Culture of California
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The culture of California is a Western culture and most clearly has its roots in the culture of the United States. As a border and coastal state, however, Californian culture has been greatly influenced by several large immigrant populations, especially those from Latin America and East Asia. California is as much an international crossroads as it is a major hub to the character of the US. California has long been a subject of interest in the public mind and has often been promoted by its boosters as a kind of paradise. In the early 20th Century, fueled by the efforts of state and local boosters, many Americans saw the Golden State as an ideal resort destination, sunny and dry all year round with easy access to the ocean and mountains. In the 1960s, popular music groups such as the Beach Boys promoted the image of Californians as laid-back, tanned beach-goers. In terms of socio-cultural mores and national politics, Californians are perceived as more liberal than other Americans, especially those who live in the inland states. In some ways, California is the quintessential Blue State-- accepting of alternative lifestyles, not uniformly religious, and preoccupied with environmental issues. At the same time, however, the current conservative political movement owes its origins to a strong libertarian-conservative strain in the political culture of Southern California, embodied by the 33rd Governor of California and 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, and Southern California is also home to influential religious leaders such as Robert Schuller, Rick Warren, and Chuck Smith. The gold rush of the 1850s is still seen as a symbol of California's economic style, which tends to generate technology, social, entertainment, and economic fads and booms and related busts.
LanguageEnglish is the primary language of California's inhabitants. In Southern California, Spanish is a prevalent second language, as is Chinese in the Bay Area and areas around Los Angeles. California English is a dialect of the English language spoken within California. California is home to a highly diverse populace, which is reflected in the historical and continuing development of California English. As is the case of English spoken in any particular state, not all features are used by all speakers in the state, and not all features are restricted in use only to the state. However, there are some linguistic features which can be identified as either originally or predominantly Californian, or both. ArtsFilm
California is home to Hollywood, the center of the American film industry, which has given rise to the popular fashion movie-star image and stereotypical beach dwelling surfers. MusicThe guitar was the instrument that the Mexican state of Alta California chose and two composers for the instrument are represented in the collection.[1] Manuel Y. Ferrer’s were collected in a book of 144 pages, called Compositions and Arrangements for the Guitar published in San Francisco in 1882, then reprinted in Boston by Oliver Ditson in 1915. Many of his pieces appear in the sheet music collection. [1] An additional Californian artist, of the name of Luis T. Romero is represented his 1889 arrangement for guitar of La Paloma by Yradier. In 1898, a collection called “Characteristic Songs of the Spanish Californians” was published as Canciones del Pais de California” in Santa Barbara. California is also the origin of countless modern popular music groups and singers, including The Beach Boys, Green Day, Rage against the Machine, and No Doubt. LiteratureNotable authors who were either native to California or who wrote extensively about California include:
MuseumsCalifornia boasts many notable museums, including:
Food and cuisineThe first cookbook in California initiated the "fair ones of the Pacific Coast". Boiled Orange Pudding is one of the typical fruits of California.[2] San Franciscan H.J. Clayton in his 1883 book, started the now-common practice of naming the farm where the produce he cooked with derived Los Angeles notabilityThe Landmarks Club Cookbook was published in 1903 when it was a fundraiser to restore Spanish missions in California. The authors of Los Angeles would hail the city the culinary diverse city around. [2] Charles Lummis, a Los Angeles preservationist, who had founded the Landmarks club, went on to explain that denizens of the desert Southwest should observe ancient culinary traditions and eat more Chile peppers[2] . Abundance in fruits inspired early chefsSixty years ago, when avocados were unfamiliar to most Americans, the growers of subtropical fruit tried to persuade consumers, including a recipe for ice cream. Before tomatoes took over the catsup niche, everything from plums to mushrooms were raw material for the popular condiment.[2] Two peach recipes from California's top two cities were made at the last turn of the century, and five orange recipes in a 1928 book. Fruit festivals are often found in California, like the Orange Festival in San Bernadino County. Environmentalism
California often gets a reputation for environmentalism. Californians, especially those living on the coasts, are viewed as being conscious of the natural environment and environmental issues in general. The environmental culture of California can be partly attributed to public outrage at the major oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel in 1969. The influential social conditions resulting from this oil spill are explained in detail by environmental sociologist Harvey Molotch.[3] Education
Public universities and collegesCalifornia offers a unique three-tier system of public postsecondary education:
Private universities and collegesCalifornia is also home to such notable private universities as Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). California has hundreds of other private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions. Public secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective courses in trades, languages, and liberal arts with tracks for gifted, college-bound and industrial arts students. California's public educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education. Beach culture
The state's proximity to the ocean influences many aspects of California culture and daily life. Surfing is an extremely big sport in California, where the famed spots of Trestles, Rincon, Mavericks, Malibu are. Huntington Beach is "Surf City USA". Board Culture
Skateboarding was started in California with the Z-Boys in Venice Beach, and it remains one of California's biggest sports. Legendary pro skater Tony Hawk resides here. Snowboarding is also big in California, and resorts in Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain are very well known for their snowboarding. Windsurfing was invented by Hoyle Schweitzer in the late 1960's in Southern California. Today, windsurf enthusiasts still frequent spots up and down the California coastline, as well as inland lakes and rivers. Northern-Southern California Rivalry
Northern California and Southern California have shared a notorious rivalry over the years as a result of the California Water Wars. Trivia
References and bibliography
Print sources
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