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Culture of California facts for kids

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The culture of California is a mix of many different influences. While it's part of the larger U.S. culture, California has its own special flavor. It blends traditions, foods, and languages from Spain, Asia, Mexico, and the eastern U.S..

Spain explored California in the 1500s but didn't settle there until the 1700s. By the 1800s, Spain had built missions across the state. California also had huge land areas called "ranchos". People of Hispanic background have always been a big part of California's culture. Also, many people from Mexico have moved to California, adding to its rich traditions. Native American tribes were the first people to live in California. Many city names in California come from Native American languages.

California's culture has also been shaped by Indigenous peoples of California and large groups of immigrants. These include people from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. California is like a main entrance to the United States for people from all over the world.

California has always been seen as a special place, almost like a paradise. In the early 1900s, many Americans thought of California as a perfect vacation spot. It was sunny and dry all year, with easy access to the ocean, deserts, and mountains. In the 1960s, music groups like the Beach Boys helped create the image of Californians as relaxed, tanned beach lovers.

People often see Californians as more liberal than most other Americans. This is especially true for those living near the coast or in Northern California. The state as a whole is thought of as liberal. However, some areas, like the northeast or parts of Orange County, are more conservative. California is also home to many famous universities. These include Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the University of Southern California.

The California Gold Rush of the 1850s is still a symbol of California's modern economy. It shows a spirit of new ideas that creates technology, entertainment, and new trends. These trends often spread around the world. The hippie movement started in San Francisco, California, in the early 1960s.

California's Languages

English is the main language spoken in California. However, Spanish is also very common throughout the state.

California English is a special way of speaking English that is heard in California. California has many different people, and this shows in its English dialect. It includes words from many other languages, especially Spanish. Not everyone in California uses all these language features. But some ways of speaking are mostly or originally from California.

Hollywood, the center of the film and TV industry, has influenced English worldwide. It has made many different English accents visible and introduced new words and meanings. The media and entertainment from California also help spread the California English accent and dialect.

English has been the official language of California since 1986. This happened when Proposition 63 was passed. But many government offices still print official papers in Spanish and other languages. This is because Proposition 63 doesn't stop governments from using other languages.

A study in 2007-2009 found 23 languages from Mexico and Mesoamerica spoken in California.

Arts and Culture in California

Amazing Architecture

San Gabriel Civic Auditorium
The San Gabriel Civic Auditorium shows Mission Revival Style architecture.

California has many buildings that remind us of its Spanish past. Especially in Southern California, you can see white stucco walls, red roof tiles, and arched windows. These styles are part of what's called Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. This building style became popular in the early 1900s.

While Spanish styles are seen statewide, Northern California cities have many historic Victorian buildings. San Francisco is famous for these. Towns like Eureka and Ferndale in Humboldt County have many well-preserved Victorian homes.

Today, California's architecture mixes many cultural influences. This has led to new and interesting modern building styles.

Hollywood Films

HollywoodSign
The famous Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles.

California is home to Hollywood, a district in Los Angeles. Hollywood is the heart of the American film industry. It has created the popular image of movie stars and lifestyles like beach-loving surfers.

Hollywood has greatly influenced culture around the world since the early 1900s. During the "Golden Age of Hollywood" (from the late 1920s to the late 1950s), thousands of movies were made. These movies often aimed to create a big show on screen.

Even today, California's film industry is still very powerful. Its movies are shown worldwide. They influence how millions of people see stories and even real life.

California's Music Scene

California is the birthplace of many famous music styles, including:

Many other well-known artists from California are famous in other music styles. These include Guns N' Roses (heavy metal), Eagles (rock), Green Day (punk), and Santana (Latin rock).

Literature from California

Many famous authors were either from California or wrote a lot about it. Some of these include:

Cool Museums to Visit

California has many amazing museums:

California's Delicious Food

California has a long history of mixing different food styles. You can find Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indian, and many other types of restaurants everywhere. As early as 1903, Los Angeles was known as a city with very diverse food.

Fresh produce is very important in California cooking. California has many different climates, so it can grow many kinds of fruits and vegetables. The Central Valley has some of the best soil in the world. California is the top U.S. producer of many common foods like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and avocados. People in California also care a lot about healthy eating, which makes fresh produce popular. Fruit festivals, like the National Orange Show Festival, are common.

Avocados are very special in California food. Many popular California dishes use avocados or guacamole. Avocados were not well-known in the U.S. until the mid-1900s. In California, avocados are often used in sandwiches, hamburgers, salads, and even on pizza. They are also popular in tacos and other Mexican foods.

California is also a big producer of tomatoes. California tomatoes are a key ingredient in ketchup.

With Napa Valley in the north and Temecula Valley in the south, California is the world's fourth-largest producer of wines. It makes 90 percent of the wine in the United States. Spanish settlers started making wine in the 1700s for church services. Today, California's wine industry is as good as those in France and Australia.

Caring for the Environment

California is known for its focus on environmentalism. Californians, especially those living near the coast, are often very aware of nature and environmental issues. This environmental culture partly grew from public anger after a major oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel in 1969.

In 1965, California was the first state to control vehicle exhaust. It set limits on harmful gases from cars. In 1967, the California EPA set the nation's first air quality standards for many pollutants. The United States Congress lets California set its own pollution rules. The state's lawmakers have created some of the strongest environmental laws ever.

More recently, with global warming concerns, some Californians worry about melting ice caps. This could raise water levels along the coast. Experts also believe that the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which provides much of the state's drinking water, could shrink by about 50 percent due to warming trends.

California's Beach Culture

Being close to the ocean affects many parts of California's culture and daily life. Surfing is a very popular sport in California.

In the 1960s, surfing became hugely popular because of surf rock bands like The Beach Boys. Surf films like Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer and Hollywood movies like Gidget also helped. This boom made surfing a symbol of the ideal Californian lifestyle. It became a sensation for teens and a growing sport. Malibu, California, was central to surf culture. This was because it was a great surf spot and had a youthful, warm "beach" vibe. The surf culture boom of the 1960s led to many more surfers at beaches everywhere. It helped surfing become the sport it is today.

Surfing, especially in Southern California, has its own slang. Words like "tubular," "radical," and "gnarly" are linked to it. In the late 1960s, Santa Cruz and Northern California developed their own slang, like "groovy" and "hella."

Northern vs. Southern California Rivalry

Even though it's one state, Northern California and Southern California have a well-known rivalry. Many residents feel strong "NorCal" or "SoCal" pride.

This rivalry has shown up in differences in how people speak and in politics. Southern California has historically been more conservative than Northern California. Northern California has been more liberal. For example, in the 1860 Presidential election, the southern counties voted for a different candidate than the more populated San Francisco Bay Area.

The rivalry is also very clear in professional sports. There are strong rivalries between teams like:

Education in California

Public Universities and Colleges

Berkeley glade afternoon
The University of California, Berkeley is a top school in the UC system.

California has a special three-part system for public higher education:

  • The top research university system is the University of California (UC). It has more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world. It's considered one of the best public university systems globally. There are nine main UC campuses, including famous ones like Berkeley and Los Angeles.
  • The California State University (CSU) system has over 400,000 students. This makes it the largest university system in the United States. It's the oldest public higher education system in California. It aims to accept the top one-third of high school students. CSU campuses offer Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees.
  • The California Community Colleges system offers introductory courses. It has 115 colleges and serves over 2.9 million students.

Private Universities and Colleges

Stanford Oval May 2011 panorama (cropped)
The Oval at Stanford University.

California also has many notable private universities. These include Stanford University, the Claremont Colleges, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the University of Southern California (USC). There are hundreds of other private colleges and universities in California. Many of these are religious or focus on specific subjects.

Public high schools in California offer many courses. These include trades, languages, and liberal arts. They have programs for gifted students, those planning for college, and those interested in industrial arts. California's public education system is supported by a special rule. It requires 40% of state money to be spent on education.

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