Diversity has long been part of the fabric of Los Angeles and Southern California. Humans first arrived here at least 13,000 years ago and more than twenty Native American nations made their home here before the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish pueblo of Los Angeles was itself founded by people of Native, African, European, and mixed ancestries and … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Taiwanese Los Angeles
Taiwan’s official status is complicated. Some view it as a renegade region of China, others as the sole legitimate government of the mainland (the Republic of China). Still others believe it to be an island with a unique history stretching back tens of thousands of years and with a distinct culture influenced by Austronesian, Han, and Japanese history, … Continue reading Made in Taiwan – Taiwanese Cinema and Television
In early January, Una and I headed north over to San Francisco to visit my sister, who was in town for a conference. I figured it might be a nice opportunity to share some thoughts about “the City.” Since first visiting in 1998, I’ve been to San Francisco many times — and yet, for some … Continue reading Where Fools Fear To Tread — A Snapshot of San Francisco
From the 1900s through the 1970s, large numbers of migrants to Los Angeles gathered in themed picnics organized around their states of origin known as State Society Picnics or just State Picnics (although that sounds confusingly to me like an outdoor state banquet). They were known as “State Society Picnics.” The phenomenon was huge. One … Continue reading Southland Parks — Los Angeles’s State Society Picnics
Last year, on 18 August, I published a piece celebrating San Fernando Valley Day. You see, in the US (and nowhere else, really), people write dates month/day/year. I know, it makes no sense. Chalk another one up for American Exceptionalism. 818 is the area code that closely responds to the San Fernando Valley (although it … Continue reading Happy 626, or, San Gabriel Valley Day!
The Grand Tour, for the unfamiliar, was a custom that arose in Britain in the mid-1600s, which involved upper class young British men touring around Europe as part of their cultural education. By the 1800s, the custom had spread from the British upper classes to the nouveau riche of Europe, the Americas, and the Philippines. … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — The Los Angeles Grand Tour
It’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and so I thought it might be nice to shine a spotlight on some of Metro Los Angeles‘s many Asian American artists, the subject of this week’s post. It was a bit of an undertaking for many reasons. There are and have been many Asian American artists who’ve at … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — 200 Asian Angeleno Artists
INTRODUCTION May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and in honor of that observance, this week’s post is about Guamanians in Los Angeles. BRIEF HISTORY OF GUAM Guam (CHamoru: Guåhan) is an island in the Micronesia sub-region of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point in the Greater United States. It is the … Continue reading No Enclave — Guamanian Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a multilingual metropolis. There are roughly 19 million people in Metro Los Angeles and, according to the late, renowned linguist, Vyacheslav Ivanov, there are at least 224 languages spoken in Los Angeles County. Ivanov also estimated that there are roughly 180 local publications written in languages other than English. Although a less … Continue reading No Enclave — Language Schools of Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION I love incense. I’ve been fascinated with it since I was a young child and discovered that my parents had two boxes of cone incense. One was sandalwood and had an image of the Taj Mahal on it. I don’t remember the scent of the other, but it had an abstract image of a … Continue reading The Brightwell Guide to Incense
Eric Brightwell 