Culture and lifestyle
Surfer in Santa Cruz
Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Los Angeles concert hall
According to watchtutorials, California is very similar in socio-cultural terms to the rest of the western United States, a culture that stems from the Wild West of the 19th century. In addition, the large groups of East Asian (especially in the Bay Area) and Hispanic (especially in the South) migrants have had a strong influence: the state is often referred to as a “melting pot” of different cultures. San Francisco has, among other things, one of the largest Chinatowns outside Asia and Los Angeles has, in addition to a Chinese district, also a Japanese and a Korean district. California – born Salinas writer (and Nobel laureate) John Steinbeck(1902–1968) in his oeuvre frequently describes the history and culture of the multicultural migrant society of California.
With Hollywood, California owns the largest part of the American film industry and an important part of other American media. Hollywood is home to many of America’s stars, giving the entire state a glamorous image. Surfing was introduced to California from Hawaii at the beginning of the 20th century and then became a stereotype of the California lifestyle. In the years just after World War II, skateboarding emerged in Los Angeles as a surfer’s pastime when waves were unavailable. In the 1960s, California was sung by groups like the Beach Boys, which gave the state to the general public an image of sunny beaches, an unhurried lifestyle, girls in bikinis and surfer dudes. This image was further spread by the Hollywood media, for example thanks to series such as Baywatch.
Research has shown that the population actually suffers less from burnouts and neuroticisms. In addition, the healthier climate and food means fewer people are obese than in the rest of the United States, although the American car and snack culture is also ubiquitous in California. That’s not to say that life is as easy as the stereotypes make it out to be. Eight of the ten most expensive cities in the US are located in California, and most Californians cannot afford to buy a home .
Both San Francisco and Los Angeles have many highly regarded museums and theaters and a lively nightlife scene. Notable Californian or Californian resident writers include Ken Kesey, Michael Chabon, Ray Bradbury, Alice Walker, and Isabel Allende. The wide variety of cultures ensures a very varied cuisine. San Francisco has a large number of Asian restaurants and Mexican cuisine is particularly evident in the southern part of the state. However, California also has its own cuisine.
Guitar music was introduced to California by the Mexicans long before the Beach Boys, with well-known 19th-century guitar virtuosos such as Manuel Ygnacio Ferrer (1828/1832–1904) and Luis Toribio Romero (1854–1893). When the state was overrun with Marines on leave from the war with Japan in the 1940s, San Francisco developed a vibrant jazz scene, especially bebop. The 1950s saw the rise of the so-called cool jazz of Dave Brubeck and Chet Baker. The state has also been a big part of American pop music. This is how worldwide famous pop and rock bands such as No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Linkin Park from California. An alternative pop music style that originated in California is skate punk, of which The Offspring and Green Day are the best known examples. Many well-known stoner rock bands have formed in California, such as Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and Queens of the Stone Age. Hip- hop is also represented in the form of the so-called west coast hip hop, which was especially dominant in the 1990s. Notable performers include Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. A variant originally from California is gangsta rap, a style that focuses on a violent lifestyle and big personal images and libidos.
University of California – Los Angeles cheerleaders during an American football game
Sports
The Olympic Games have been held in California three times: the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, games were played at Stanford Stadium south of San Francisco and the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. The state annually hosts the California State Games, an Olympic Games-based tournament for amateur athletes.
California has more professional clubs in major leagues than any other state and those clubs have large numbers of supporters. Especially for matches between clubs from the same region (derbies), a large part of the population is behind the TV. The most popular sports, as in the rest of the US, are baseball, basketball and American football. California baseball teams in Major League Baseball include the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Oakland Athletics, the San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants. The NBA basketball teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and the women’s (in the WNBA) Los Angeles Sparks. American football is represented by the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
Ice hockey is also popular: the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings play in the National Hockey League. Football (American: “soccer”) is played by Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the San Jose Earthquakes.
Sports teams from Californian universities are also among the national top. These also have a large following among the population of the place where they are located.
