California

I followed the threads on H-net's discussion of California history and culture. Seeing as nothing interests me more than the history of my beloved hometown of Southern California, I was rather excited to learn something new and interesting. Unfortunately, in the last three months there were about two posts of substance. The good news is there were numerous job postings. That will be useful for me in about 6-10 years, hopefully.

Of the articles that were of substance, one proved to be quite interesting. The other was about San Francisco and really, who cares about Northern California? The first article review a book that discussed a view of the West as the orient. Beginning with the ninetieth century explorers, the West has been compared to the Orient all throughout its modern history. Mainly many cities and natural landscapes have taking on names of their Easter counterparts. The book cites examples such as Cairo Illinois, Utah's Jordan river, and Pyramid Lake in the Sierra Nevadas. Additionally, the West was further similar to the orient with the arrival of Chinese and some Japanese immigrants. This review brings to light an interesting argument that was made in the book: the American west has much more Eastern influence in our culture than many realize. For us to move forward as a nation, especially with our Middle East involvement, we must recognize the history of our culture.

Review: Cothran on Francaviglia, Go East, Young Man: Imagining the American West as the Orient