City of Monterey - When it comes to foreign language background, history and capabilities, the City of Monterey has it all. First, there is its own deep historical, bilingual and multi cultural heritage. Founded in 1770, when Spanish soldiers claimed the land for the king of Spain, Monterey served as the capital of California for 75 years until shortly before it became a state in 1850. The waterfront city's deep traditions remain alive today, as evidenced by its reverent treatment of its history. One need only take Monterey's "The Path of History Walking Tour" to understand its appreciation of the richness of its past. Among the stops:
Monterey observes its traditions, recognizing the city's Italian, German, Greek and Native American heritage in separate festivals, and also celebrates adobes, the blues, fine arts, fishing, gardens, history, jazz, squid, theater and wines in distinct events. Monterey's diversity goes back a long way. Its Spanish influence has remained the strongest and most constant. Walter Colton, who started California's first newspaper, The Californian, in Monterey in 1846, served as the city's first American alcalde -- a combination of mayor, judge and tax collector. When he impaneled the first American jury on the West Coast, prior to statehood, it was one-third Mexican, one-third Californian and one-third American. California's First Constitutional Convention, held in Monterey in 1849, was conducted in Spanish and in English. Later in the century the Chinese helped develop the fishing industry and Portuguese whalers made Monterey their home base. In the early 1900s, the sardine industry began to grow. Eric Abrahamson, in his "Historic Monterey: California's First Capital," describes the growth of that industry, which soon became synonymous with Monterey: "by 1913, the local fishermen, many of Italian descent and recruited by (Sicilian fisherman Pietro) Ferrante, were catching 25 tons of sardines a night. By 1918, nine canneries were packing 1.4 million cases of sardines each year and Monterey was the 'Sardine Capital of the World.' " The sardines disappeared about 45 years ago, but the sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of those Italian fishermen now play significant roles in all aspects of community life. One of them, Leon Panetta, former chief of staff for the Clinton administration, was born to parents who emigrated to Monterey from Italy. Panetta's grandfather worked in the fishing industry. Leon Panetta, who served as the local congressman for 1977 to 1993, grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and makes his permanent home in nearby Carmel Valley. Although not the most populous city on the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey is clearly its economic and visitor hub. Its population of 32,000 residents grows to between 50,000 and 60,000 during the day because of the many people who visit and work there. Monterey has served for nearly half a century as the steward for the Defense Language Institute, which is situated on the Presidio of Monterey, where the city was born 225 years ago. Proposals over the last few years to relocate the Defense Language Institute served "as a big wake-up call," said Monterey Mayor Dan Albert. City officials, in addition to preserving and protecting Monterey's many language components, have been the driving force in the campaign for Language Capital designation. "Our role is to serve as a catalyst and convener, as a cheerleader," said Albert. "We want to continue to honor those things that make us special."
|
Royal
Presidio Chapel, built by the Spanish government in 1794 and in continuous operation ever
since. 