California

We allowed a bit of extra time for California since its our home state and we had a lot of material. We'd hoped to do some local field trips as well, but with the COVID surge near its peak, that was not an option. Luckily we will have future opportunities to visit local places. 

Books:

• G is for Golden a California Alphabet

• C Is for California: Written by Kids for Kids

• Our California by Pam Muñoz Ryan

• Ancient Ones: The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir by Barbara Bash

• Redwoods by Jason Chin

• Joshua Tree National Park (Rookie National Parks) by Jodie Shepard

• Yosemite National Park (Rookie National Parks) by Audra Wallace

• A Monument to Treasure  by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom

• Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull 

• (Technically, Chavez was from AZ but we missed the opportunity there, and it made sense thematically to talk about in CA)

• Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers by Sarah Warren

• Side by Side/Lado a lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez by Monica Brown

• Who Was Sally Ride? By Megan Stine

• Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America's Pioneering Woman in Space by Tam O'Shaughnessy 

• I am Jackie Robinson (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer 

• California's Indian Nations by Ben Nussbaum

• Life of the California Coast Nations by Molly Aloian & Bobbie Kalman

• The Chumash (Spotlight on the American Indians of California) by Dorothy Jennings

• The Tongva (Spotlight on the American Indians of California) by Mary Graham 

• Gabrielino (Native Americans) by Barbara A Gray-Kanatiiosh 

• The California Gold Rush by Jean Blashfield

• Spanish Missions of California by Megan Gendell

• Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers, Dianna Hutts Aston

• Antsy Ansel by Cynthia L. Jenson-Elliott

• Fish for Jimmy by Katie Yamasaki

Art Project: 

California Golden Poppies

We considered a few other options: Redwoods (but how would we manage to show their scale and majesty?),  or Joshua Trees (the girls wanted to actually see them first, since that's something we can do at some point), before settling on fields of golden poppies as our goal for this art project. After searches we settled on this project and this art piece on Etsy as inspiration. We looked at lots of photos (do a google image search) of golden poppies and finally used this youtube video for a tutorial on drawing the flowers (although we thought the color choice was off, so we didn't follow exactly). Then we designed our project - first sketching in pencil, then doing the outlines using black sharpie. For the stems and small buds we used colored sharpies. Then we used several colors of orange and yellow oil pastel for the flowers themselves, and various green oil pastels for the field and hills. Finally we used watercolors for the sky.

Holy Primaries, Batman!

I know, I know. I should be over the vagaries of the MA electoral system by now. I mean, what do I have to be nostalgic about anyways? The death-by-ballot-initiative that characterizes my native CA political environment isn’t exactly enviable. But there are a few things CA does right, that we could learn from. Namely:

(1) Today I voted in the Presidential Primary. (MA participates in Super Tuesday). In September, I will vote again in the State Primary (including the much-watched Senate race). Both of these primaries will lead to the same general election.

Sunkist Miss’s Rule 1 of Electoral Politics: Limit the number of times you expect people to turn out to vote -- have a single primary election. The more elections, and the fewer items per ballot, the less interest people will have in voting. Duh.

(2) I should not have to do extensive searching online to find out what will be on my ballot. It should be easy to find out. Actually, take a play from the CA play book, and tell me before I ask! The Sec. of State and LA County Registrar of Voters were always good about that. The county sends you your sample ballot (with a form to request an absentee ballot on the back) before every election. The state sends a voter guide with more information including official statements from candidates and ballot measure campaigns (and official analysis of the legal impact of the ballot measures). I love you, CA.

Rule 2: Educate voters about what will be on the ballot, or at least provide them with the tools to find out. Before they arrive at the polls.

PS. Our representative in the MA Legislature is also on the City Council. Say what?!

More on Voting in MA

Well, it turns out the situation isn't quite as dire as I thought. It seems that while there is no voter information sent out by the state before either special elections or primary elections (my two local voting experiences so far), they do sent out information before the general election. Of course I still find it highly problematic that voters are given no information in the former two cases.

This voter guide is much less comprehensive than the one in CA -- it focuses exclusively on ballot measures (it does not list candidates who will be on the ballot, even for state-wide offices) -- but it does at least inform voters of the date of the upcoming election, how to get an absentee ballot, and where to get information on where to vote. Neither the voter guide nor any other publication sent to voters (there isn't any that I've seen so far), actually tells voters directly where their polling station is located rather than requiring them to ask. But this is a start.

So, overall I am less appalled than previously, but not satisfied. I want to see MA address its citizens before all elections. Not to do so is unconscionable -- low voter turnout is a major problem with our democracy, particularly in primary and special elections. The state government should at a minimum take responsibility for making sure citizens are informed that an election is upcoming (on such-and-so date) and how to get further information. And I really also want to see direct mail to voters telling them where their polling place is located. Is that so much to ask?

Voting in a strange land

Tuesday was the MA primary election. This feels remarkably late for me since the CA primary was in June. With a primary in September the general election campaign season is necessarily short.

Anyhow, I had an observation about voting in MA: I don’t like it. No really, this is not just the whiny Californian feeling like MA still isn’t home, it’s more than that. Prior to the election we got mail from one candidate in one primary race. No info from other candidates. And more importantly, no info from the state. I find the later high problematic and disturbing. The state should be doing more to ensure people know that there’s an election approaching, when it is, where your polling place is, how to get an absentee ballot, and what’s on the ballot.

In California of course, this is done in extreme form: Significantly before the election you receive a sample ballot that also tells you the location of your polling place and has a form for applying for an absentee ballot. Closer to the election you receive a complete Voter’s Guide. In the Guide there are official statements from each candidate. For ballot propositions there is a summary of the proposition, analysis of its legal and fiscal effects by the state legislative analyst, and statements from both sides of the issue (the Yes and No campaigns).

I’m not suggesting MA needs to go to the same level, but it is currently at the opposite extreme. Yes, much of the voter guide type info could be on a website. But there should still be at a very minimum direct mail to the voters saying the date of the election, and giving the URL of the website to go to for more information (this could be a post card). In my opinion, it should also be personalized enough to also tell you on the mailing where your polling location is (which is fairly easy to do). Sure, as a native Californian I’d prefer to see an actual sample ballot even if a more extensive voter guide (which as far as I can tell doesn’t exist in MA) were available only online, but even if you don’t receive a sample ballot, you should be told when and where to vote and where to find out what’s on the ballot. How can we expect hope for an even minimally informed electorate when they don’t even know there’s an election happening?

End of an Era

A few weeks ago I found myself registering to vote in MA.

I have come to realize that I will never know as much about MA politics as I know about CA. That may not be true for most people, but I am not most people. I have lived and breathed state and local politics for my entire life. It was spoon-fed to me as a child along with my baby food. I knew aspiring city council and state assembly members before I could walk. Maybe that’s why I started talking so early. In any case, California politics is in my blood.

And yet, here I am. Living in MA. No longer in a position to argue that my permanent residence is in CA. I still hope to return there someday. Until then, I am obligated to learn more about the politics of the place I live. Which at the moment, is MA.

And so, today, for the first time I voted on a non-CA ballot, in a special election for the MA US Senate seat, and the whole country is watching. I don’t know what’s going to happen…we’ll find out soon enough. But for the moment, it’s nice to know that my vote matters.

“I am a resident of the County of Los Angeles”

Last Spring, my parents came to visit and brought with them a Jury summons I had received from the County of Los Angeles. I sat in their hotel room looking over the form. It asks several yes or no statements where the “correct” (or most common) answer is highlighted. I read the questions out loud, along with my intended answers:

“I am a US Citizen? Yes. I am a member of the armed forces? No. I am a resident of the County of Los Angeles? Yes.”
Wait! I meant, NO. I don’t live there anymore. Like, seriously!

Later that day, back at my apartment, when I sat down to fill out the form, I thought to myself, “I should pay careful attention so I don’t do that again.” And so I began: “I am a US Citizen? Yes. I am a member of the armed forces? No. I am a resident of the County of Los Angeles? Yes.” Oops. I had to get a new form. Freudian slip? Um, yeah.

So today, I did something really crazy. Perhaps the hardest thing I’ve done since leaving CA for the East Coast 6 years ago. I officially declared myself a resident of Massachusetts, and turned in my beloved CA driver's license. I feel like I've lost a piece of my identity. As I said to Toyb later, "This is what true love looks like. Nothing less could have induced me to do this." I did not, however, register to vote. Not yet. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. For that one I’m going to need someone to hold my hand.

An Ode to Travel by Train

I am writing this as I sit on the train from Boston to DC. If you can afford it (in terms of time and money), I believe the train is the best way to travel between East Coast cities. It’s comfortable and stress-free. You don’t have to get to the station super early as when flying and when you arrive you’re already in the city. You don’t have to know where you’re going and pay attention to the road as when driving. And it’s less cramped and more reliable than the bus. (Not to mention more reliable than a plane in winter!). My computer is plugged in and my phone is charging. When I’m done writing, I’m going to take a little walk and stretch my legs. I only wish there was wireless, but I’m sure that will come some day. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying looking out the window. I think the view is probably considerably nicer during the winter – everything looks magical covered in snow – at least when you’re looking at it from a warm and cozy vantage point.

As for the Left Coast: I’ve taken the train from Los Angeles to Portland, OR. It was a fantastic experience (and much more scenic than back East), but is worth doing only if you will enjoy the experience for it’s own sake. If your purpose is simply to reach your destination, a plane is worth it at that distance.

Prop 8 by the Numbers

[Disclaimer: The numbers of votes and percentages come from the California Secretary of State. The number crunching (comparing Presidential and Prop 8 votes) is my own.]

The Text of the Proposed Law:

Section 7.5 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:
SEC. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

The Numbers:

Presidential Race (CA):

Obama: 8,063,473 votes (61.1%)
McCain: 4,902,278 votes (37.1%)
Other: 248,081 votes

Prop 8:

Yes: 6,838,107 votes (52.3%)
No: 6,246,463 votes (47.7%)

Analysis:

What the numbers mean:
13,213,832 votes were cast in the Presidential race in CA.
13,084,570 votes were cast on either side of Prop 8.
This is slightly less than in the presidential race, but very similar. In fact, fewer people declined to vote on Prop 8 than voted for “other” in the Presidential race.

If every person who voted for McCain also voted for Prop 8 (clearly an exaggeration, but it is reasonable to assume that a very large percentage did so), 1,935,829 Obama supporters must have voted for proposition 8. Yes, qualitatively we knew this was the case, but seeing that number has different sort of impact. (I would add that this is accurate even taking into account those who voted for “other” as it is likely that the vast majority, being more liberal on this issue than the general population (green party, peace & freedom, etc), voted against prop 8).

Recent Historical Context:
In 2000 Proposition 22 proposed to limit marriage to that between a man and woman in CA. This was at the time a legal fiction since there was already only marriage between straight couples but it was seen as preventative. In addition, this was a normal ballot measure, not a constitutional amendment, and was overturned by the court, along with other relevant statutory law, in May 2008, thus making same-sex marriage legal in CA and precipitating the current Prop 8.

Prop 22 passed easily with Yes: 4,618,673 votes (61.4%) compared to No: 2,909,370 votes (38.6%). Clearly there were many fewer voters in this election (It was the presidential primary in March 2000). Moreover, a majority of them were Republicans (4,153,693 voted for Republican candidates in the primary compared to 3,272,023 for Democratic candidates).

So, The relevance of the Prop 22 story is two-fold: If you simply look at the percentages, well, we’ve come a long way – to move from 61% to 52% in 8 years is actually remarkable. This extent of this change is undercut by the different distribution (republican/democrat) in voters (and quantity of votes) in the two elections. Nonetheless, I think that is still indicative of an ongoing cultural shift (this is my own conjecture, not proved by the numbers, but one can make a strong argument for this understanding).

[And next, on Postcards from Outer Space, a more qualitative look at Prop 8 and CA politics.]

Another election season as a California expat

As I prepared for the election by having my biannual pre-election phone consult with my father I thought, how can I ever stop voting in California? I would miss this so much. It is our bonding time in a very real way, as my dad talks me through the various judicial candidates and ballot propositions – with my mom in the background adding her perspective and keeping him honest. It’s a Sunkist Family Special.

We Californians voted for Barak Obama by 61.2% compared to 37% for McCain. That was exciting, but it also means that on election night a bigger question was how the various ballot measures were going to turn out. There were 12 state-wide ballot measures, plus various county and local measures. (Prop 8 deserves its own discussion, so today I’ll only touch it in relation to the other measures.) People outside Cali seem to think Californians are totally liberal, but that misunderstands California politics. California is its own special snowflake (err, sun-flake?!). My theory is that California politics is in large part predicated on our ballot-measure voting system. That is to say, the general population is able to pick-and-choose their issues; opinions are mixed and people can vote their opinion on separate topics.

For an overview, Californian voters over my lifetime have tended to be: pro-choice, pro-environment, anti-immigration, anti-criminal (e.g. pro-three-strikes law, pro-capital punishment), and anti-though-increasingly-divided-on- gay marriage.

Thus some key results from 2008:

Prop 2: Farm Animals: Yes 63.4%, No 36.6%
Prop 4: Parental Notification: Yes 47.7%, No 52.3%
Prop 5: Nonviolent Drug Offense: Yes 40.3%, No 59.7%
Prop 8: Ban Same-Sex Marriage: Yes 52.1%, No 47.9%

Where Prop 2 requires better treatment of farm animals; Prop 4 would have required parental notification for abortion; Prop 5 would have improved treatment programs and reduced prison sentences for nonviolent drug offences; and Prop 8 amends the CA state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

[Coming up next on Postcards from Outer Space, a discussion of Prop 8.]

Addicted to Politics

Hobby of the semester: explaining domestic (US), and particularly California, politics to foreign students during the bus ride.

Hobbies more broadly: Minyan politics, domestic politics, disability rights, saving the world…

Oh wait, saving the world’s what I do professionally! Otherwise known as international politics. Hmmm…

Seems that it’s all politics. Anyone surprised?!

*Disclaimer: I did actually have other hobbies before I was a graduate student. Really.

Allergic

I am allergic to the East Coast.
Oh, I know. You think I’m being melodramatic again. But you’re wrong.
I mean, quite literally, I was allergic to almost nothing in CA.
Then I moved East.
After a couple years in DC, I developed skin allergies – allergic dermatitis – reactions to airborne allergens that result in itchy rashy arms.
A couple more years in Boston, and I have (presumptively – not yet confirmed) developed seasonal allergic asthma.
That’s right, I moved East to a place where my skin breaks out in rashes and I can’t breathe … literally!
California sounds SO appealing right now. I want to go home. I want to breathe.

Homeward Bound

During my California adventure I have, of course, been visiting with family and friends from my past. Over the course of these visits, I have been repeatedly asked my favorite question: “So, do you think you’re going to come back?”

Me? Move back to LA? I love it. I miss it. It is a part of me. And no, I’m not moving back. At least not any time soon. (Maybe when I retire? It’s not like I’d go to Florida!)

Seriously though, I’m pretty committed to staying on the East Coast. It may not exactly be “home” in the sense of the land of my birth, or the land of my family, but it is “home” in the sense of the place I live. Despite my longing for California, I know that at the end of this visit I will be returning to Boston. And that, at this moment, is where I belong. It is where my apartment is, my stuff, my school, my friends, my community. Yes, I may be home for a visit, but at the end of it I will be happy to go home.

Of Saints and Angels

The other day I saw an exhibit at the Gene Autry Museum called “All the Saints of the City of Angeles.” It was a very cool multimedia bilingual and socially-conscious art exhibit. The basic idea stems from the large number of streets with saints names in Los Angles (e.g. Santa Monica, San Fernando, Saint Pierre, etc):

In All the Saints of the City of the Angels, artist J. Michael Walker uses the saints and the streets bearing their names to uncover the soul of Los Angeles, the City of the Angels.
[...]
By connecting the stories of the saints with the people and places of L.A., Walker illuminates the many facets of Los Angeles' multicultural heritage, from a troubled past including forced Native labor and greedy land developers to a contemporary landscape of economic chasms and newly built cultural bridges.

If you’re in LA between now and Sept 7th, and interested in this sort of thing, I highly recommend it.

Writing from the Other Side

I am writing this blog post from my native land, where I am home for an extended visit (read: several weeks).

I’m having a very So Cal vacation. Thus far I have been to the Griffith Observatory, the Aquarium of the Pacific (aka the Long Beach Aquarium), the Nixon Library, a Dodgers game, and my alma mater. I have met people at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (or “coffee tea and bean” as my father calls it!), eaten lunch in Pico-Robertson (read: Jew-ville), and hung out by the Ocean (the Pacific is the only real ocean for me!). I’ve been eating plenty of fresh-picked strawberries, and getting plenty of sunshine. I have driven in circles around most of LA county multiple times, with my trusty Thomas Guide by my side, and used more gasoline than I’d care to admit (though my conscience is assuaged by the fact that I don’t even own a car in Boston, and in fact have never owned a car in my life!). It's all so very LA.

Primary Madness

I am waiting for the results from today’s election. It being the first Tuesday in June, it is California’s primary day. “Wait a minute,” you may think, “Didn’t California have a primary way back in February?” Yes. We did. And yet, here we are again.

You see, California state law requires that the statewide direct primary elections be held on the first Tuesday in June (which, back in the day, is when we voted in presidential primaries – long after they had been wrapped up and decided by other less populous states). However, this year the powers-that-be, with the blessing of the Democratic Party, decided to move the presidential primary up to Super Tuesday (Feb 5, 2008). On that ballot, we voted for the presidential candidate of our choice, and of course a large number of ballot measures (referenda and/or initiatives), as is our custom.

However, the presidential primary cannot displace the statewide direct primary election, at least not without a legal change first, and so, we have another election. On this ballot I got to vote in the primary for assembly member, member of congress, numerous judges, and, of course, a couple more ballot measures on eminent domain (after all, it has already been a few months since the last round of the primary, clearly enough time to need more ballot measures!).

I find this situation very frustrating. As anyone who cares about participation in the electoral process knows, the best way to get people to vote for the smaller offices (state and local), is to tie it in to a big election that people care enough about to go to the polls. Having the primary on Super Tuesday is just such an opportunity. Not to use it is worse than squandering the opportunity – it is actually counterproductive for participation in the local election – who is going to bother to care about voting in a second primary when they already voted for president months ago? Me, and my family, and a few (millions) of our closest friends. Not enough people. Not nearly enough.

Driving on the Wrong Side of the Country

I learned to drive in CA, and had never driven on the east coast at all until this past fall. At that point, after driving Toyb’s car the first few times, I quickly came to the realization that in order to survive I will need to learn two things: rotaries, and parallel parking. Neither of which I know to do. Because after all, neither is necessary in So Cal.

I also noticed something else about East Coast driving which struck me as quite peculiar: there are no painted curbs. This makes it so much harder to know exactly where to park. In CA we have painted curbs in many colors:

• red for absolutely no parking (on corners, by fire hydrants, etc)
• white for quick drop off / pick up of passengers or mail
• yellow for slightly longer loading/drop off and pick up of passengers and freight
• green for limited time parking (e.g. 30 minutes only – it will be painted on the curb)
• blue for handicapped only.

My latest observations from my road trip have added some new aspects to east coast driving:

• In MA, and ME you aren’t allowed to drive in the left lane on the highway, it’s for passing only. Say what?! Yeah, so very weird. (*Trivia: It turns out this is also the rule in PA, NJ, IL, KY, and WA.) I'm having a really hard time understanding this one, despite Toyb's valiant efforts to explain its supposed merits.

• There are signs with a lower speed limit (i.e. minimum as well as maximum). This actually does make sense to me…but I have never seen such a thing before!

You can take the girl out of California…

Conversation with an old friend:

Me: So, if I’m staying here indefinitely, I guess that means I really live here.
Friend: Yeah, it kinda does.
Me: Does that mean I have to register to vote here?!
Friend: Yeah, it does.
Me: But… I still feel like a Californian!
Friend: Some people may adopt their new homes, but even if you never live in California again, you will always be a Californian.
Me: Yes, that’s true! … But my kids won’t be!
Friend: True, it’s not a nationality – you can’t pass it along!
Me: But that’s so SAD!

...but you can't take California out of the girl.

Only in California...

I miss voting on election day. I mean, I voted of course, but being a PAV (that's permanent absentee voter, for those of you not in the know) is much less exciting...especially if you vote for someone who subsequently drops out! Oops.

Anyhow, one of the joys of being a voter in the Great State of California is the dubious privilege of voting on numerous referenda/ballot propositions. I mean, some one has to legislate. If the legislators don't do so, you bring it to the people. Repeatedly. My favorite measure on the Super Tuesday ballot: Proposition 91 on Transportation Funds. Prior to each election, the Secretary of State sends out an official Voter Guide, where you can read the text of the measures, the official legislative analysis of what it will change, and pro and con arguments. Examine the arguments regarding Prop 91:

Pro: Prop. 91 is NO LONGER NEEDED. Please VOTE NO. [...]

Con: No argument against Proposition 91 was submitted.

Now, the official results, with 100% of precincts reporting. Proposition 91 failed. NO votes: 3,820,464 (58.1%). YES votes: 2,763,289 (41.9%). That's right folks, 2.7 Million voters in the state of California voted yes on a proposition that absolutely nobody supported.

The cultural event of the year

When I was home in Cali during winter break, not only did I get to visit my family and replenish a bit of my Vitamin D, but also I attended the annual Sunkist family cultural outing, which in this case was a trip to the Music Center to see The Color Purple. I'm not sure what I think about the Color Purple as a musical, but it was certainly beautifully done. Moreover, it truly was a cultural event, an LA happening. Sitting there, it was impossible not to feel the energy in the theater that came from watching this particular play amongst a wonderfully diverse audience. It was an experience. An LA experience. Being there reminded me for a moment of the unique experiences I had growing up in Southern California. It was a special opportunity, watching the Color Purple in that setting. It was also a special chance to reflect on my own upbringing. I don't know if I'll ever return to CA to live, but it has certainly shaped who I am.

Ode to Cilantro

I love the smell of fresh cilantro. It makes me excited for whatever I’m about to cook, and inspires me to travel more.

Okay, I know some of you have this strange inability to eat cilantro because it tastes weird to you. (So sorry! How much you miss!) But for the rest of us, cilantro is such a beautiful thing. As I was cooking the other day I commented to my roommate that cilantro is really a key ingredient for Mexican cooking; it makes a huge difference in getting an authentic flavor. She understood completely.

When I studied in Mexico some of the students I met had never encountered it before. One conversation about it (translated into English) went like this:

Other Student: What is this green herb I see on everything?
Me: How can you not know what it is?! It’s cilantro, of course.
Other student: Okay… so, what’s it called in English?
Me: Cilantro!

It wasn’t until I moved to the East Coast that I found out that lots of people call cilantro coriander. In fact, if you look up cilantro on dictionary.com the definition says “See coriander.” If you look up coriander there’s an actual definition. Funny, cause in Cali I never heard of coriander except in relation to the ground up powder from the seeds. (Similarly, I discovered that garbanzo beans are called chickpeas here. How very odd!)

The next time you’re trying to cook Mexican food, remember the cilantro. Take it from this Californian – it makes a world of difference.