MexAmerica (Chapter 14)

The Antelope Valley is included in the Californian portion of MexAmerica, as shown on page 267 of our textbook, which is discussed in Chapter 15. The Antelope Valley is part of the Mojave Desert, and as described in this chapter, it is characterized by very hot and dry weather, which is generally characteristic of the MexAmerican region. I was interested to learn, after reading about the desert tortoise in this chapter, that the Antelope Valley is home to a significant population of desert tortoises. According to the Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee (DTPC), "Located in northeastern Los Angeles County, the Antelope Valley includes some of the most threatened and fragmented desert tortoise habitat. The DTPC is working to protect the remaining desert tortoises and their habitat in this at-risk area."

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, along with the DTPC, established the Desert Tortoise Natural Area in California City, in the northern Antelope Valley, to help protect the endangered species in its natural habitat. Visitors are welcome to hike along trails through the preserve and hopefully get to see some of the tortoises:






(Sources: http://www.tortoise-tracks.org/wptortoisetracks/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tt2001spring.pdf, http://deathvalleyjim.com/2011/10/30/desert-tortoise-natural-area-california-city-ca-10282011/)

The Antelope Valley also shares some cultural similarities with the MexAmerican region. The 2010 Census for Palmdale revealed that 54.4% of the population of Palmdale is of Hispanic or Latino origin, which is a significant increase from 37.78%  in the 2000 Census. It is also recorded that 29% of Palmdale residents speak Spanish, compared to 22% of all Californians.

(Sources: http://censusviewer.com/city/CA/Palmdale, http://www.areavibes.com/palmdale-ca/demographics/)

The increasing number of individuals from Hispanic or Latino origins in the Antelope Valley is increasingly influencing the area's cultural identity. As reported in the Antelope Valley Times, 2014 was be the inaugural year for the Miss AV Latina pageant, which included a segment where participants were required to give " a speech focusing on how their culture and heritage shapes their personal identity." The poster is shown below:

(Source: http://theavtimes.com/2014/03/03/miss-av-latina-seeking-contestants/) 

Both Lancaster and Palmdale have their own Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and there is also the Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which serve to help Hispanic and Spanish-speaking business owners succeed in the Antelope Valley business community. Ultimately, the Hispanic population within the Antelope Valley is a significant and growing part of the AV's demographic composition and its cultural identity, and in this way the Antelope Valley shares a strong similarity with much of the MexAmerican region.