California Culture: Diversity, Food, Religion, Language
California’s People and Culture
Now, I’m going to talk about the culture of California, but first, let me do a brief introduction about its population and inhabitants. You have to know that California is the most populous state in the United States. In 2014, the population was estimated to be around 40 million due to the many people who come from other countries.
The culture of California is a Western culture and has its roots in the culture of the United States, but it also has many Hispanic influences. As a border and coastal state, Californian culture has been greatly influenced by several immigrant populations, especially those from Latin America and Asia.
California’s Demographics
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an agency whose task is to produce data about the American people, the population in California is formed by:
- 61% White
- 15% Asian (highlighting Filipinos and Chinese)
- 7% African American
- 3% Native American and Hawaiian
Culinary Diversity in California
This fact helped California to have rich and diverse culinary styles, as Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indian, and many other types of restaurants can be found throughout the state. The influence of the different immigrants not only brought changes to the population but also to the gastronomy. California is known for using local and fresh ingredients, especially vegetables, which are obtained from farms. Specialty dishes include the California pizza, the California roll that we see in different sushi dishes, and their specialty salads like the Chinese chicken salad, influenced by Chinese cuisine. Also, shellfish is something that you can see in many people’s dishes, as California is situated on the Pacific coast, and many types of shellfish can be fished there.
Religious Landscape of California
Another fact that I would like to emphasize about California is the several religions that people have there. The largest religious denomination for several years was the Catholic Church because the first priests to come to California were Roman Catholic missionaries from Spain. Roman Catholics founded 21 missions along the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Languages Spoken in California
But not only in religious terms do people have their differences, but also in language. In 2010, the Modern Language Association of America estimated that 57% of California residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as their primary language, while 43% did not. The most common language spoken besides English is Spanish. California has the highest concentration of Vietnamese and Chinese speakers in the United States, followed by Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog speakers. The official language of California is English; however, many state, city, and local government agencies still continue to print official public documents in numerous languages.
Celebrations and Festivals in California
To end up talking about this part, let’s not forget that California is also known for holding different celebrations during the year. Examples such as the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., the Festival of Independent Cinema, the Chinese New Year, Saint Patrick’s Day, the Lesbian and Gay Freedom Day Parade, Columbus Day, and numerous Christmas celebrations are very important for Californian people.