THE END!

I hope you have enjoyed my blog about my home town of Merced, CA. Below is a video that shows famous historic landmarks of Merced such as the Merced theater and the El Capitan Hotel and the  Tioga Hotel, where Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimmiagio are rumored to have stayed! The title is "To Those who Call Merced Home". Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Hawaii

The Asian arrival in Hawaii had a major impact on the population. In 1997, Merced had a high concentration of Hmong residents relative to its population. The settlement of the Hmongs began after the Laotian Civil war ended. The Hmong fled to refugee camps in Thailand and then the United States. Dang Moua promoted Merced for the Hmongs to live in. He thought that it had rich soils and good land to plant with. He moved to Merced, and the reviews of this town spread quickly to other clans. Even though he was right in what he thought about the land, much of the land had already been owned, and Mexican workers took up the low-wage jobs that the farms had to offer. However, the longer they lived in Merced, the more common it was for them to become land owners. There is now a "Yang Farm" which is just a small fruit stand, located just down the street from my house in Merced. During the summer, one can buy three baskets full of strawberries for about $5.00. The farm produces adequate produce throughout the summer and many locals stop there to buy fruits and vegetables from them. Many of them left between 2006 and 2008 due to the economic recession. The Hmong population in Merced was so prevalent that there was even a book written about it called "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman.

Just a small selection of what one can find at Yangs fruit stand in Merced.

 http://fieldnotesfromwonderland.tumblr.com/

Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast

Likewise to the North Pacific Coast, Merced is filled with trees! The new housing developments along with the old consist of many trees filling the neighborhoods. These trees range from maple, spruce, firs, and evergreens. However, these trees are not used for timber, these trees are more for the "decoration" of Merced. Along with neighborhood trees are orchard trees. These orchard trees bloom in the Spring season making for a beautiful country scene, but annoying seasonal allergies, which is what my dad and I suffer from! After moving to Northridge from Merced, I feel as though I have learned to appreciate so many trees in my old neighborhood. I now live in an apartment, not a neighborhood, and there is a scarce amount of trees near the proximity of my apartment. I miss the neighborhood trees and the shade they had to offer. I also miss the trees during a hot day here in Northridge. In Merced, at a red light, one could find comfort in the shade of a tree during a hot day, but here, there are no trees on the most busiest streets!

Trees lining the walkway to the old courthouse in Merced.

http://www.flickriver.com/groups/merced/pool/interesting/

Neighborhood lined with trees in Merced.

http://www.cityofmerced.org/depts/pw/trees_division/default.asp

Chapter 15: California

Ahhh the greatest state ever! California is always depicted as the ideal place to live. With warm beaches, mountains, attractive people and the elite, how could one resist? These words and pictures are what first come to peoples minds when they think of the sunshine state. Too bad the entirety of the state does not lay on the coast! These are also some of the reasons why this state is so ethnically diverse. Movies, television shows, reality shows and even music conveys California in a most ideal way. I am an only child, so growing up my family has hosted three foreign exchanged students, all from Germany. One of them named Valerie, watched the television show called The O.C while she was in Germany. The show is about a rich white family that lived in orange county. They lived in a mansion looking over the ocean, the kids had bonfires on the beach every night while watching the sunset on the beach. When she heard that she would be coming to California, her mind was full of all of the previously mentioned attributes plus the life of the characters in The O.C. Well, little did she know that Merced was not even close to orange county! Needless to say, Valerie was a little disappointed when she came to the small town of Merced filled with cow pastures, one small mall, and the best sunset view at the local man made lake. My point is that we should not only focus on the stereotypical things that come to mind when we think of California, however we should also keep in mind why we are so ethnically diverse, because we are a land of opportunity.We should also keep in mind and remind others of the scarce water supply and rapid urban expansion. If these two problems do not get some sort of attention in the near future, California may not be the state where everyone wants to end up.

Sunset at Lake Yosemite, Merced. See, its not so bad, right?

http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/yosemity

Chapter 14: The Southwest Border Area

Hispanic Americans

Similar to the Southwest border, many Hispanic Americans also reside in Merced. My grandparents migrated to the US from Mexico in 1957. My grandfather came here illegally at first, looking for work which he found. He then sent money for my grandmother to come and join him. During this time that they were apart, they were engaging in a long distance relationship for about 7 years (awww!). Once they saved enough money to file for citizenship, they did so and have been legal residents ever since.Throughout Merced, one can see the hispanic influence that it has had on the town. From the local "panaderias" or bakeries, to "taquerias" or taco shops, many hispanics were successful in establishing business. They also had a decent clientele base, which consisted of other immigrants from Mexico. My great grandmother, the mother of the one that immigrated here was from France. My grandfathers last name is Velazquez, which is derived from Spain. This is just one example of how the Spanish Conquistadores and European immigrants have impacted my family and I.My fathers last name is Garcia, which is also Spanish. According to the 2010 U.S census, 55.7% of the Merced County population reported being hispanic or latino. That is 38.1% of the entire state of California! I am glad that my grandparents came when they did, or else I would not be here today!

Pictured here is Panaderia Oaxaca in Merced where one can find delicious, authentic Mexican pastries.

http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/mexico,panaderia/Timeline

Chapter 13: The Empty Interior

Merced is the gateway to one of the most well-known national parks located in the empty interior: Yosemite. Highway 140 runs directly through the town of Merced. This is the only highway that leads the locals to Yosemite. Yosemite is home to Glacier Point, El Capitan, Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Mirror lake, and not to mention the famous Ahwahnee Hotel nestled in the heart of Yosemite Valley. The great Yosemite Valley was formed during the glaciation period of history. Lakes and streams were formed along with great waterfalls and huge mountains. Yosemite is beautiful during anytime of the year. Tourists who choose to go during the summer can witness the "fire fall" which is when the sun hits the water coming down Vernal falls and it looks red. Others who choose to come during the fall or winter can see the magnificent leaves change to bright fall hues, or the massive mountain peaks covered with snow, looking like a winter wonderland. Everyone should see Yosemite at least once in their lifetime. Whether you are an avid hiker, naturalist, or just enjoy the peaceful outdoors, you should visit this extraordinary place. I promise you will not regret it!
Click Here to Start Planning a Yosemite Vacation Today!

The Ahwahnee Hotel 

http://www.incadventures.com/trips/yosemite/yosemite-winter-hotel-tour.php

The "fire fall"

 http://www.incadventures.com/trips/yosemite/yosemite-winter-hotel-tour.php

Yosemite Valley during the Winter season. 

http://www.incadventures.com/trips/yosemite/yosemite-winter-hotel-tour.php

Chapter 12: The Great Plains and Prairies

Precipitation Patterns

Merced is known for having extremely hot summers and mild winters. It is not uncommon for Merced to experience a dry spell or drought season. Rainy days come far and few throughout the year. Crops suffer due to the small amount of rain that Merced receives. As you can see, the highest temperature recorded for Merced was 112 degrees farenheit in 2006, and the lowest temperature was 13 degrees farenheit in 2007. The most precipitation occurs in the month of January. The average precipitation for 2011 in Merced was just above ten inches for the year. Compared to the Great Plains annual precipitation, with just Kansas coming up with 42 inches, this is extremely minute. This is part because Merced does not have such conflicting air masses like the great plains and prairies do, which causes this large amount of rain fall.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/USCA0695

Month

Avg. High

Avg. Low

Mean

Avg. Precip

Record High

Record Low

Jan

55°F

37°F

46°F

2.61 in.

75°F (1981)

13°F (2007)

Feb

62°F

40°F

51°F

2.44 in.

79°F (1977)

20°F (1990)

Mar

68°F

43°F

56°F

2.07 in.

88°F (1972)

21°F (2007)

Apr

75°F

46°F

61°F

0.94 in.

98°F (2001)

22°F (1999)

May

83°F

52°F

68°F

0.54 in.

106°F (2001)

30°F (1978)

Jun

91°F

57°F

74°F

0.08 in.

111°F (1961)

37°F (1979)

Jul

96°F

62°F

79°F

0.01 in.

112°F (2006)

42°F (1978)

Aug

95°F

60°F

78°F

0.02 in.

110°F (1996)

35°F (1979)

Sep

90°F

56°F

73°F

0.16 in.

108°F (1984)

35°F (1978)

Oct

80°F

49°F

65°F

0.83 in.

100°F (1991)

28°F (1971)

Nov

65°F

41°F

53°F

1.33 in.

87°F (1949)

23°F (1957)

Dec

55°F

37°F

46°F

2.08 in.

73°F (2006)