Does California’s Identity justify the cause of Independence (Calexit)?

I quit the Calexit movement about 2 years ago, in part, because it went in a hard left direction. In contrast, Calexit was initially a big tent movement that included populists, libertarians, and even some Trump supporters. I have family in California going back generations, since at least the 1890s, and I genuinely embraced a Californian rather than American identity. While I was perhaps naïve to shill for California exceptionalism, I agree with Calexit’s premise that America is fundamentally broken.

The pro-independence, California National Party, which is marginal even by third party standards, has become extremely woke, even if the Party originally had a more populist, decentralist bent. The CNP platform has a lot of leftwing stances on identity issues. For instance,  “Because institutional racism is compounded by a broad lack of diversity in local and state government employment, California should implement affirmative action hiring initiatives for executive- and mid-level positions across all state and county agencies.” Another plank is “Upon independence, the CNP is committed to addressing the historical wrongs suffered by specific racial and ethnic communities. We will begin this process by establishing a committee of experts drawn from different fields to recommend a fair and feasible manner in which to address these historic injustices.” Plus the Party supports requiring “that all businesses formed or operating in California with 50 employees or more provide bi-annual reports to the California government certifying the general equity and pay equality conditions in their workplace.”

While many secession movements are based upon some entrenched ethnic or regional identity, Calexit attempted to create a civic nationalist identity for California from scratch. Like most independence movements, this includes an oppression narrative that Californians are being denied self-determination by the United States. However, the historical narratives become convoluted, as far as linking this oppression to the indigenous and original Californios, while also identifying with the Bear Flag Republic. These were Anglo American settlers who seceded from Mexico. The fact that California was briefly a Republic is what gives the independence cause historical legitimacy. However, there is a woke left cause for California to dump the Bear Flag because they view the Bear Revolt rebels as White Supremacists. Juan Hernandez, executive director of the La Luz Center in Sonoma, said that the Bear Revolt “was born of a racist belief, “which maintained that the United States was destined – by God, its advocates believed – to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent.”

While Californios and indigenous populations were dispossessed of their land, it is convoluted to spin that to blame Americans as colonists but then imply that Californians are somehow not Americans. Not to mention that California had a long history of anti-immigrant movements from the anti-Chinese movement of the 19^th Century to California passing the anti-illegal immigration measure, prop 187, in the 1990s, which was struck down by US Courts. California was extremely sparsely populated when American took over, and was close to 90% White for much of the early to mid 20^st Century. Today those with Californio or indigenous ancestry are a minuscule share of California’s population. For the most part, Californians are either Americans or more recent immigrants, with really no distinct “Californian” ethno-cultural group. The promethean qualities of California came from America, and yes Manifest Destiny, as California was a place to chase one’s dreams, and reinvent oneself.

Most other independence movements, including more leftwing one’s, have strongly rooted identities. Even though Hawaii, with its native sovereignty movement, is politically liberal and diverse, Hawaii is much more rooted and has a very distinct sense of identity with its own language. Overseas, Scottish, Quebecoise, Catalan, and The Cape Independence movement in South Africa with its Afrikaans language and culture, all have strong senses of identity that there is no real equivalent of for California. This is even taking into account that both the Scottish and Catalan independence movements are fairly leftwing and liberal on immigration, though the Cape Independence movement has more conservative/libertarian leanings.

Joel Garreau’s 1981 book, The Nine Nations of North America, does not classify California as one coherent nation. Rather Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are part of Mexamerica, which also includes Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Northern Mexico including Baja. Northern California and the Central Coast are part of Ecotopia, which also includes Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The Sierra Nevada are part of the Empty Quarter, which includes the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, as well as much of Canada and Alaska.

Source: Wikipedia

The question is what are California’s identity and values besides just multiculturalism and liberal blue American values. This is why it is very hard for Calexit to create an identity for a California Civic Nationalism from scratch. California is perhaps the most transient, rootless place on earth, as a colony of a colony. You could say that California Nationalism is an anti-nationalist nationalism, seeking independence and self-determination from the United States, so that California can pursue an even more globalist paradigm.

Since California lacks a coherent identity, I have noticed a trend in Calexit of building a new identity or basing California nationalism upon new immigrants. For instance, on Tucker Carlson’s show, Calexit activist, Shankar Singham, said that “In regard to the middle class leaving, that’s actually a good thing. We need these spots opened up for the new wave of immigrants to come up. It’s what we do. We’re exporting our middle class to the United States. You guys should be thanking us for that.” While Shankar was probably trolling for publicity, my impression is that he associates the White middle class demographic, which includes many who have been in the State for generations, as representative of American imperialism, thus standing in the way of California pursuing self-determination. However, this is not far from how much of California’s Democratic Party think, is against the principle of self-determination, and would erase a core part of California’s identity.

A major reason that I initially supported Calexit was that I hoped it could be a vehicle for California to create its own pluralist political paradigm that was separate from America’s blue vs. red dichotomy. Back when I was shilling for Calexit, I made the point that Washington DC does not respect California’s unique culture and needs, and that America’s anti-pluralist framework was being imposed upon California. This ignored that much of America’s political elite and establishment institutions are based in California, like Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and elite universities. These entities are exporting “California values” to the rest of the Nation and the World, as Peter Thiel compared California’s Silicon Valley using its vast profits to fund wokeness to oil rich Gulf States exporting Wahhabism.

I made the point that Californians can simultaneously reject the xenophobia of MAGA but also the anti-White hatred of the woke left, and embrace a multiculturalism that celebrates Whiteness as part of California’s diversity. The American framework is a barrier to freedom of association and self-determination, both American imperialism but also civil rights ideology, as far as the baggage from America’s history and the US government exploiting civil rights to centralize power. I made the case that California’s reality is more of a mosaic rather than America’s melting pot, and that California embraces symmetrical rather than asymmetrical multiculturalism, which Americans can’t comprehend. Basically, simultaneously more pro-diversity than America but also cool with freedom of association and embracing Whiteness. However, it was more of an affirmation that does not reflect the political realities in California.

Calexit declared that America is fundamentally racist. It is true that California’s leftwing politics on race are partially a reaction to America’s majoritarian and imperialistic framework, plus political polarization. However, I was naive to think that California’s could create its own pluralist paradigm to break away from America’s. It seems that the more California asserts itself as different from America, the more woke it becomes. Also it is futile to use the left’s dichotomy on race, as the contemporary left opposes freedom of association and self-determination. Not to mention that White Americans are probably some of the least racist people, compared to the rest of the World.

The book, Ecotopia, is a leftwing precursor to Calexit that is pro-enclavism. For instance Ecotopia “tolerates the voluntary separatism of many people of African descent who have, in fact, chosen to live in a mini-nation in the San Francisco East Bay-area,” as well as White environmentalists having their own implicitly Eurocentric utopian enclaves. Even though the book came from the leftwing Hippie subculture, contemporary leftists have derided the book as promoting “segregation.” J.G.R. Penton wrote that “the portrayal of the futuristic ex-American Northwest country, called Ecotopia, as a mostly homogenous population is a nostalgic white dream that separates the races into preordained, almost, eugenic subcultures.” 

This dichotomy is best encapsulated by a Twitter exchange I had with a leftist Calexit supporter. He was vehemently opposed to my call for California to adopt its own pluralist paradigm, that included enclavism. California has its own contested history with freedom of association, including its own version of the Fair Housing Act, The Rumford Act. The act was enacted before, and is actually much more draconian than America’s Fair Housing act, as far as restricting freedom of association. In 1964, Californians overwhelmingly voted to repeal the Rumford act (prop 14), with even strong support in the Bay Area. However, the Rumford act was reinstated by US Federal Courts. To be honest, I don’t think something like Prop 14 could pass in California today.

Source: alyssamvance Twitter

The only scenario where Calexit could work would be if an independent California were to embrace a new multicultural paradigm that is inclusive of all groups, including Whites. While California lacks the coherent identity to be a nation, it could function as a geo-political zone that caters to true diversity. Obviously I don’t see American style colorblind civic nationalism working, considering how diverse California is. Disneyland, as an iconic California landmark, could be the model for California’s new multicultural paradigm. If the Calexit movement were smart, they would adopt that pluralist model, but they won’t because it would alienate woke liberal support.

California should look to Singapore's carefully managed racial harmony, which although imperfect, intelligently and relentlessly attempts to balance individual, group, and national identities and needs. Other sources of inspiration include, the Swiss Canton model, and the Netherlands’ Pillarization. To maintain a healthy balance in power between demographic groups and regions, prevent power grabs and ethnic tension, California should consider a parliamentary system, as well as becoming a confederation of semi-autonomous micro states.

Immigration policy should also barrow from Singapore, which has quotas to preserve balance between its three main groups, Chinese, Indian, and Malay. A California national immigration policy would have to maintain demographic balance between its three main groups, Whites, Asians, and Latinos, and or base immigration policy on a local level. Emphasize the importance of California as a meeting place for the West (US and Europe), South (Latin America), and East (Asia), where Whites, Asians, and Latinos share political power, based on either a Singapore or Swiss model.

While the chances of Calexit happening are extremely slim, independence could actually make California even worse. Those who currently have power in California would likely further consolidate power while no longer being bound by the US Constitution. Independence could also accelerate the exodus of conservatives, moderates, the middle class, and Whites. Plus cut off new US migration while foreign immigration would likely increase dramatically. California’s White population might be reduced to something like 15% while also targeted for racialized redistributionist policies, and denied any freedom of association.

Source: ButtholeSvrfer Twitter

In my California Nationalist Unity Platform, I proposed a “Lost Californians” initiative to incentivize Californians to move back. I promoted that to foster a stronger sense of Californian identity but ironically it could be interpreted as an American recolonization measure. If anything, California should grant economic incentives, including in-state college tuition rates, for Americans to relocate to California. It is important to have alliances with American dissidents, with whom Calexit would cut California off from. Especially considering that the exodus has served as a safety valve for discontent.

While I don’t see a California civic nationalist identity developing anytime soon, I could see a post-American California identity evolving in the future. However, it will likely be very leftist and evolve from the younger generation, who are children of immigrants, that have less attachment to America. It is the older generation in California who are more attached to Americanism that opposes the concept of Calexit.

It is hard to say whether California will adopt a distinct ethno-cultural identity in the future, and whether Calexit would encourage new identities to form. Ironically, wokeness could eventually lead to tribalism and enclavism in California. Perhaps there will be some ethnogenesis between Whites, Asians, and Latinos, who start to view themselves as a new California ethnicity. Perhaps White Californians will eventually develop their own identity, or form an ethnogenesis comparable to Quebecois, Cajuns, or Afrikaners in South Africa.

Source: latimes.com

There is this post-modernist concept of barrowing from pop culture to create new traditions, which I could see taking off in California, due to its deracinated nature. As cringe as this sounds, if California were to become a nation, I could see the Kardashians or some other celebrities getting nominated to become symbolic monarchs. The Alternative History Youtuber, Whatifaltist, has a video on the 9 Nations of North America, that speculates that California/Ecotopia could eventually develop its own new religion that combines aspects of wokeness, pop culture symbols, and the New Age movement while avoiding moral judgement.  

My overall assessment is that Calexit was a modest sized movement that attained a lot of publicity, due to how important California is. The movement shifted leftwards around the election of Trump, as many joined to oppose Trump. Calexit seemed to have declined when Biden was elected. However, I could see a resurgence if Trump is re-elected, which looks increasingly likely, and will coincide with the blue tribe in California getting more radical.

While it is easy to virtue signal that California has great people but a terrible political system, I really don’t see Californians aggressively demanding a new paradigm and radical institutional change. Californians are either loyalists to the Democratic Party, apathetic, or just focused on making money. There is no sense of solidarity amongst Californians, that we are in it together, which even some blue states on the East Coast sort of have. California is the best place on earth, as far as its geography and natural beauty, which has been squandered.