Selection of writings by authors of various ethnic backgrounds that provide insights into life in modern-day California, including fiction, literary excerpts, interviews, and poetry.

Includes index.

Manifesto / Rubén Martinez -- The grandfather of the Sierra Nevada Mountains / Maxine Hong Kingston -- from The Conquest / Yxta Maya Murray -- from Holy Land / D.J. Waldie -- Pruning generations / David Mas Masumoto -- The elements of San Joaquin / Gary Soto -- from Grass roof, tin roof / Dao Strom -- The magic pony / Greg Sarris -- from Where I was from / Joan Didion -- Palo Alto: the marshes / Robert Hass -- from The gangster we are looking for / Lê thi diem thúy -- from The white boy shuffle / Paul Beatty -- from American son / Brian Ascalon Roley -- Interview / James Quay -- Riding into California / Shirley Geok-Lin Lim -- The American dream / Laila Halaby -- from The kite runner / Khaled Hosseini -- Melvin in the sixth grade / Dana Johnson -- from Travels with Charley / John Steinbeck -- The light takes its color from the sea / James D. Houston -- My ride, my revolution / Luis J. Rodriguez -- Mrs. Dutta writes a letter / Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni -- Moving still / Francisco Jimènez -- Where the poppies grow / Richard Rodriguez -- Hands / Robinson Jeffers.