The Perpetual Tourist

C a l i f o r n i a d r e a m i n g n a t io n a l lin e s, n o m o r e t h a n t r a n sn a t io n a l c o r p o r a t io n s d o ; b o t h c o n t e st t h e n a t io n as t h e u n iq u e ly p r iv ile ge d m o d e m fo r m fo r c u l­ t u r al, e c o n o m ic , a n d p o lit ic a l c o m m u n it ie s. D e sp it e t h e ir ow n d e n ia ls, n a t io n s ar e t h e c o n flic t e d c o n t a c t zo n es o f d iffe r e n t c o m m u ­ n it ie s t h r o w n t o ge t h e r , a n d in d e e d fo r m e d b y t h e u n e v e n sp r e ad o f a glo b aliz in g c a p it a lism . C a lifo r n ia — h o m e o f t h e n ew E x c lu sio n A c t s k n o w n as P r o p o sit io n s 187, 2 0 9 , a n d 2 2 7 — is n o w w h er e t h e se p r o c e sse s a c c r u e m o st acu te ly , b u t n o c o n c e p t n o r c o r n e r o f t h e n a t io n r e m ain s u n a ffe c t e d b y t h e so c ia l co n flict s e n ge n d e r e d b y t h e u n e q u a l m e e t in g o f t h e U n it e d St a t e s, t h e A fr ic a n D iasp o r a , G r e a t e r M e x ic o , t h e P acific R im , a n d In d ia n C o u n t r y . L e t u s ack n o w le d ge w h at t r ib a l n a t io n s h a v e alw ay s k n o w n : t h a t “t h e W e st ” is alw ay s a t r a n sn a t io n a l d isco u r se . Jo h n M . G o n zález te ach e s Lat in o /a stu d ies an d 19th -cen tu r y U S lit ­ er atu r e in th e A m e r ic an C u lt u r e s P rogram an d th e En glish D e p ar tm en t at th e U n iv e r sit y o f M ich igan . H e is co m p le t in g a m an u scrip t o n th e n at io n al p o lit ics o f n ar r at iv e in th e p o st- R e co n str u ctio n p eriod , titled In the W ak e o f R e c o n st r u...