California Vieja: Culture and Memory in a Modern American Place

The characteristic look of Southern California, with its red-tiled roofs, stucco homes, and Spanish street names suggests an enduring fascination with the region's Spanish-Mexican past. In this engaging study, Phoebe S. Kropp reveals that the origins of this aesthetic were not solely rooted in the Spanish colonial period, but arose in the early twentieth century, when Anglo residents recast the days of missions and ranchos as an idyllic golden age of pious padres, placid Indians, dashing caballeros and sultry senoritas. Four richly detailed case studies uncover the efforts of Anglo boosters and examine the responses of Mexican and Indian people in the construction of places that gave shape to this cultural memory: El Camino Real, a tourist highway following the old route of missionaries; San Diego's world's fair, the Panama-California Exposition; the architecturally- and racially-restricted suburban hamlet Rancho Santa Fe; and Olvera Street, an ersatz Mexican marketplace in the heart of Los Angeles. California Vieja is a compelling demonstration of how memory can be more than nostalgia. In Southern California, the Spanish past became a catalyst for the development of the region's built environment and public culture, and a civic narrative that still serves to marginalize Mexican and Indian residents. The characteristic look of Southern California, with its red-tiledroofs, stucco homes, and Spanish street names suggests an enduringfascination with the region's Spanish-Mexican past. In thisengaging study, Phoebe S. Kropp reveals that the origins of thisaesthetic were not solely rooted in the Spanish colonial period,but arose in the early twentieth century, when Anglo residentsrecast the days of missions and ranchos as an idyllic golden age ofpious padres, placid Indians, dashing caballeros and sultrysenoritas. Four richly detailed case studies uncover the efforts ofAnglo boosters and examine the responses of Mexican and Indianpeople in the construction of places that gave shape to thiscultural memory: El Camino Real, a tourist highway following theold route of missionaries; San Diego's world's fair, thePanama-California Exposition; the architecturally- andracially-restricted suburban hamlet Rancho Santa Fe; and OlveraStreet, an ersatz Mexican marketplace in the heart of Los Angeles.California Vieja is a compelling demonstration of howmemory can be more than nostalgia. In Southern California, theSpanish past became a catalyst for the development of the region'sbuilt environment and public culture, and a civic narrative thatstill serves to marginalize Mexican and Indian residents