Chapter 14, The Southwest Border Area: Tricultural Development

The Southwest region is a favorite vacation spot of mine.  I have visited southern California spots, as well as spending many vacations in Arizona.  The culture, the ethnic diversity, the food, and the history keep me coming back a few times each year. 

All of those attributes are similar to San Francisco and the Bay Area.  Like many other big cities there are the clique neighborhoods where one culture/ethnicity may play a dominant role.  For example, Chinese in Chinatown and Mexicans in the Mission, Japanese in Japantown and Italians in North Beach.  All of these different cultures come together and bring something unique that attracts tourism from around the world. 
 
Chinatown, www.meiwentees.com
 
latino influenced murals all over the Mission district, http://www.sanfrancisco.about.com/
  
Peace Plaza in Japantown, www.inetours.com
 
cafes line the streets in North Beach, www.ugwug.blogspot.com 

When the Mission program had started in 1769 by the Spaniards, the Padres would eventually make their way up the California coast and establish Mission Dolores in San Francisco in 1776.  The Padres had recruited the Ohlone tribe members to help in building the Mission, and at the same time tried to spread the Christian message. 

1850 picture of Mission Dolores, http://www.sfgste.com/

The Bracero Program of 1942 had brought many Mexican laborers to California to do "manual labor" on agricultural land.  Under the propgram, Mexican workers could come to the United States and work as seasonal laborers, and when the season ended they were to go back to Mexico.  In an article from http://www.sfgate.com/, ex-braceros were protesting for back wages owed to them by the United States government. 

Former Mexican braceros held a rally at U.S. District Court in San Francisco demanding the payment of wages earned almost 60 years ago.  Chronicle photo by Penni Gladstone.