Of Ashes and Arugula: The California Conundrum

Why No One Is California Dreamin’: A Golden State Turned Warning Sign for America

"Slim sat down on a box across the table from George. 'It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know,' he said. 'Guys like us got no family. They make a little stake an’ then they blow it in. They ain’t got nobody in the worl’ that gives a hoot in hell about ’em—But not us,' George said quickly. 'Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why." — John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

What happened to the California that was once a symbol of opportunity and abundance?

How did the Golden State, once a paradise of my childhood dreams, become a cautionary tale?

When I was in the third grade, Mrs. Anderson gave our class a project that I still think about to this day. We were to pick any state in the U.S., research it, and write a book report.

And then we had to read our report aloud to the class.

I don’t remember what states the others in my class picked, but I chose California.

Back then, to me, it was the most fascinating place I could imagine.

I remember pulling out the encyclopedia—those thick, musty books we used before Google—and flipping to "California, The Golden State."

What I found made it seem like paradise.

The pictures showed sunny beaches, sprawling green fields of farmland, and glittering cities. I learned that California wasn’t just one place but a collection of landscapes and dreams.

One area was famous for farming, particularly lettuce and arugula. That stuck with me, and when it came time to draw my crayon map of California on construction paper, I labeled the farmland with pride, drawing a picture of a big green head of lettuce on the spot.

Now, when I think of California, my dream of green fields of arugula has very literally turned to ashes.

What has happened there—a land once synonymous with opportunity and abundance—is nothing short of a travesty. The state I marveled at as a child has become a cautionary tale, and it's one we must urgently heed.

So, what has happened to the California of my childhood dreams, the beautiful California from my third-grade book report?

I’m not going to pretend like I know what’s going on in California.

Because I don’t.

I’m not going to provide any answers for you in this article. So, if answers are what you’re looking for, you might as well stop reading here, because I don’t have any.

I’m only going to ask more questions.

Because that’s all I have.

And at this point, maybe that’s enough for a start.

California Dreamin’

There was a time when California wasn’t just the cultural trendsetter of America but also a political powerhouse of conservative leadership.