California! California! A^m thanh tha^n thu+o+ng huye^`n die^.u ddo' dda~ mo^.t tho+`i la` mo+ u+o+'c cu?a nhie^`u ngu+o+`i ddu+o+.c dde^'n ddi.nh cu+. Calif Co' nhu+~ng tha`nh pho^' no^?i tie^'ng nhu+ San Francisco (Co' ca^y ca^`u Golden Gate- ky` quan cu?a the^ gio+'i) , Los Angeles (thu? DDo^ cu?a phim a?nh) Silicon Valley (ca'i no^i cu?a ne^`n ky~ nghe^. high tech - DDie^.n Toa'n). Ho^m nay, California mang nick name Golden State, ngu+o+`i da^n na`o muo^'n "move" ve^` dda^y cu+' ve^` kho^ng ai nga(n ca?n-Kha'c vo+'i tru+o+'c dda^y 150 na(m. Da^n so^' cu?a California tre^n du+o+'i 30 trie^.u, vo+'i die^.n ti'ch 158, 693 da(.m vuo^ng (411,013 km vuo^ng) la` mo^.t trong nhu+~ng tie^?u bang lo+'n nha^'t nu+o+'c My~. Bie^n gio+'i phi'a Nam gia'p vo+'i Me^~ Ta^ y Co+, Ba('c gia'p tie^?u bang Oregon, DDo^ng gia'p Nevada va` Arizona, bo+` Ta^y gia'p bie^?n Tha'i Bi`nh Du+o+ng; la` tie^?u bang thu+' 31 cu?a Hoa Ky`, gia nha^.p Lien Bang va`o na(m 1850. Calif ve^` phu+o+ng die^.n ddia. du+ la` su+. to^?ng ho+.p cu?a nhie^`u mu`a va` khi' ha^.u o^n ho`a. Co' vu`ng tha^'p 282 ft du+o+i mu+.c nu+o+'c bie^?n trung bi`nh va` co' no+i cao 14, 494 tre^n ma(.t nu+o+'c. Calif cu~ng la` mo^.t tie^?u bang no^ng nghie^.p vo+'i 15% dda^'t ddai la` ddo^ thi. hoa(.c co^ng nghie^.p. Nhie^.t ddo^. khoa?ng 65 ddo^. F (18C) ta.i L.A 57 ddo^. F (14C) ta.i S.F. Nhie^.t ddo^. Calf tha^.t ly' tu+o+?ng. Calif co' nui' va` co' bie^?n, mu`a DDo^ng Calif co' tuye^`t o+? ma.n Ba('c, mu`a He` co' bie^?n...Tu+` nhu+~ng "ddi.a lo+.i" ddo', Calif thu hu't ra^'t nhie^`u di da^n. Ngu+o+`i ta tie^n ddoa'n ra(`ng trong vo`ng mo^.t tha^.p nie^n nu+~a (decade) ngu+o+`i da tra('ng se~ la` da^n to^.c thie^?u so^'.

Calif ddu+o+.c bie^'t dde^'n tu+` na(m 1848 do su+. ti`m tha^'y va`ng ta.i Sutter's Mill (Chi? tru+o+'c 9 nga`y Hoa Ky` va` Me^~ ta^y Co+ ky' hie^.p u+o+'c mua ba'n vu`ng dda^'t na`y) O^ng Jame Wilson Marshall-mo^.t ngu+o+`i tho+. mo^.c que^ qua'n o+? New Jersey, mo^.t ho^m va`o dda^`u na(m 1848 dda~ lu+o+.m ddu+o+.c mo^.t va`i ma^?u va`ng trong lo`ng so^ng ga^`n tra.i mo^.c cu?a o^ng, va` sau ddo', khoa?ng tha'ng Ta'm na(m a^'y tre^n trie^`n ddo^`i ga^`n nha` o^ng dda~ mo.c le^n nhu+~ng ngo^i nha` cho`i ba`ng go^~, hoa(.c nhu+~ng lie^`u ba(`ng va?i cu?a ho+n 400 ngu+o+`i ddi ti`m va`ng. Va`ng! Tha^.t co' ha^'p lu+.c ma~nh lie^.t. Sau khi tin co' va`ng ta.i California ngu+o+`i tu+` mie^`n DDo^ng ti`m ddu+o+`ng ve^` mie^`n Ta^y. Trong na(m 1849 co' khoa?ng 40,000 ngu+o+`i dde^'n San Francisco ba(`ng ddu+o+`ng bie^?n, va` co' khoa?ng 40,000 ngu+o+`i kha'c dde^'n dda^y ba(`ng ddu+o+`ng bo^. tre^n 6,000 chie^'c xe goong do tra^u bo` lu+`a ngu+.a ke'o. DDa^y la` vu`ng dda^'t cu?a nguo+`i Indian (DDa DDo?) tru+o+'c khi ngu+o+`i tha'm hie^?m Cha^u A^u dda(.t cha^n dde^'n. Va`o na(m 1542, nha` tha'm hie^?m Ta^y ban Nha (Spanish) Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo nhi`n tha^'y California tu+` ngoa`i bie^?n kho+i; va` va`o na(m 1602 nha` buo^n ba'n ddu+o+`ng bie^?n Sebestian Vizcaino dda~ neo thuye^`n o+? mie^`n Nam Calif, va` o^ng dda~ dda(.t te^n cho nhu+~ng vu`ng dda^'t San Diego, Santa Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, va` Monterey Bay.

No'i dde^'n Calif, ngu+o+`i di da^n Vie^.t Nam thu+o+`ng nghi~ ngay dde^`n vu`ng dda^'t co' ddo^ng ngu+o+`i ddo^`ng hu+o+ng ddang ddi.nh cu+. No+i ddu+o+.c me^.nh danh la` Thu? DDo^ cu?a Vie^.t Nam Ha?i Ngoa.i. O+? dda^y (Calif) ddo^`ng nghi~a vo+'i su+. gia`u sang, a^'m a'p...kho^ng kha'c chi o+? que^ nha`. Nhu+ng, tru+o+'c khi Calif tro+? tha`nh tie^?u bang va`ng thi` no' cu~ng dda~ co' mo^.t tho+`i la^'y ma^'t ddi bie^'t bao la` ma.ng so^'ng, bao nhie^u la` cuo^.c ddo`i. Ho^m nay xin mo+'i ca'c ba.n ddo.c ddi ngu+o+.c la.i tho+`i gian cu`ng bu+o+'c cha^n cu?a nhu+~ng ke? mo+? ddu+o+`ng.

Hostile, khoa?ng 500 da(.m chie^`u da`i, la` mo^.t vu`ng kho^ cha'y, na('ng ha.n, thie^'u nu+o+'c la` cu+?a ngo~ khi va`o Calif. ba(`ng ddu+o+`ng bo^. ngu+o+`i ti`m ddu+o+`ng dde^'n Calif pha?i ddi qua. Nhu+~ng nga`y dda^`u tie^n khi nghe Calif co' va`ng, ngu+o+`i ngu+o+`i dda~ ddo^? xo^ ve^` dda^y ba(`ng nhie^`u ca'ch, con ddu+o+`ng Oregon Trail, California Trail. Tru+o+'c khi dde^'n Calif, ddoa`n lu+~ ha`nh ddu.ng pha?i ra(.ng Sierra Nevada cha('n lo^'i. Nhu+~ng da?i nu'i cao ke'o da`i tru`ng tru`ng ddie^.p tru+o+'c ma('t co' te^n Awesome Barrier. Trong da?i nu'i ngu't nga`n xanh tha(?m, hoa(.c ddo? qua.ch trong bu.i mu`, hoa(.c tra('ng toa't mo^.t ma`u, ngu+o+`i ta dda~ ti`m ra Sierra Nevada. Mo^.t vu`ng nu+'i du+.ng ddu+'ng, Sierra Nevada, ca?n ddu+o+`ng ddoa`n lu+~ ha`nh ti`m dda^'t so^'ng, do su+. chuye^?n ddo^.ng cu?a vo? qua? dda^'t trong ca'c tho+`i nguye^.n dda.i dde^. nha^'t, dde^. nhi., ca'c cha^'t nham tha.ch dda~ ta.o ne^n nu'i ne^n non. Va` o+? ddo' co' nhu+~ng va'ch dda' du+.ng trong da?i Nevada cao 11, 00 fts (3,353 m) No+i dda^y co`n co' nhu+~ng cho^~ cao vu't ta^.t ma^y xanh, ho+n 14,000 ft (DDi?nh Mt. Whitney) nhu+ng cu~ng co' no+i tha(m tha(?m hun hu't a(n sa^u trong lo`ng dda^'t. No' dda~ ta.o ne^n mo^.t sa ma.c da`i 430 da(.m, va` huo+'ng ddo^ng co' no+i lo~m xuo^'ng 10,000 ft trong vo`ng 10 da(.m ga^`n ho^` Owens Lake. Nhu+~ng da?i nui' na`y ke'o da`i tu+` vu`ng Nam CA (Central Valley) dde^`n San Joaquin dde^'n ta^.n vu`ng Sacramento Valley (Thu? DDo^ cu?a CA) Nhu+~ng ngu+o+`i lu+u da^n dda^`u tie^n ti`m ve^` la^.p nghie^.p o+? CA va`o cuo^'i the^' ky? thu+' 18 va` dda^`u the^' ky? 19 dda~ ddu.ng pha?i ra(.ng nu'i na^`y. Ho. pha?i vu+o+.t qua. Ta.i sao ho. kho^ng ddi ve^` hu+o+'ng Ba('c dde^? qua CA? Cu+' ddi ddi va` ho. se~ ga(.p Cascade Range, tie^'p gia'p vo+'i Sierra dda^`y tuye^'t phu? va` nhu+~ng vu`ng nui' lu+?a. Ve^` phu+o+ng Nam vu+o+.t qua. Tehachapi, San Gabriel, San jacinto va` Santa Rosa tuy kho^ng cao ngu't nga`n nhu+ng da`i tha(m tha(?m va` sa ma.c Death valley se~ nga(n ca?n, se~ la`m chu`n bu+o+'c cha^n. Tho^i chi? co`n mo^.t ca'ch duy nha^'t (Ne^'u ddi ba(`ng ddu+o`ng bo^.) la` ti`m ddu+o+`ng xuye^n qua Sierra Nevada. Cu~ng co' nhu+~ng ngu+o+`i dde^'n CA qua ddu+o+`ng bie^?n, nhu+ng kho^ng ma^'y ngu+o+`i ddi. DDu+o+`ng bie^?n tu+` mie^`n DDo^ng Hoa Ky` dde^'n mie^`n Ta^y Hoa Ky` pha?i vo`ng xuo^'ng Nam Myo? qua mu~i Cape Horn (sau na`y co' kinh dda`o Panama) to^'n ke'm va` ma^'t ha`ng ma^'y tha'ng tro+`i kho^ng thua^.n tie^.n cho nhu+~ng gia ddi`nh ddo^ng ngu+o+`i va` kho^ng co' phu+o+ng tie^.n ta`i cha'nh. Nga`y nay, hi`nh a?nh nhu+~ng ddoa`n wagon da`i ha`ng chu.c, ha`ng tra(m chie^'c vo+'i ngu+.a, bo`, lu+`a va` ngu+o+`i ke'o nhau ddi ba(ng ngang nu+o+'c My~ chi? co`n la.i tre^n phim a?nh hoa.c tre^n ca'c bu+'c ho.a ma` tho^i. Nga`y ddo', wagon chi'nh la` phu+o+ng tie^.n tho^ng du.ng va` re? dde^? la`m mo^.t chuye^'n "xuye^n bang."

Ngu+o+`i dda^`u tie^n ti`m ra con ddu+o+`ng bo^. dde^'n CA la` Linh Mu.c Francisco Garces. O^ng dda~ vu+o+.t qua ddu+o+.c ddoa.n ddu+o+`ng canm go na^`y ba(`ng ca'ch dde^'n so^'ng vo+'i ca'c bo^. la.c Da DDo? tre^n lo^. tri`nh o^ng ddi ve^` mie^`n ta^y. O^ng dda~ vu+o+.t qua sa ma.c Colorado Desert dde^? dde^'n ddu+o+.c Imperial Valley. Va`o na(m 1774 cu~ng chi'nh o^ng, mo^.t la^`n nu+~a, cu`ng ho+.p ta'c vo+'i o^ng Juan Bautista de Anza dda~ khai tho^ng the^m mo^.t ddoa.n ddu+o+`ng no^'i tie^'p dde^'n tha`nh pho^' San Gabriel, va` sau na`y ddu+o+.c mo.i ngu+o+`i bie^'t dde^'n vo+'i ca'i te^n "The Devil's Highway."

Hai na(m sau (1776) mo^.t vi. truye^`n gia'o kha'c, Linh mu.c Pedro Font, cu`ng vo+'i o^ng De Anza khai tho^ng con ddu+o+`ng dde^'n vu`ng thung lu~ng vi.nh San Francisco. Hai o^ng dda~ vu+o+.t qua da?i nu'i dda^`y tuye^'t phu? (lu'c ddo' chu+a co' te^n) Khi ddu+'ng tre^n ddi?nh nu'i nhi`n xuo^'ng vi.nh Cu+.u Kim So+n (San Francisco)-Tha'i Bi`nh Du+o+ng- o^ng dda~ la le^n "Una gran sierra nevada- co' nghi~a la` "a great snowy range" va` tu+` ddo' Sierra Nevada tro+? tha`nh te^n go.i cho ra(.ng nui' na(`m do.c theo bie^n gio+'i California va` Nevada ba^y gio+`. Ngoa`i ra co`n co' nhie^`u ddi.a danh nga`y nay dda~ tro+? tha`nh di~ va~ng, kho^ng ma^'y ngu+o+`i bie^'t dde^'n. (Tejon Pass - ba^y gio+` la` mo^.t ddoa.n xa lo^. so^' 5 no^'i lie^`n Nam Ba('c California - Na(`m giu+~a Thung lu~ng Joaquin Valley va` Los Angeles.)

Nevada Sierra la` mo^.t da?i nu'i lie^n tu.c dda~ ca^'u ta.o tu+` 130 trie^.u na(m tru+o+'c tu+` mo^.t vu`ng bie^?n tro^`i le^n tu+` thuo+? ho^`ng hoang-nguye^n dda.i ddi.a cha^'t thu+' nha^'t - la` nhu+~ng nham tha.ch hoa cu+o+ng ma` tha`nh. Su+. hi`nh tha`nh cu?a ra.ng Sierra ke'o da`i dde^'n ma~i va`i trie^.u na(m tru+o+'c dda^y ddo^.t bie^'n tha`nh nhu+~ng ngo.n nu'i dda' cao nga^'t (ddi?nh Mt. Whitney 14,496 ft) . Ba^y gio+` dde^'n Calif kho^ng co`n tro+? nga.i nu+~a. Co' the^? du`ng xa lo^. 80 na('m o+? ma.n ba('c Calif ddi qua ca'c tie^`u bang Nevad, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho, Iowa, Newyork dde^? dde^'n mie^`n DDo^ng Hoa Ky`. Va` chu'ng ta cu~ng co' the^? du`ng 70 hoa(.c 40 dde^? dde'n Calif tu+` nhu+~ng tie^?u bang na(`m o+? ma.n Nam. Muo^'n ddi nhanh dda~ co' phi co+, muo^'n nga('m ca?nh hu`ng vi~ cu?a nui' ddo^`i sa ma.c, muo^'n thu+o+`ng thu+'c nhu+~ng dde^m no'ng tre^n Sa Ma.c du kha'ch co' the^? du`ng xe lu+?a.

California, tha^.t xu+'ng dda'ng la` Golden State. Hie^.n nay, no'i rie^ng ne^`n kinh te^' cu?a Calif ddu+'ng ha`ng thu+' 5 tre^n the^' gio+'i; ky~ nghe^. ddie^.n toa'n ddu+'ng ha`ng dda^`u (Silicon Valley) Ve^` the^? thao co' ddo^.i Banh Ba^`u Du.c (Football) 49er, da~ ca^`u (Baseball) co' ddo^.i A's va` ra^'t nhie^`u ddo^.i bo'ng ro^? no^?i tie^'ng. Rie^ng co^.ng ddo^`ng ngu+o+`i Vie^.t ta.i Calif cu~ng ddu+'ng ha`ng dda^`u vo+'i Nam Calif (Qua^.n Cam) ga^`n nu+?a trie^.u va` vu`ng Ba'c Calif (Thung Lu~ng Hoa Va`ng) ho+n 300 nga`n ngu+o+`i. No'i vui vo+'i nhau, ngu+o+`i ta co' ca^u :

"Cali ddi de^~ kho' ve^`
Trai ddi co' vo+., ga'i ve^` co' con"

dde^? no'i le^n ta^m lo`ng cu?a ngu+o+`i Vie^.t muo^'n ddu+o+.c dde^'n sinh so^'ng ta.i Calif. Tuy nhie^n, kho^ng pha?i ta^'t ca? mo.i ngu+o+`i Vie^.t dde^`u muo^'n dde^'n Cali, hoa(.c Calif tha^.t su+. la` vu`ng dda^'t dda^`y ma^.t ngo.t va` ha'i ra va`ng. Thu+a kho^ng ha(?n nhu+ the^'. Calif co`n ddo^`ng nghi~a vo+'i to^.i pha.m va` nhie^`u te^. ddoan xa~ ho^.i. Los Angeles la` mo^.t trong hai tha`nh pho^' to^.i a'c cao nha^'t nu+o+'c My (ddu+'ng sau Chicago-Illinois) -Ki` thi. thi. chu?ng to^.c nga^'m nga^`m(Vu. Rodney King.) San Francisco la` tha`nh pho^' no^?i tie^'ng vo+'i ca'c vu. ddo^`ng ti`nh luye^'n a'i , tu+. do luye^'n a'i. Cu`ng ta.i 2 tha`nh pho^' na^`y, nhu+~ng ke? kho^ng nha`, vo^ gia cu+, tha^'t nghie^.p dda^`y da^~y. Cu`ng ta.i Los Angeles (Thie^n Tha^`n La.c Lo^'i) na(m 1998 ngu+o+`i ta dda~ pha't gia'c mo^.t nha` may dda~ nho^'t ha`ng tra(m co^ng nha^n nha^.p ca?nh la^.u tu+` Trung Quo^'c dde^'n va` bi. la`m lao no^ tra? no+.. Los Angeles la` no+i xa?n xua^'t ra ha`ng tra(m cuo^'n phim mo^~i na(m va` cu~ng tu+` no+'i ddo' to^.i a'c va` ba.o ddo^.ng dda~ ddu+o+.c ddem le^n ma`n ba.c dda^`u ddo^.c gio+'i thanh thie^'u nie^n la`m ddau dda^`u ca'c nha` gia'o du.c va` xa~ ho^.i. DDa.o ddu+'c va` kim tie^`n tranh nhau tu+`ng ta^'c dda^'t ta.i tha`nh pho^' Thie^n Tha^`n La.c Lo^'i dda~ no'i le^n pha^`n na`o nhu+~ng ma(.t tie^u cu+.c cu?a Calif.

DDa^'t na`o, tho+`i na`o, xa~ ho^.i na`o cu~ng co' to^'t va` xa^'u. Vo+'i ngu+o+`i A' DDo^ng (no'i chung) Vie^.t nam (no'i rie^ng) chuye^.n ta'i o^ng tha^'t ma~ dda~ la` ca^u chuye^.n ngu. ngo^n cho tha^'y quan nie^.m trung dung cu?a ngu+o+`i Vie^.t Nam cho ne^n ca^u chuye^.n na^`y se~ kho^ng la`m ba^.n lo`ng ngu+o+`i di da^n tu+` dda^'t Vie^.t. DDa^t la`nh chim dda^.u-Hy vo.ng ra(`ng ca'c the^' he^. Vie^.t nam sau na^`y se~ ho.c ddu+o+.c nhu+~ng ba`i ho.c tu+` cha o^ng (The^' he^. thu+' I) tu+` ca'c da^n to^.c kha'c (Nha^.t Bo^?n) dde^? co' cho mi`nh mo^.t hu+o+'ng ddi ddu'ng. Chim co' to^?, ngu+o+`i co' to^ng. Ngu+o+`i Vie^.t du` o+? mo^i tru+o+`ng na`o cu~ng se~ giu+~ ddu+o+.c ca'i to^'t cu?a xu+' mi`nh va` ho.c ho?i ddu+o+.c ca'i to^'t cu?a xu+' ngu+o+`i.

Thanksgiving Day 2000

Le^ Vie^.t DDie^?u