The future of California will be vastly different than what it is now, and I’m not talking about metallic, shiny buildings or flying cars. Those should have been here by now anyway.
I’m talking about the color of California, or more specifically, the people.
According to Califoniawatch.org, the Latino population in California grew 28 percent between 2000 to 2010. Latinos are not stopping there.
According to Politico, state demographers predict that the Latino population will equal and exceed that of whites by early next year, a milestone for the state and people. By 2020, Latinos will make up 41 percent of California’s population.
Can California trade state names with New Mexico? Or go by Mexico Jr.?
With Latinos waiting in the wings to become the majority of California, there will be some things to get used too.
It will be different, and it does us no good shaving against the grain and resisting the new look of the state, possibly even the United States. So regardless of your ethnicity or race, here are some tips on how to fit in and transition into the new look California.
The first things to do are to start slow and take an interest in our music. Although it’s not the easiest music to listen to, it will be what is being played at laundry mats, the radio, and my neighbors house early in the morning. Mariachis will soon be the new “guy with a guitar,“ at either a nice park or a street corner.
The easiest and, perhaps, the most important thing would be to re-embrace lardy and greasy food. Americans already have a loving history with those foods, but recently this healthy food craze has turned off the ovens and stoves. As my grandma’s cooking proves, although delicious, if it doesn’t taste heart stopping, add more salt.
Lastly, a smart thing to do if you do not want feel left out of conversations would be to learn a little bit of Spanish. You don’t have to hang with Michael Phelps with a copy of an Español “Rosetta Stone” either.
It doesn’t even have to be Spanish. A fractioned “Spanglish” with an accent shows you are trying and will not go unnoticed. Embracing words like “orale,” “carnal,” and the forever popular “vato” will go a long way. Show off by using all of those in the same sentence.
Don’t resist, embrace. Learn to love everything that’s been enjoyed since 1810.
