Culture of California

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Culture of California
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The culture of California, also referred to as Californian culture, encompasses various social norms, traditions, and customs in California, including literature, music, visual arts, performing arts, food, sports, religion, law, alongside other beliefs and cultural expressions. Californian culture has been shaped by the history of California, its geography, and various other internal and external factors.

Californian culture is intimately connected to the larger culture of the United States, as well as the cultures of Mexico and Spain, which both ruled California prior to its becoming a part of the United States following the American conquest of California. California is considered an international gateway to the United States and has been heavily influenced by immigration, with the various cultures of Asia and Latin America having left their mark on California's cultural landscape.^[1]

In terms of current socio-cultural mores and national politics, Californians are perceived as more liberal than most other Americans living in any other state, especially to those who live in the coastal or northern regions of California. The state, as a whole, is perceived as very liberal, voting for the Democratic Party with supermajorities, although the northeast region (predominantly the area covering the California half of the proposed State of Jefferson) consisting of more rural, mountainous, and inland areas as well as certain parts of the southern coastal region (i.e. Orange County) are conservative. California is also home to prestigious universities including Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, the University of Southern California, and the Claremont Colleges.