Regional Tour
Let's
Get
Acquainted
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 Central California's population of nearly 1.5 million is about
evenly divided between urban and rural residents. Fresno, the
largest metropolitan area in the entire San Joaquin Valley region
stretching from Bakersfield to the south to Sacramento to the north, is
one of California's fastest growing cities. Rural populations in
this region are growing even faster than their urban counterparts---which
is most unusual in America today. Most of this growth in rural
populations is within the Mexican-American community. Seasonal
agricultural employment in central California's labor intensive crops
provides 80,000 jobs and subsistence income for families who suffered even
greater poverty in rural Mexico and in California's major cities.
The diversity of cultures present in this region where over 65
languages and dialects are spoken in the homes of the area's school
children contributes significantly to the unique character of central
California. In spite of great strides made in the past decade to
extend equal educational opportunity to all of the Valley's
populations, barriers of language, culture, poverty, and rural
geographic isolation seem, at times, almost overwhelming.
Preserving the richness of cultural
diversity while significantly reducing the effects of cultural and
geographic isolation on postsecondary opportunity, access, enrollment, and
completion is the overriding goal of ENLACE partners.
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