Making The San Fernando Valley

In the first book-length scholarly study of the San Fernando Valley—home to one-third of the population of Los Angeles—Laura R. Barraclough combines ambitious historical sweep with an on-theground investigation of contemporary life in this iconic western suburb. She is particularly intrigued by the Valley's many rural elements, such as dirt roads, tack-and-feed stores, horse-keeping districts, citrus groves, and movie ranches. Far from natural or undeveloped spaces, these rural characteristics are, she shows, the result of deliberate urbanplanning decisions that have shaped the Valley over the course of more than a hundred years. The Valley's entwined history of urban development and rural preservation has real ramifications today for patterns of racial and class inequality and especially for the evolving meaning of whiteness. Immersing herself in meetings of homeowners' associations, equestrian organizations, and redistricting committees, Barraclough uncovers the racial biases embedded in rhetoric about “open space” and “western heritage.” The Valley's urban cowboys enjoy exclusive, semirural landscapes alongside the opportunities afforded by one of the world's largest cities. Despite this enviable position, they have at their disposal powerful articulations of both white victimization and, with little contradiction, color-blind politics.

If you want to learn about the history, celebrities, entertainment, dining, and places to visit and explore in San Fernando Valley, California, then check out HowExpert Guide to the San Fernando Valley. There’s so much to see and do in the San Fernando Valley that you might find it hard to decide where to begin. From movie studio tours, amusement parks, cultural centers, metaphysical spots, a historic mission, hiking trails, huge parks, lovely gardens, restaurants galore, and much, much more, the Valley, as locals call it, is the place for fun. Author Susan Hartzler who grew up there shares the rich history of the area and hidden secrets and personal stories in this exhaustive guide. Did you know Lucille Ball and her husband Ricky Ricardo lived there with a cow that used to kiss them good night from their bedroom window? Or that Marilyn Monroe was discovered in the Valley working at Radioplane Munitions Factory in Van Nuys? Or how about the fact that the Jonas Brothers grew up in Toluca Lake and Bruno Mars had a place in Studio City? Those are just a few of the celebrity stories you’ll learn about when you read this book. The Valley is more than strip malls, suburbs, and Valleyspeak. The area’s diverse residents bring with them different cultures that make the Valley something extra special. There are even Longhorn cattle living there amidst some major celebrities who call the Valley home today. You’ll even find out the best places to stargaze where you can catch a glimpse of your favorite star in their real life. You’ll also learn about the best ways to get around town, the best places to stay, what to do, and where to eat. Speaking of food, the Valley is home to Sushi Row alongside some of the best Mexican restaurants you’ll find this side of the border. So, before you pack up the kids, find out all about the Valley from someone who knows. The place is spread out, so you could miss a fun adventure if you don’t do your research before going. Take it from Susan: The Valley is a wonderful place to live and the perfect vacation spot to visit. Check out HowExpert Guide to the San Fernando Valley to learn about the history, celebrities, entertainment, dining, and places to visit and explore in San Fernando Valley, California. About the Author Susan Hartzler is an award-winning writer and author of the memoir I’m Not Single, I Have a Dog: Dating Tales from the Bark Side, published by McFarland Publishers. It’s available on Amazon and includes personal stories and pictures of her family home, a ranch-style beauty in Northridge. She is also a lifelong dog lover whose current pack of two beautiful Australian Shepherds, both professional actors and models, is represented by the prestigious animal talent agency LePaws. Together, they work as a Therapy Dog team visiting kids at local high schools and others who are in the hospital needing a little bit of doggie love. HowExpert publishes how to guides by everyday experts.

A journalist and native son of the San Fernando Valley, arguably America's quintessential suburb, returns to his old neighborhoods and discovers a long, rich history filled with the sort of lore and traditions that make a place a home.

With this volume, The University of California Center for New Racial Studies inaugurates a new book series with Routledge. Focusing on the shifting and contradictory meaning of race, The Nation and Its Peoples underscores the persistence of structural discrimination, and the ways in which "race" has formally disappeared in the law and yet remains one of the most powerful, underlying, unacknowledged, and often unspoken aspects of debates about citizenship, about membership and national belonging, within immigration politics and policy. This collection of original essays also emphasizes the need for race scholars to be more attentive to the processes and consequences of migration across multiple boundaries, as surely there is no place that can stay fixed—racially or otherwise—when so many people have been moving. This book is ideal as required reading in courses, as well as a vital new resource for researchers throughout the social sciences.

A People’s Guide to Los Angeles offers an assortment of eye-opening alternatives to L.A.’s usual tourist destinations. It documents 115 little-known sites in the City of Angels where struggles related to race, class, gender, and sexuality have occurred. They introduce us to people and events usually ignored by mainstream media and, in the process, create a fresh history of Los Angeles. Roughly dividing the city into six regions—North Los Angeles, the Eastside and San Gabriel Valley, South Los Angeles, Long Beach and the Harbor, the Westside, and the San Fernando Valley—this illuminating guide shows how power operates in the shaping of places, and how it remains embedded in the landscape.