The Southwest Border Area

This chapter is one that is very important for Simi Valley, as the city is located in the Southwest Border Area. California and most of the Southwest region was once owned and inhabited by Mexicans and other Latin people, until they were unfairly removed from their lands. Now what is left is an Americanized society and lands, with a high fusion of Latin people and their culture. The names of our streets, schools, sports teams, cities and much much more are all from the Latin culture. Simi Valley itself, which has almost always been a highly white dominated society is about 20% Mexican. In other places in the Southwest, such as El Paso, Texas, the Mexican population there is about 81%!

Sign in both English and Spanish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Not all Latin people and their culture is welcomed however. There is a lot of controversy and debate about the California/Mexico border. Lately a lot of immigrants from Mexico are coming to live in Southern California, and the fact that most of them do it illegally, has brought about a large issue in the Southwestern regions politics and economy. Whether citizens of the Southwest want them here or not, the Hispanic community has left a large footprint here, one that will never be washed away.

Credit:
Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada by Birdsall, 2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simi_Valley,_California#2010