California, the Pacific Rim, and the Asian American Imagination: Past, Present, and Future

C a l i f o r n i a d r e a m i n g 159 h o u se d o w n , b u t n e it h e r am I a d v o c a t in g w in d o w d r e ssin g. R a t h e r t h a n t a c k in g o n a few “o t h e r v o ic e s” t o t h e t ail e n d o f co u r se s in c o n ­ t e m p o r ar y C a lifo r n ia lit e r at u r e , w e m igh t r e c o n sid e r h o w w e t e a c h 1 9 t h - c e n t u r y C a lifo r n ia st u d ie s. Su b st it u t in g M a r ía A m p a r o R u iz d e Bu r t o n in p la c e o f Jo h n St e in b e c k as t h e k e y st o n e o f o u r in t r o d u c ­ t or y C a lifo r n ia lit e r at u r e co u r se s, fo r in st a n c e , w ill b o lst e r t h e fo u n ­ d a t io n , n o t raze it; so w ill t e a c h in g t h e go ld r u sh t h r o u gh t h e ey es o f h ist o r ia n s lik e Le o n a r d P it t an d R u d o lp h La p p . W h y n o t r e ad Em ily W o r t is Le id e r ’s C a l i f o r n i a ’s D a u g h t e r : G e r t r u d e A t h e r t o n a n d H e r T im e s a lo n gsid e sh o r t st o r ie s b y Ja c k Lo n d o n , o r e d it o r ia ls fr o m Lo s A n g e le s’s m id - 1 9 t h - c e n t u r y d aily E l C l a m o r P ú b lic o o r Sa n F r a n ­ c isc o ’s L a R e p ú b lic a a lo n g w it h t h e Sa n F r a n c is c o C h r o n ic le 2 By r e fu s­ in g t o r e d u ce t h e C a lifo r n ia p a st t o a w e st e r n v e r sio n o f P ly m o u t h R o c k , w e giv e c o n t e m p o r ar y im age s o f t h e st a t e m o r e d e p t h an d c o n ­ t o u r as w ell. A s W alt e r M o sle y ’s E asy R aw lin s in d ic a t e s o f L A , t h e r e ar e gh o st s ev e r y w h e r e : “So u t h e a st L A w as...