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Spanish and Mexican Heritagehttp://archaeology.parks.ca.gov/cultural/spanmex/index.htmAlta California was, and remains, the northern borderland of Latin America. Spanish colonization of the Californias began with establishment of the first mission in Baja California 300 years ago, in 1697. Demographers predict the majority of Alta California's population will again be Spanish-speaking by the year 2000. In response to the upcoming anniversary and future demographic trends, the Department is beginning to reassess its holdings relative to the state's Hispanic heritage, with the objective of enhancing conservation, understanding and interpretation of these important resources. As part of this effort, we have begun to identify relevant historic sites and buildings, document their condition and interpretation, and create a computer inventory of these properties. In coming months, we will enter data, refine and update the inventory, and make it available for a variety of queries and reports, both in-house and via modem. We hope eventually to produce reports evaluating these properties' significance, condition, conservation needs, interpretive potential, historic documentation, and the degree to which they reflect the influence of Spanish and Mexican heritage on the modern California landscape. The ultimate objective, of course, is that the inventory will help foster more comprehensive efforts to conserve and stabilize these resources, and make the important stories they have to tell more accessible to all park visitors. |