Typical Californian
More then three thousand miles from home, I am walking down the streets of a small town in up state New York. As I look around I notice several kids about my age, whom appear to be watching me from the corner. Suddenly as I turn to walk away I hear one of them speak… “Dude, are you from California? Do you surf?” This is one of the typical responses I have received throughout my travels. I have met several people from several different areas around the United States, most of which seem to have the same stereotype. Most believe that people from California are “gnarly” surfer dudes. For some strange reason the rest of the world seems to have come to the conclusion: that in California everyone is a surfer or beach bum, it is always sunny and hot, and the water is always warm and crystal clear. This stereotype has been around for years.
It may have started from TV shows such as Bay Watch, or even Saved By The Bell. They stereotype everyone as a blond attractive surfer, or a beautiful half naked beach babe. Even now, new shows are appearing such as Malibu, CA, which cast the typical Californian stereotype. Most of the show is filmed on the beach with everyone in board shorts or bikinis.
For the most part all people from California are stereotyped this way. My own experience has revealed that the California stereotype refers to men as well as women, as being unintelligent, lazy, stoners (people who smoke marijuana or do drugs). Although some people from California may be this way, it does not mean that all people in California are this way. This statement was a generalization turned into a stereotype. Another generalization turned into a stereotype is that all of California is: hot and sunny, with clear skies, warm beaches, and clear, clean water. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
First off, not all of California is a beach. There is the Sierra Nevada mountain range, as well the Mojave Desert, which contains Death Valley (one of the hottest places around). Most people in central and northern California rarely visit the beach because it is cold and far away. Secondly, most of the beaches in California are not hot, sandy, clean beaches. In a study done by surfer magazine, it was found that very few beaches in California have what is considered warm water.
accepted for who they are. To them California is a whole new universe. They were taunted and
Bright sunshine to frigid snow, all within hours of travel. A place for everyone, all ages, all cultures, all types of people. When choosing a place to live, we decide on the one that pleases us and our busy lives. For those who enjoy constant activity and sunny warm beaches, California and Florida tend to be on their list. Once learning all that California has to offer, they will jump on the decision to pack their bags and head for their new home. California offers exploration and something new every day. “If they can’t do it in California, it can’t be done anywhere.” -Taylor Caldwell (Fun Quotes about California by Stephen Frank, www.capolitical news.com)
California, what makes this state so wonderful? Well if you were to ask any one east from it they might say it’s a party state filled with surfers and celebrities; where no is poor and everyone drinks wine. However, if you were to pick up Mark Arax’s book West of the West you would find the contrary. Arax goes beyond the clichés that California is known for and shows you, well, what is beyond just the west. Showing the true nature of California and its people, if you are one to think that California is a happy go’ lucky state then this would be the book to read to see the real California.
Certainly, there are some stereotypes that may be true, but do not apply to all persons. In my case, the stereotypes I experienced about my ethnicity and my gender, they do not show the truth about me, and they do not affect me, but I learned that I should not label someone without knowing them or even without proofs. Anyway, stereotypes are endless, and have become commonplace in our
From reading the author’s book “Ecology of Fear,” Mike Davis’ main thesis for writing this book was to make readers become aware of the underlying problems and threats which have existed or currently exist in Southern California and how these problems shape the way we live today and in the imminent future as well. Although Davis did not really provide us with any remedies for the problems facing Southern California, this book made it very clear to the readers that problems do still exist, although at times they may sound subtle in nature. Of the numerous problems which do exist in Southern California, I will discuss only a handful of the problems that Davis provided us insight to. In the following paragraphs, the main problems of Southern California that I will discuss about are suburbanization and how it made Southern California lose its natural beauty and the effects of overdevelopment, the wild fires which occur and similarities and differences the rich and poor communities faced in terms of adversity, how suburbanization brought people closer to the wildlife, and how numerous books and movies portrayed Los Angeles as the center for calamities. The culmination of all these problems clearly shows that there are many glaring weaknesses of Southern California that need to be closely examined.
...he rest of the world views California as the “ideal place to live.” However, if California continues to infringe the negative, discriminatory political view its immigrants, the “California Dream” will no longer subsist.
In 1849, the California Gold Rush attracted the massive people immigrated to gold finding from all over the world. The gold-seekers travelled by the ship boarding in San Francisco port or by feet to leave their hometown and families from west because they believed that they could gain more money and had a better life than their original place. In the early days of California was an unknown place however after the gold-seekers arrived to California growth rapidly with crowded population. Later, the Rocky Mountains establish to be a state which called California. The gold-seekers came over to California because they wanted to achieve their goals for a better life, as they experienced by their hard working and created lots of the potential development in this gold place.
I have been to Florida a billion times, but there are only two places that I normally visit. Sanibel Island and Destin. Traveling to Sanibel Island is almost like a tradition for my family because every year we try to go down there. My grandparents first went to Sanibel with my whole family (cousins and all) about 15 years ago and ever since then, it has been our family’s main “vacation spot”. I have gone to Sanibel almost every year, but last year I also went to Destin. Now the main reason we decided to go there as well is because we wanted to travel somewhere nearby the panhandle of Florida. The water and beaches are also very contrasting in comparison to Sanibel. Sanibel’s beaches even had heaps of sea shells going out into the water. The sand is also more dense than that of Destin. Even Sanibel’s water is darker and more cloudy, so it was crazy to see Destin’s water so clear! The beach (which is called Emerald Cove, where I stayed at) had sand that was so white and soft it
Boyle, Jenny. "Asian and Asian American Stereotype." 13 Oct. 2000. Online posting. Suite101.com. 6 Apr. 2001.
This conversation actually took place during my first semester of college. However, being quite accustomed to the questions that I am frequently asked about the place I call home, this conversation somehow made me more upset than usual. This conversation made me realize just how blind society can be towards other groups in society. Different stereotypes are placed on groups for various reasons-race, sex, occupations, and geographical locations-just to name a few. The last of these four different classifications is the one that distinguishes me from most of society. Growing up in Appalachia has made me a minority (different from the rest of society), and also plagued me with many stereotypes. Everyone in society has heard the stereotypes. However, I would like to focus on the how's and why's of them. How they came to be. Why society does perceive...
California society, and people as individuals, could not decide whether they relished their newfound freedom or despised it. Some people attempted to recreate the lives they knew at home, while many others threw off the shackles of their old proper lives. Victorian culture emerged in the 1820’s and 1830’s in America. At 1850, the time of the Gold Rush, it was at it’s high point. Anyone who came to California from the states, no matter what their position, would have come from a place influenced by the Victorian way of life. This included strict ideas about the roles of men and women, taboos on drinking and gambling, high value set on hard work, Christian ethics, and ethnic prejudices.2 People who came to California experienced something quite different.
California, a state located on the West Coast of the United States is the most popular state. Its the third largest state by area. California borders Oregon to the North, Nevada to the East, Arizona to the Southeast, and the Mexican States of Baja to the South. On 1850, September 9 California became the 31st state of the United States. California became the 31st state in the Union even though it hasn’t even been part of the United States for less than 2 years.
... many different religions and cultures. California has an extensive Asian community, as well as Hispanic community, African American community and additionally, the dominate, Caucasian community. Here instead of two main similar religions there are many different religions, such as Buddhist, Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Jewish, Jehovah Witness etc., many of these religions vary in their core beliefs as well as in their celebrations. Baba did not like living in America he missed his friends, his company, his status, he relied on his memories of his time in Kabul to cheer him up when he was sad.
California saw many changes very fast. Most of these play part in shaping it into what it is today. From Hollywood to San Francisco, today’s lifestyles in California have roots in the Gold Rush. Because the failure rate was so high, it became common to come out to California lookin...
Since 1848 to the present, California has had strong periods of representing the American Dream with its egalitarian advances and times of overwhelmingly democratic positions. Also, California was once a place for economic opportunity, attracting people from all over the nation. Since 1990, however, California has witnessed a reverse migration. Once a land of hope and opportunity, California has slowly been turning into a land of despair.