Kendra S. Horn: “as we celebrate California's 150th anniversary of statehood, this is a good time to reflect on the vast change that has…”

“as we celebrate California's 150th anniversary of statehood, this is a good time to reflect on the vast change that has occurred in this former Spanish Colony. Since California was admitted into the Union as the nation's 31st state on September 9, 1850, the state has grown to become the world's fifth largest economy. California's history before and after statehood includes vital contributions by Hispanics and Native Americans. One of the most important has been the system of 21 missions founded by Father Junipero Serra that began in San Diego and extended over 600 miles to the north. The contributions of the missions in education and in producing clothing and food were integral in California's early development. California has often been referred to as a bellwether state--a place where people challenge the assumptions of the present to give America a glimpse of the future. This is fitting for a state settled by far-sighted, brave individuals willing to risk everything for a second chance. Americans and others from around the world have seen California as a place to seek a better life. When Los Angeles was founded in 1781, its residents included people of European, African, and Native American ethnic backgrounds. Chinese immigrants built railroads and agricultural infrastructure in the 19th Century. In the 1880's the first direct rail connection between Southern California and the East brought hundreds of thousands to the Southland.”