Hi there! My name is Nathaniel and I created this webpage for my Geography 321 class. My blogs pertain to the city of Los Angeles or more specifically, Koreatown area based on my personal experience and research. I try to relate each blog to a chapter from the text Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada. I included a relevant video for every blog entry. Thank you for visiting!
A beautiful picture somewhere in Hawaii. I just love how luscious it is with vegetation. Beautiful exotic plants are all over the place! (This image is not mine, it is from http://hawaiihealthfoundation.org/) Like Los Angeles, Tourism is a big part of the economy of the state of Hawaii. Hawaii is a very beautiful place showcasing many of Mother Nature's masterpieces. Hawaii epitomizes exotic paradise which attracts many people from all over the world. This is where many Americans go when they want to experience tropical paradise. Like here in California, many immigrants from Asia came to Hawaii to live. It is because Hawaii and California are at the Pacific. And also because back then the Native Hawaiians were not inclined to work and as well as the decline of their population, many of the American and European employers sought their labor forces mainly in Asia. Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos were the main contract laborers that came to Hawaii from Asia back in the 19th century to early 20th century. In California, many Chinese came to California around mid 1800s because of the California Gold Rush. According to library.thinkquest.org, " the Chinese did not only mine for gold, but took on jobs such as cooks, peddlers, and storekeepers. In the first decade after the discovery of gold, many had taken jobs nobody else wanted or that were considered too dirty." Both California and Hawaii have historical Asian migrations. Asians are well integrated in both states, diversifying the demographic landscape. This is a brief video of the history of Hawaii which discusses Asian immigration.
Here is another video of history of the Chinese immigration in California. I personally like the traditional music in the backround.
"Klamath Rivermouth, Del Norte County, Northern California. Photo Source: US Corps of Engineers." (I took this image from http://coastalcare.org/2010/12/yurok-tribe-indians-seek-land-for-a-tribal-park-on-the-north-pacific-coast/) A small part of northern California is part of The North Pacific Coast. The northern counties like Del Norte, Humboldt, and Siskiyou are part of the North Pacific Coast. The coast stretches from the north of our state to Alaska, passing Canada. I have never visited the coast way up there. I have seen pictures and videos of the northern coasts and they are beautiful and breathtaking, it's just too bad it's too far from me. Of course I do wish to visit the area someday. Of course we are near the coast here in Los Angeles, but it's nothing like the coasts up there. There are more giant rocks, lush forests, and fog/moisture. It is different from southern California coasts. It's colder up there and more fogs, that is why they have lighthouses such as the Heceta Lighthouse. According to the book, the North Pacific Coast is wet. Here in Los Angeles, it is pretty dry with low precipitation. Many people gravitate to the southern region because of the low frequency of rain. People are more out and about in the city. Here is a video of the Heceta Lighthouse in Oregon along the North Pacific Coastal region. The coastal view is sublime!
Our state's seal. (I got this from http://www.answers.com/topic/california)
A topo map of California. (This image is not mine, it is from http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mgg/topo/state2.pl?region=ca.jpg) I love California. Although I wasn't born here I have spent 12 years here in Los Angeles. This is my home now and I do feel like I belong here. It is a beautiful state with diverse environment. Of course we have our famous beaches, but as well as beautiful mountains to hike. Let's first talk about the state's vegetation (because I love plants!). You will find eight principal categories of native vegetation in California. These are : coniferous forest, oak woodland (pretty much California's signature forest), coniferous woodland, California prairie, chaparral, sagebrush, desert scrub and marsh-grass. One of the dominant vegetation type here in Los Angeles is Chaparral which is often called "Elfin forest", consisting of evergreen shrubs like chamise, scrub oak, manzanita, ceanothus and sage. The more southern part of Los Angeles is more of a sagebrush vegetation, consisting of sagebrush and other types of shrubs. Los Angeles is a very urban and populated city, but if you pay attention carefully, you will still able to see mother nature's signature everywhere by looking at flora and fauna. One of the known features Los Angeles have is the Los Angeles River. A picture of it is on page 309 of the book and the caption: "The Los Angeles River, usually a trickle but a major stream after winter rains, is paved for much of its length across the Los Angeles Basin, giving the river the appearance of an unused freeway." Yes most parts of our river, especially the parts that goes through the city are quite ugly. It doesn't look at all like a natural river. They cemented around the river in order for water to flow quickly out to the ocean which is a way to prevent flooding. Because the water moves faster than it's natural flowing speed, many people are afraid of flash floods. Another environmental problem is that the land or the soil are not able to absorb water, causing pretty much perpetual dryness of land. I am aware that they are trying to revive the natural state of the river but it will take a lot of time and effort. Another thing that is mentioned in the chapter is Los Angeles' dependence on automobiles. The city of Los Angeles grew because of the expanded circulation of automobiles. Freeways are very important to the city's growth. This is why suburbanization is very prevalent here in Los Angeles. People are able to live far away from the main city areas as long as they have cars to transport them there. This of course is not healthy for the city and the environment. According to the book, "the Los Angeles area has more cars per capita than any other part of the country; only a minimal public transportation system exists." This is a video that shows a typical California freeway traffic. I only watched the first half. To be honest, the speaker irritates me. He complains about the traffic and talks about how California should expand the freeways. First of all, it's expensive. Second of all, expanded freeways will just encourage more people to drive around with their cars causing more pollution and gas price competitions. He complains about California wanting us to take the train or the bus. What in the flying fig is wrong with that? I commute to school every time and in a way I am saving money and saving the environment!
The video reminds me of this, ha ha: (This is not my image, I got it from http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/02/page/2/. Actually I first saw this on The New Yorker tmblr.)
This is basically what you will find around the southern edges of our country, dividing United States and Mexico. It's quite sad that we have to have over-the-top borders, but it is necessary in order to prevent importation of drugs and others that the video below shows. (This image is not mine, it is from http://latindispatch.com/2010/09/15/on-the-southwest-border-photo-essay/) Here is a video showing illegal crossings. The Southwest Border Area. (This map is from http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/publication/2008/06/20080618211737eaifas0.8352472.html#axzz2DvN2ixrb) So again, California is also part of another area called the Southwest Border Area. According to the map given in the chapter, The entire Los Angeles is part of this area. The Southwest culture is identified by three groups coexisting, and these are the: Spanish American, American Indian, and Northwest European American people. This is evident here in Southern California. Strong diversity of cultures exist in Los Angeles with the Mexican/Spanish, Native American, and Anglo influences throughout. One of the strongest cultures here in California is the Mexican culture. California was once owned by the Spanish around 1769 through the mission system. After the Spanish left California, the Mexican took over and cemented some of it's European Spanish influences. Going back to the borders, according to the book, "perhaps nowhere else in the world do high-income societies meet in such close geographic proximity as along the US-Mexico border." You will see great contrasts along the border. Here is another video os General Craig Mckinley in California. Talking about the military service around the border.
Here is a picture of California's Mojave Desert because it is part of The Empty Interior. Quite a romantic picture! (This picture is not mine, it is from http://www.atissun.com/blog/6256/navy-breaks-ground-on-solar-installation-in-mojave-desert/) According to the map in the book, the Empty Interior touches our state of California, mostly the parts around or at these counties: Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, and Mono. One of the interesting things that I read from the chapter is The Mormon Presence portion. According to the book, the Mormons "dreamed of founding a country they would call Deseret, stretching north into what is now Oregon and Idaho and southwest to Los Angeles." The Mormons failed to establish this so called Deseret because of the discovery of gold here in Calfornia. Many non-Mormons came to California and disrupted the prior settlements, thus dividing Deseret into states. Here is a youtube video about the history of Mormons here in California. Showing how many of the Mormons were persecuted and discriminated throughout history.
A picture of a beautiful sunset in California. (This image is not mine, it is from http://lexielantz.com/2010/01/05/sunny-california)
The chapter talks about the extreme weather conditions in the Great Plains. Horrible winds, violent thunderstorms, harsh droughts, hails, and destructive tornadoes. In contrast, California do not suffer from many extreme weather conditions the Great Plains have. People want to live here in Los Angeles not just because of its popularity and energy but also its nice weather. According to VisitCalifornia.com, "California's climate is often compared to that of the Mediterranean, due to warm, dry summers, and mild, wet winters." This is why many people from often cold, wet countries visit California to experience our often nice Mediterranean heat. Plus we have nice beaches whenever the weather gets terribly high. According to VisitCalifornia.com, "the arid climate in Los Angeles promises lots of sun and little humidity throughout the year. Average high temps run from the high 60s°F(15.6°C) in winter months to the low 80s°F (26.7°C) in summer. Rainstorms come through from November to March, dropping roughly 2-4 inches per month." Contrary to what many people may think, we do get some tornadoes here in California but most of them are not as destructive as what we might find in the Great Plains. It is pretty safe here in Los Angeles. We don't have to build underground tornado shelters in our backyards. But of course, with the progressing climate changes happening all over the world, we have to expect weird weather phenomenon and we have to be ready just in case catastrophe arrives.
Here is a short video of a man talking about the Southern California weather. Kinda funny! He mentions that one of the reasons why he lives in Southern California is growing an orange tree. Citrus trees like the orange thrives in warm temperatures and mild winters. Like the state of Florida, California provides that weather for tropical and subtropical floras.
