California and the American Dream

California and the American Dream

Producers: Paul Espinosa/Lyn Goldfarb/Jed Riffe/Emiko Omori
Genre: Documentary Series
Length: 4 Episodes/60 Minutes
Broadcast Date: April 13, 20, 27, and May 4, 2006 on PBS

The incisive, thought provoking four part series California and the American Dream explores the dynamics of culture, community and identity in California, one of the most diverse places in the world. Each film provides a trenchant and compelling story of divergent California social trends that are keenly evident all across America. As the films illustrate, in the last 35 years California has become center stage to a wide array of issues redefining the American experience – from changing demographics to new models of civic engagement, from the role of immigrants in neighborhood life to the democratic challenge of the initiative process, from sustainable agriculture to Native American gaming and sovereignty. The experience of California, the world’s sixth largest economy, may become central in deciding the priorities of life in a post-industrial America in which “minorities” constitute a majority of the population.