First published 2022
Francisco Cantú travels through a California caught between collapse and defiance. Major media outlets from New York and Washington declare the state's funeral, speaking constantly of "the end of California as we know it." Yet many West Coast residents push back, defending what they see as a progressive, libertarian, cutting-edge model state. Living there has become a privilege, and despite a booming economy, many residents seek opportunities in neighboring states, especially with remote work options expanding. For non-white communities, however, the struggle is nothing new. Whether in Los Angeles's increasingly rare multicultural neighborhoods, sites of historic Black uprisings, or in the Central Valley where much of America's food grows, life has always been an uphill battle. Even seemingly integrated communities like Asian Americans face ongoing challenges. Cantú examines how these lands were colonized through Indigenous bloodshed, and how only now, more than 150 years after the massacres, a genuine movement seeks to return land to the rightful owners' descendants. Among the violently conquered territories stands Yosemite, the national park Americans associate with pristine nature and snowy peaks in the land of surf.
Genres: american, contemporary, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary
Setting: California, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Yosemite
Period: 21st Century
192 pages · Paperback · Iperborea
Content warnings: colonialism