Compare West to East

We have finally reach sunny California. On our journey from New York to Cali we have visited everywhere in between. In my journey I went from west, Cali, to east, NY and did not stop in between. I now get to write about my favorite state, tied with new york of course.

Lets compare California with New York.

Cali: almost like summer year round
NY: very cold and snowy winters

Cali: Fashion Capital of the Country!
NY: Fashion Capital of the Country!

Cali: Beach as tourist attraction
NY: City as tourist attraction

Cali: Coastal
NY: Coastal

Cali: Relaxed
NY: Fast Paced

Cali: Heavy Mexican and Asian influences

NY: Heavy Jewish and Italian influences

Cali: Traffic!
NY: Traffic!

Cali: Los Angeles
NY: Manhattan

Cali: Earthquake country
NY: Hit by huricanes

Cali: Sacramento
NY: Albany


What other differences can you think of? Comment please!

Southwestern Boarders and Corners

Now I know this isn't the chapter about California but it does include so cal. Woo hometown!! I will talk about California next week so today we will focus on the US Mexico border and its influence on the states. Also about the fact that you dont find much Mexican influence in New York.

I do remember going to one part of queens a couple times and getting fantastic Mexican food but that was only one town one area of the gigantic NYC!

This area like much of the US is known for its ethnic diversity. Since this area closely borders Mexico there are many Mexican immigrants and immigration concerns. As well as the Mexican influence, in this southwestern border we find American Indian cultures. As I mentioned previously New York has a very small Mexican population but an even smaller population of American Indians. 

The Mexicans gave the United States a variety traditions and the American Indians did as well. There are many historic sights that represent Indian and Mexican history and culture. In Arizona there are many Indian reservations, in Texas there are a lot of Spanish adobes and in southern California, many Mexican missions.

Ironically the Mexican influence in New York is in the southwestern portion of the state. An area of queens in quite heavily populate by Hispanic peoples and there you can find the best part of Mexico is once again the food the food! Always authentic and fresh.

All this to say..the southern most border of the US and Mexico has a lot of Mexican influence and as you go further east into New York there becomes less and less of a Mexican population however many states do have places where you can get great Mexican food. :)

Varrying Peoples

As much of the other regions of the US, New York is so very different. It stands especially true in the empty interior. This region has so much empty space and many national parks and features of the sort. New York City fills every space possible with buildings and people that there is no room to preserve any national parks.

Every post thus far has talked about what can be found in New York compared to other states and regions. Things found and written about included buildings, products, and physical features. This time I would like to discuss the people found in New York compared to a big state in the Empty Interior, Utah.

Now I am also doing my term paper on this state and discussing its physical features and geographical attributes however the text talks a lot about the Mormon culture in Utah. This culture can be seen in other states and parts of the world but is seen differently.

There is such a strong presence of Mormon people, 70 percent of the population, in Utah that there is almost no presence of non Mormons here. Mormons are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Ironically, this church was founded in New York in 1830. they were not accepted here and moved further and further west until they found present day Salt Lake City, Utah.

There is a show on TLC called sister wives where there is a man who is married to four woman at the same time and they all live together one big but separate life. They are all Mormon and live in Utah. This man has 16 kids. This is not how all Mormons live. many just have one spouse but they do still have a lot of kids because that is their belief system.

New York's Mormon population is 4% that of Utah's. Instead the more common type of people found in New York: Jewish and Italian cultures. In terms of our country however New York has the biggest African American poplulation and about 12% of New York claims to be jewish but NYC is the largest jewish congregation outside of Israel. New York's Italian culture is the largest in the US. These cultures are extreamly different from mormonism and extreamly different from each other as well.

Mormon Temple in Utah

The Famous Carnegie Deli in New York brought to us by the Jewish community.

New York's Little Italy. The Italian community is so big New York has a town just for Italians.

New York is No Little House on The Prairie

When I was younger my sister and I would watch Little House on The Prairie EVERYDAY over summer. We watched so much we would see repeats and we got to know the characters very well. When ever I think of the middle of the country and states like Nebraska and Kansas I think of that TV show. I also think even now how separated these states are from New York or even Cali. There are no grasslands in Manhattan. No one raises cattle or churns their own butter either. Even in the old days New York wasn't so old fashioned, they were ahead of the times and still are today.

To get into the more specifics of the plains and prairies, they arent just feilds of grass and wheat. The states in this region serve as backdrops for many movies and attract tourists with their great geographic features such as their open lands. Many California residents are moving to these states for the lower cost of living. Also all these stats are in the middle of the country its just a two or three hour flight to either LA or NY. Not a bad deal if you have family on the coasts and like nature :)

If you do not however, New York goes far and beyond nature. Obviously this area differs from New York in that NY has more population, more urbanization and more building. I wouldn't say NY conducts more business because there is plenty business to be had in the prairies as fair as wheat and cattle are concerned but there is deffinately a bigger population. Throughout this blog I have of written lots about what New York is and is not. And people who have grown up in Manhattan will deffinatly not survive in a sity like Whichita, Kansas.

The next post we will go into more fast areas of land and state in the Empty Interior and I will offer new insite and fashion tips :)