Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Hometown Picnics: How Newcomers Kept Memory of Home Alive in Los Angeles

28/07/2016

Fifty-thousand former Iowans descended upon Long Beach's Bixby Park on Aug. 11, 1934, for their state societys annual summer picnic. California Gov. Frank Merriam, a fixture of the Iowa picnics and a former Hawkeye, spoke, as did two Los Angeles County judges. Ninety couples competed for best Virginia Reel dancer as part of the Iowa Associations Golden Wedding Club for couples celebrating 50 years of marriage. Musicians accompanied the picnickers as they sang the Iowa Corn Song. Sandwiches, potato salad, deviled eggs, cucumber rings, fried chicken, homemade cookies, cakes, and pies were on the menu as erstwhile Hawkeyes discussed the news from back home.

Iowa picnic attendees wore differently colored ribbons to differentiate their relationship to Iowa. Red ribbons were for Iowa natives while Iowa pioneers (Iowa residents for over 50 years) wore white. Guests of Iowans wore yellow ribbons to represent the jaundice of envy of those who were not Hawkeyes. Despite these ribbon colors, all were now residents of Southern California. And like all previous and future Iowa picnics, speakers at the 1934 event touted the symbiotic relationship between California and Iowa, often joking that Long Beach was Pacific Coast capital of Iowa. As Carey McWilliams once wrote, for years all roads in Southern California on Iowa Day, led to picnic grounds.

McWilliams described the state society as a unique Southern California institution. Pennsylvanians started Los Angeles' first state society in 1886, and by the 1920s every state in the union was represented with a total of 500,000 members. The concept became so popular that the Federation of State Societies was established to manage all the different groups. C. H. Parsons, leader of California's Federation of State Societies, told the Los Angeles Times in 1937 that the prime purpose of the organization, the only one of its kind in the United States, is to promote sociability to keep alive the friendships formed in the old home town.'

Nebraskans gathered in Sycamore Grove for their 1925 state picnic. Photo courtesy of the Photo Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.

Long Beachs Bixby Park hosted the 1951 Iowa State Picnic. Photo courtesy of the USC Libraries - Los Angeles Examiner Collection.

--

--

While Parsons may not have known that Washington, DC, also had a tradition of state societies dating to the 1850s, he also failed to acknowledge that many immigrant communities in Los Angeles were also reunited with kin from their own hometowns, states, prefectures, and provinces. Immigrant mutual aid societies have long been a part of Los Angeles since the Hebrew Benevolent Society opened the city's first charity in 1854. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, Mexican families in Los Angeles could turn to mutualistas (mutual aid societies) such as La Confederacion De Sociedades Mexicanas and La Liga Protectora Mexicana for legal support. Mutualistas have a long history in Southern California and currently include the formalized Mexican and Central American Hometown Associations (HTA) such as the Federation of Zacatecan Clubs of Southern California and the Organization Regional de Oaxaca.

One of the earliest examples of a mutual aid society based on regional origin was the Chinese huiguan (hometown/native place associations), which started in China as a way to aid travel across the empire. The overseas Chinese huiguan has centuries-old antecedents in China. Similar organizations already existed in the imperial capital of Peking as early as the 15th century, according to historian Him Mark Lai. The Chinese who crossed the Pacific brought this tradition to California. By the 1860s, Los Angeles' first Chinese immigrants had joined the See Yup (Sze Yup) Company, a huiguan for immigrants from the Guangdong Province. As one of the oldest in Los Angeles, Chinatown's Kong Chow Benevolent Association grew out of the See Yup Company. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (established in 1889) is the umbrella organization for these hometown groups. And as Eugene Moy of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California confirmed, reunions and picnics were part of the social functions of these groups.

Photo courtesy of the Photo Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.

Boholanos of Southern California, Inc. annual picnic, Veterans Park, Redondo Beach, June 1973. Photo courtesy of Elson Trinidad.

Yamaguchi Kenjinkai Picnic photos excerpted from the centennial book published by the Nanka Yamaguchi Kenjinkai, 1905-2005.

Filipino-Angelenos adopted a similar tradition as they immigrated to Los Angeles. Filipinos recreate a bit of home' [in Los Angeles] by setting up town or provincial associations, wrote Bangele Deguzman Alsaybar in a dissertation about the youth culture in Los Angeles. These provincial associations started as early as 1930 and, like the state societies, often organized an annual picnic. In a phone interview, KCET contributor Elson Trinidad shared memories of attending events from different provincial associations as his parents were from different parts of the Philippines. He remembered fondly the picnics of the Boholanos of Southern California (established in 1955) and Christmas parties for the Pagsanjan Association (a hometown group). The picnics were often held at Veterans Park in Redondo Beach and the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area. At every picnic, there was roast pig (lechon), different varieties of pancit, various forms of adobo, lumpia, always a fruit salad, and different types of American food like fried chicken, Trinidad recounted.

Jewish-Angelenos new to the city created their own mutual aid societies based on the tradition called landsmanshaftn, or Jewish mutual aid societies made up of migrants from the same towns. These organizations existed before World War II,
LINK: https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/hometown-picnics-how-newcomers-kept...
See more stories from kcet

Most recent headlines

03/06/2024

Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...

28/04/2024

Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with URSA Broadcast G2

Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...

28/03/2024

ENCO to Add AI News Anchor to Qimera Virtual Production Set

NOVI, Mich. During the 2024 NAB Show, ENCO will be showcasing an AI-driven virtual anchor delivering live news from a realistic 3D virtual news set....

28/03/2024

Johan de Nysschen Named President and CEO of ARRI Americas

MUNICH ARRI has announced that Johan de Nysschen has been put in charge of the ARRI Americas team as president and CEO ARRI Americas Inc....

28/03/2024

Fubo Inks Carriage Deal with YES Network

NEW YORK The YES Network and FuboTV have reached a multi-year carriage agreement that will allow Fubo to launch YES in its Pro base channel plan in time for YES...

28/03/2024

Dalet to Demo AI-Enabled Production, Automation and Monetization at NAB 2024

PARIS Dalet has announced that during its 2024 NAB showcase (booth #W1713), attendees can experience firsthand Dalet's collaborative, AI-enabled workflows t...

28/03/2024

Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films

Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design congratulates the many film professional...

28/03/2024

Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024

Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments New option for BLADE//runner ke...

28/03/2024

Join Maxon for NAB 2024

Join Maxon for NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Maxon returns to NAB with presentations by artists from around the world and demos of t...

28/03/2024

Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Huntington

Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night'...

28/03/2024

The 4K cameras giving audiences an astronaut's view of Earth

TVBEurope meets Charles Black, founder and CEO of Sen, which has sent a payload of 4K cameras to the ISS to livestream images of Earth to audiences around the w...

28/03/2024

2024 Big Night In Raises $145k to Support Triangle Arts Councils

Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV once again proudly supported our local arts community with the broadcast of Big Night in for the Arts Thursday, March 7, 2024. ...

28/03/2024

JIC, MRC Announce Accord On Roles In Judging Measurement Companies

With more companies offering different approaches to measuring television viewing and campaign effectiveness, two of the groups that evaluate potential media bu...

28/03/2024

Hulu Added to Disney Plus App for Bundle Subscribers

The Walt Disney Co. said that it launched Hulu on Disney Plus, which makes Hulu programming available via the Disney Plus app....

28/03/2024

GroupM To Double Ad Spending On Women's Sports Programming

Giant media buyer GroupM said it plans to double its media spending on women's sports....

28/03/2024

Scripps Renews State Farm As Sponsor of Friday Night WNBA on Ion

Scripps Sports said that State Farm has signed a new multi-year agreement to continue as the title sponsor of Ion's Friday night WNBA telecasts....

28/03/2024

Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington Sign On for Imperfect Women' on Apple TV Plus

Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington will star in, and executive produce, Imperfe...

28/03/2024

Telemundo Station Group Addresses Climate Change With Month-Long Initiative

Telemundo Station Group launches the month-long climate change initiative Our Planet Thursday, March 28. The multiplatform campaign ends on Earth Day, April 22,...

28/03/2024

Circle City Broadcasting Renews Nielsen Ratings Deal

Nielsen said that Circle City Broadcasting, owner of WISH-TV in Indianapolis, has renewed its local TV measurement deal....

28/03/2024

Lionsgate Extends Deal With Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures

Lionsgate Television said it extended its deal with Point Grey Pictures, the production company led by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver....

28/03/2024

Ariana DeBose Back as Tonys Host

Ariana DeBose returns as host of the Tony Awards Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount Plus. It is her third consecutive time hosting, and it will be the 77th T...

28/03/2024

The Steve Wilkos Show' Renewed for Season 18

The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for its 18th season in national syndication, Tracie Wilson, executive VP, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios & E! News, sai...

28/03/2024

Sinclair Selects Embrace as Its Media Orchestration Engine

PARIS Embrace, a developer of advanced automation and orchestration software solutions, has announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has selected Embrace's P...

28/03/2024

Nielsen and Circle City Broadcasting Renew Local TV Measurement Deal

NEW YORK Nielsen has a multi-year renewal with Circle City Broadcasting, Indianas only locally owned and operated broadcast and digital news media network, for ...

28/03/2024

JVC to Demo Its First Ever 40x Zoom PTZ Camera Series at 2024 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS JVC Professional Video has announced that it will debut its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom at 2024 NAB Show (Booth C4720)....

28/03/2024

Brightcove Launches Cloud Playout 2.0

BOSTON Brightcove has announced the launch of Cloud Playout 2.0, a platform that the company said will offer customers new ways to create linear channels, monet...

28/03/2024

NBC Sports Chicago to Air First-Ever Animated Real-Time Local Sports Telecast

The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago have announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast....

28/03/2024

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional Andy Marken March 28, 2024 0 Comments Hero image source News of the World, Perfect Wo...

28/03/2024

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele informs Zola of her pregnancy

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele informs Zola of her pregnancyDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie House of Zwide o...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Umkhokha: MaMzobe outsmarts Gabisile but Difa's suspicion rises

Tonight on Umkhokha: MaMzobe outsmarts Gabisile but Difa's suspicion risesDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie U...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Uzalo: Mbatha wins Linda Sibiya over

Tonight on Uzalo: Mbatha wins Linda Sibiya overDon't miss Wednesday, 27 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Uzalo on SABC 1 on DStv channel...

28/03/2024

Greater Scope: Doctors Get Inside Look at Gut Health With AI-Powered Endoscopy

From humble beginnings as a university spinoff to an acquisition by the leading global medtech company in its field, Odin Vision has been on an accelerated jour...

28/03/2024

Generations: The Legacy - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Generations: The Legacy - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The S...

28/03/2024

Prison Journalism: Witness the Cycle from the Streets

Prison Journalism: Witness the Cycle from the StreetsWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore...

28/03/2024

Prison Journalism: Inmate pre-release and release processes

Prison Journalism: Inmate pre-release and release processesDean Mashimbwe, a Zimbabwean migrant residing in Cape Town, was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctiona...

28/03/2024

Streaming today: When You Finish Saving The World' on Netflix - 28 March 2024

Streaming today: When You Finish Saving The World' on Netflix - 28 March 20...

28/03/2024

Prison Journalism: The Story of Paulus

Prison Journalism: The Story of PaulusDavid van Nek was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Prison from 2013 until 2015 and participated in the restorative justice progra...

28/03/2024

Prison Journalism: Inside and Outside

Prison Journalism: Inside and OutsideFawaaz Adendorff was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Correctional Centre and participated in a Restorative Justice programme whil...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Muvhango: Imani escapes Khumo's hellhole

Tonight on Muvhango: Imani escapes Khumo's hellholeDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Muvhango on SABC 2 on DS...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Generations: Kea can sense her brother is hiding something

Tonight on Generations: Kea can sense her brother is hiding somethingDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Generation...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Magolide and Tiny compete against each other

Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Magolide and Tiny compete against each otherDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Smoke...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Champions: Washington's struggle takes an unexpected turn

Tonight on Champions: Washington's struggle takes an unexpected turnDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Champio...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Scandal: Tibi's meltdown softens a teacher

Tonight on Scandal: Tibi's meltdown softens a teacherDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! on e.tv on DS...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Gqeberha: Lulama tells Thulani that she's pregnant with his child

Tonight on Gqeberha: Lulama tells Thulani that she's pregnant with his childDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie...

28/03/2024

Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Ndumiso has the wrong end of the stick

Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Ndumiso has the wrong end of the stickDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie My Br...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lehasa doubles down on his ill-treatment of Pretty

Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lehasa doubles down on his ill-treatment of PrettyDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Skeem ...

28/03/2024

Thales speeds up its development of AI for defence

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Thales, Europe's leading high-tech company in the civil and defence fields, has announced the creation of cortAIx, which bri...

28/03/2024

Get Cozy With Palia' on GeForce NOW

Ease into spring with the warm, cozy vibes of Palia, coming to the cloud this GFN Thursday. It's part of six new titles joining the GeForce NOW library of ...

28/03/2024

Smoke and Mirrors: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Smoke and Mirrors: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Af...

28/03/2024

Muvhango: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Muvhango: Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African web...