California Cultures in Comparative Perspective When measured by virtually any standard, California is one of the most demographically and economically dynamic places on earth. The state's economic strength historically has created and sustained huge demands for labor; thus California has long served as a major entrepot to immigrants and internal migrants drawn to its expanding economy. Thus trends occurring in California are linked to and reflect transformations in other states and other nations around the globe. But with this vibrant social and economic reality the Golden state is also facing a host of challenges, including socioeconomic polarization, the erosion of the state's public education system, and continued political tensions among racial/ethnic groups over symbolic, cultural, and material resources.
One of the greatest challenges facing California in the 21st century is diversity. UCSD is uniquely positioned to assume a leadership role in addressing the complex questions that affect the future of California's population. The California Cultures initiative will be a cutting-edge center of creative, interdisciplinary research, teaching, and collaboration among faculty, students, and the public to explore the broad implications of the history and current growth of the state's immigrant and people of color populations. As California is now a "majority minority" state, this focus becomes even more important.
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