Living in the state of California I’ve encountered many situations where the majority of people from out of town have this pre-impression of what our state entails. I find people always have this single story filled with the misconceptions that our state is filled with overnight success and endless fame and fortune. California is also characterized under many general stereotypes, whether it be seeing movie stars everywhere we go, or all of us basically living at the beach. Although these lifestyles may be true for some, growing up in California I know there’s so much more to us than that.
We are the land of opportunity and dreams, but with that comes hard work and dedication. A quote from one of our most respected entrepreneurs and creator of Apple, Steve Jobs states, “California has a sense of experimentation and a sense of openness to new possibilities.” California isn’t just what you see on Entertainment News. Although there are many strong attributes that lead us to be so successful, California isn’t as perfect as the stereotypes of happy and healthy people present it to be.
The state struggles with many epidemics, but these problems are pushed aside and ignored because everyone seems to care more about what the newest Kardashian baby will be named. These successes wouldn’t be possible without the intelligence and strong will of our state and the creative mindset of its people. The state of California isn’t just what the media depicts it as, it’s so much more due to our ranking on the humanitarian, social, and economic scale.
127 our experts are availableright now
California’s economy is one of the biggest parts of why our state is so upcoming. We have one of the strongest economic powerhouses in the world and that’s something we should be known for. It isn’t just rich celebrities, but hard-working entrepreneurs and political figures who make our state so successful. Our economic advances date back all the way to the Gold Rush in 1848.
This was the beginning of California’s growth and where California’s nickname The Golden State was introduced. People from all over immigrated to California in order to try and get a chance at the wealth and opportunity (Westward Expansion). These early successes really set the path for our economic accomplishments today and according to the US Department of Commerce, California’s advances continue today leading us to be the 5th biggest economy in the world (Corcoran). In the past year, California’s economy has grown by 3.4% leading us to have an average GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of $2.747 trillion.
This has surpassed the United Kingdom and their average GDP of $2.625 trillion. Our state is also home to many places such as Silicon Valley located in the Bay Area. This region is the center of many technology businesses including worldwide phenomenon’s Apple, Facebook, and Google (Dictionary of American History). These companies being founded in California are a big reason to our financial success. California is also known for its large immigration acceptance, resulting in it now harvesting the largest population than any other state.
The numbers have also increased by 15 million since 1970 (Corcoran). This is important because the financials from this not only help build and strengthen our economy, but also improve the lives of others. I know from personal experience, with my mother and grandmother on my father’s side being immigrants, that this opportunity opened up doors to careers and experiences they may not have been able pursue in their original residences. Although the process is not easy and very financially impacted, it is one of the key reasons California’s economy reaches the top.
An article from USA Today states that one in four Californian residents are migrants from another country (California Defies the Stereotypes). Our state is where people come to live out there dreams by working hard and having complete dedication to their craft. These successes are important because it’s the image of our economy that makes us so unique. We should be recognized and remembered for this rather than meaningless stereotypes.
Although California does have these doors for opportunity, our state isn’t all filled with famous celebrities and successful entrepreneurs. Not everyone is living this lavish life the media shows and in fact, there is actually a growing epidemic of the homeless population. Places like Downtown LA and San Francisco have an immense community of struggling vagrants. According to an article written by BBC News correspondent and on-site journalist Peter Bowes, the widespread problem has increased by 23% in the past year (Bowes).
Many tourists and sightseers expect to enter this amazing city of Hollywood occupied by the entertainers they adore but are shocked to see how the streets are actually filled with struggling families and individuals. When I was young I remember having this false reality about how amazing Hollywood was and how everyone living in LA was famous and successful, but the first time I went to LA my view was changed. I believe that more attention needs to be brought to this because the idea of people starving and living their lives in tents on the streets is inhumane.
The risk of disease and illness is also high between this percent of the population because of the lack of hygiene and sanitation. If this situation was more popularly addressed in the media and not just shoved under the rug, then we as a nation could actually make a difference. With having one of the biggest economies in the world, this shouldn’t be an issue and should be one of our nation’s top priorities. Our highly advertised news is just filled with the latest celebrity break up or scandal and we should instead focus on the major issues at hand.
Another way California defies the stereotypes is our $100 billion agriculture industry. The state has one of the strongest and most successful agricultural industries in the nation. It thrives by not only being the most progressive, but also the most invested. According to the well respected California Department of Food and Agriculture, our agriculture industry is a huge part of why the state is so successful (CDFA). California has ranked number one in the nation for having the most productive and progressive agricultural industry for the past 50 plus years.
Our states homegrown nuts, vegetables, and fruits are distributed throughout the country making our industry the main resource for more than half of the nations produce needs. This achievement not only benefits our economic position but also our environmental standpoint. California’s success in the industry is due to their constant innovation of new technology that benefits and creates a more timely business. Also, the hard working skills of the individuals who put their all into whatever they invest their time into.
The state’s success is also due to its perfect location when it comes to our weather and location. Due to California’s many diverse weather areas, fertile soil, and inundated amounts of water, thanks to our surrounding mountain ranges, it’s ability to grow all sorts of different crops isn’t a challenge. It’s important to realize the impact of this industry and give it the recognition it deserves because of how much it not only benefits our state, but the surrounding ones because of our produce being distributed to over half the nation.
Lastly, one of the most popular known things California proudly represents is our success in the film and media industry. Our success doesn’t come overnight and it took a lot of diligent individuals to get us to the success we have today. Being a Cinema and Television Arts major I know that California’s media industry is one of the most well known and well respected worldwide. I’ve personally traveled a lot in my life and whenever the word Hollywood is brought up, everyone immediately knows what it is.
Our success in the industry is due to our well built strategizing and marketing skills. California is known and prides itself for many media successes such as HollyWood’s very own, Warner Brothers Studios, producing the first ever movie with sound. This project was named The Jazz Singer and it really changed the game by showing what California was capable of. California is also home to one of the most famous entertainment business in the world, Disney. According to the official Disney Studios history page, this idea started in 1923 with one man who had a dream to share his comics with the world.
With the opportunities and doors living in California opened up for him, he was able to start one of the top ranking entertainment industries in the world. This is important because without these profitable and influential ideas, our state wouldn’t be recognized as the place to come when wanting to live out your dreams. When it comes to the entertainment industry California also stands out on top.
California is one of the most exciting and innovative places not only in our nation but the entire world. We strive to build ourselves up economically, agriculturally, and socially. We aren’t all that the media represents and there is so much more to us than rich reality tv stars and problematic celebrities. Our state should not be seen as just that because we have so many other accomplishments and values that are far more impacting.
Although not perfect, California progresses and strives to meet the needs of its residents because in order to succeed we must work together. California will continue to thrive and advance, not only leading us to reach a higher ranking on the economic, social and humanitarian scale, but also gain the respect and recognition we deserve. California isn’t the largest state in the nation, but it’s the most independent, diverse, and diligent.
