the same rights, and protecting our environment is important), it isn't the all-accepting and laid back place it used to be (according to many natives I've known). Considering the current political, racial, and gender divide, on top of massive migrations throughout the state due to the aforementioned economic divide and those from out of state moving here for fear of ICE raids, CA has changed even further. Top this with COVID-19, and the general atmosphere is one of fear, distrust, animosity based on physical differences due to recent social justice movements, and the age-old struggle over resources.
It's not all bad - I am grateful for all I've gained since moving here. Everywhere has their pros and cons, just as humans aren't all bad or good; but they are products of their environment. I still find a lot of people are kind, honest, and helpful, though this is more common in lower-populated areas; e.g. the Sierra-Nevada foothill communities (though this varies depending on what culture you're from, and how you're received, so US-based Caucasians have an advantage - that is, unless you're around guilty privileged types who bombard non-Caucasians with kindness to appear more tolerant). Generally when in any big city or where populations are more dense, people will be less friendly, more high strung, and generally dog-eat-dog and dishonest. For non-Caucasians and non-Americans, thankfully there are many communities in this state where you can feel a slice of home.
Traffic: Be certain to check both ways TWICE before crossing a road, or someone WILL run you over - if you call them out, they get offended and think you're in THEIR way, even though pedestrians legally have the right of way. What works best for me is holding your phone up like you're recording them - their egos would hate for their image to be destroyed via internet fame-shame, so it stops them in their tracks. By number of accidents and tickets, CA is the worst in the country (especially Sacramento). I've literally witnessed people snorting coke off their steering wheels, drinking beer, and playing with a Rubik's Cube. Drivers are also very passive-aggressive, and don't use turn signals, or any other form of driving etiquette. Some people drive 60mph in the fast lane, while others want to go 90 and will not only tailgate you, but once they can pass, will "demonstrate their superiority" by cutting you off and slowing way down, hoping to bait you into a conflict where they can record you on their rear-cameras. Funny thing - as soon as you are outside of CA (AZ, NV, OR), the driving almost instantly improves. Though even when in those states, even if everyone else is driving at a good pace, it's always a vanity-plate Californian that drives like it's not good enough, and zooms around everyone as if they're Vin Diesel.
As for beaches & major cities, my favorites are Trinidad State Park (near Eureka), Ventura, Panther Beach (north of Santa Cruz), and Huntington Beach (south of LA). Visit Venice Beach/Santa Monica pier at least once, but be warned - unless you're staying somewhere nearby, parking and public restrooms are severely limited (long lines), and there are con-artists who are very manipulative to make money (or distract you like pick-pocket gangs in Italy). I definitely prefer San Francisco to Los Angeles. SF is more relaxed, the people are a little nicer, it doesn't take as long to drive around (unless there's a major event), and more pedestrian friendly. I despise LA, but love Palm Desert/Ontario and Old Hollywood/Palm Springs. Sacramento (the capitol) is a mixed bag - it's the general area I've lived in for 6 years. It's more insulated than the major cities, and has experienced the most recent growth. So there is more hostile resistance from the locals, because it has driven up housing/cost of living, created more homelessness, and displaced many others. Some of the gentrification is nice (like breweries, restaurants, and night life), but not without the negative impact. Also, because of its geography (especially the delta), it is prone to flooding (which destroyed most of original Sacramento, which can be seen in the preserved Old Sacramento).
Hope this has been helpful!
Last edited by TraumenMeer; 05-06-2020 at 02:21 PM..
"Culture can only really be defined by the outsider" -Russian proverb
Not from CA, but I've lived and worked here for 6 years. Originally from FL, but I've lived in PA, NY, NJ, CO, AZ, TX, WI, NV, LA, Germany, France, Ireland, Australia, Egypt, the UAE, and Japan. I've studied socio-anthropology and work as an environmental engineer for the CA state government. I've also worked in retail, sales, food service, and the legal field. I've lived mostly within the poverty and middle-income brackets, but have experienced high-income lifestyle with different people.
While there are many comparable threads to this, they are closed. I've been all over this state, and interacted with many people. When you've experienced so many places and people, you can't help but notice patterns across the entire human spectrum. While we may all be diverse, "culture" is often a factor of environment and the history of a location. If you want a good measure of a locale's culture, start with the history through the lens of sociology.
CA really got started because of the Gold Rush and timber industries. So it's always been "diverse". Geologically, it's a very unique location, since much of it was underwater more recently compared to the rest of the US (until seismic activity formed the "bowl" of the valley via the San Andreas fault), which is why the valley is so flat, and once being more swamp-like continues to dry out due to climate change (most toxins settle into the valleys due to radiative forcing, pressure changes, and wind patterns, so there are more respiratory issues in lower areas). This state has more ecosystems than most, and some have compared it to China's eco-diversity. Most of the US' produce is grown here (roughly 70-80%).
While people can be a mix of mean and nice everywhere, the history of the cut-throat Gold Rush, puritanical religious systems taking root first, Hollywood's image-centric influence, retail power-structures finding a way to make anything marketable (especially where there's a lot of money, and CA is the world's 5th or 6th largest economy), legal culture (especially coupled with the spotlight in crime dramas), Fast & Furious car culture, a growing socio-economic income gap, and being geologically isolated from the rest of the country (between mountains, deserts, and large spans of forest ecosystems), all of these contribute to the modern culture.
Though it is one of the most progressive states in the country (which I personally support, as all people deserve to share the same rights, and protecting our environment is important), it isn't the all-accepting and laid back place it used to be (according to many natives I've known). Considering the current political, racial, and gender divide, on top of massive migrations throughout the state due to the aforementioned economic divide and those from out of state moving here for fear of ICE raids, CA has changed even further. Top this with COVID-19, and the general atmosphere is one of fear, distrust, animosity based on physical differences due to recent social justice movements, and the age-old struggle over resources.
It's not all bad - I am grateful for all I've gained since moving here. Everywhere has their pros and cons, just as humans aren't all bad or good; but they are products of their environment. I still find a lot of people are kind, honest, and helpful, though this is more common in lower-populated areas; e.g. the Sierra-Nevada foothill communities (though this varies depending on what culture you're from, and how you're received, so US-based Caucasians have an advantage). Generally when in any big city or where populations are more dense, people will be less friendly, more high strung, and generally dog-eat-dog and dishonest. For non-Caucasians and non-Americans, thankfully there are many communities in this state where you can feel a slice of home.
Traffic: Be certain to check both ways TWICE before crossing a road, or someone WILL run you over - if you call them out, they get offended and think you're in THEIR way, even though pedestrians legally have the right of way. What works best for me is holding your phone up like you're recording them - their egos would hate for their image to be destroyed via internet fame-shame, so it stops them in their tracks. By number of accidents and tickets, CA is the worst in the country (especially Sacramento). I've literally witnessed people snorting coke off their steering wheels, drinking beer, and playing with a Rubik's Cube. Drivers are also very passive-aggressive, and don't use turn signals, or any other form of driving etiquette. Some people drive 60mph in the fast lane, while others want to go 90 and will not only tailgate you, but once they can pass, will "demonstrate their superiority" by cutting you off and slowing way down, hoping to bait you into a conflict where they can record you on their rear-cameras. Funny thing - as soon as you are outside of CA (AZ, NV, OR), the driving almost instantly improves. Though even when in those states, even if everyone else is driving at a good pace, it's always a vanity-plate Californian that drives like it's not good enough, and zooms around everyone as if they're Vin Diesel.
As for beaches & major cities, my favorites are Trinidad State Park (near Eureka), Ventura, Panther Beach (north of Monterey), and Huntington Beach (south of LA). Visit Venice Beach/Santa Monica pier at least once, but be warned - unless you're staying somewhere nearby, parking and public restrooms are severely limited (long lines), and there are con-artists who are very manipulative to make money (or distract you like pick-pocket gangs in Italy). I definitely prefer San Francisco to Los Angeles. SF is more relaxed, the people are a little nicer, it doesn't take as long to drive around (unless there's a major event), and more pedestrian friendly. I despise LA, but love Palm Desert/Ontario and Old Hollywood/Palm Springs. Sacramento (the capitol) is a mixed bag - it's the general area I've lived in for 6 years. It's more insulated than the major cities, and has experienced the most recent growth. So there is more hostile resistance from the locals, because it has driven up housing/cost of living, created more homelessness, and displaced many others. Some of the gentrification is nice (like breweries, restaurants, and night life), but not without the negative impact. Also, because of its geography (especially the delta), it is prone to flooding (which destroyed most of original Sacramento, which can be seen in the preserved Old Sacramento).
You read it and replied within 1 hour. Within 24 hours, my post was read 23 times. More recent threads on this topic were closed. This site encourages people to continue posting/contributing additional information (much of which is severely outdated). Contributing more information produces greater internet traffic hits. Just because something is "old" doesn't mean it's insignificant. "If you build it, they will come".
Last edited by TraumenMeer; 05-07-2020 at 10:08 AM..
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