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111-483: Sureños ( [suˈɾe.ɲos] ; Spanish for Southerners ), also known as Southern United Raza , Sur 13 or Sureños X3 , are groups of loosely affiliated gangs that pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia while in U.S. state and federal correctional facilities . Many Sureño gangs have rivalries with one another, and the only time this rivalry is set aside is when they enter the prison system. Thus, fighting
222-584: A 2020 census population of 909,235, making it the 62nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. Bakersfield is a significant hub for both agriculture and energy production . Kern County is California's most productive oil-producing county and the fourth most productive agricultural county (by value) in the United States. Industries in and around Bakersfield include natural gas and other energy extraction, mining, petroleum refining, distribution, food processing, and corporate regional offices. The city
333-399: A 4-hour drive on State Route 99). Hart Memorial Park is located in northeast Bakersfield along Alfred Harrell Highway. Bakersfield has historically referred to its regions by directional names. They include North Bakersfield, Northeast, Southeast, South Bakersfield, Southwest, and Northwest. East Bakersfield generally refers to the former town of Sumner (later renamed East Bakersfield). As
444-596: A Spanish-based creole language called Chavacano developed in the southern Philippines. However, it is not mutually intelligible with Spanish. The number of Chavacano-speakers was estimated at 1.2 million in 1996. The local languages of the Philippines also retain significant Spanish influence, with many words derived from Mexican Spanish , owing to the administration of the islands by Spain through New Spain until 1821, until direct governance from Madrid afterwards to 1898. Bakersfield, California Bakersfield
555-576: A bachelor's degree was the lowest (14.7%) of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States; that 100th-place finish was down from being ranked 95th in 1990. According to a Gallup -Healthways Well-Being Index, Bakersfield ranks as one of the ten most obese metro areas in America. Of its residents, 33.6% were obese, compared to the national average of 26.5%. The same study found that 21.2% were smokers, 12.7% had diabetes , 27.9% had high blood pressure , 22.8% had high cholesterol , 3.3% have suffered
666-588: A considerable number of words from Arabic , as well as a minor influence from the Germanic Gothic language through the period of Visigoth rule in Iberia. In addition, many more words were borrowed from Latin through the influence of written language and the liturgical language of the Church. The loanwords were taken from both Classical Latin and Renaissance Latin , the form of Latin in use at that time. According to
777-605: A dispute over a pair of shoes. The Northerners then formed the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang for protection from the Mexican Mafia, the Southern gang. To distinguish themselves from the agricultural workers from Northern California, Mexican Mafia ( La Eme ) members began to refer to the gang members who worked for them as Sureños , a Spanish term meaning "Southerners". Inmates from Northern California who were affiliated with
888-517: A dramatic change in the pronunciation of its sibilant consonants , known in Spanish as the reajuste de las sibilantes , which resulted in the distinctive velar [x] pronunciation of the letter ⟨j⟩ and—in a large part of Spain—the characteristic interdental [θ] ("th-sound") for the letter ⟨z⟩ (and for ⟨c⟩ before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩ ). See History of Spanish (Modern development of
999-459: A female householder with no husband present, and 7,829 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 8,159 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 845 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . About 21,800 households (19.6%) were made up of individuals, and 7,354 (6.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10. There were 83,154 families (74.8% of all households);
1110-476: A first language by Spaniards and educated Filipinos ( Ilustrados ). Despite a public education system set up by the colonial government, by the end of Spanish rule in 1898, only about 10% of the population had knowledge of Spanish, mostly those of Spanish descent or elite standing. Spanish continued to be official and used in Philippine literature and press during the early years of American administration after
1221-901: A game die. Although there are many tattoos used by Sureños , there is only one tattoo that proves or validates membership. The X3 tag can also be commonly spotted in graffiti. The word Sureño or Sureña must be earned. Most Sureños are of Mexican descent, but some Sureño gangs allow members from various other ethnic backgrounds to join their ranks, making Sureños multiethnic. They also favor blue or grey sport clothing, such as Los Angeles Dodgers , Los Angeles Rams and sometimes Los Angeles Lakers . Upstate Sureños, however, wear Dallas Cowboys , San Jose Sharks and Oakland Raiders clothing. Sureño groups are involved in many aspects of criminal activity including homicide, drug trafficking, kidnapping, assaults, carjackings, home invasions, and robbery. They are also heavily engaged in human trafficking. The primary sources of income for Sureño gang members are
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#17328583347271332-452: A heart attack, 75.2% felt they had enough money to buy food and 75.5% had health insurance. Bakersfield saw its population grow from about 105,000 in 1980 to over 400,000 in 2020. Although the city is still growing, its growth rate has slowed in recent years due to the economic recession and high home foreclosure rates. However, in October 2013, Bakersfield was found to be the number two city in
1443-468: A historic industry in the area, contributes to the poor air quality. Returning flowing water to the Kern River and along with trees is promoted as a way to improve air quality and enhance recreation in the city. The 2010 United States Census reported that Bakersfield had a population of 347,483. The population density was 2,419.6 inhabitants per square mile (934.2/km ). The ethnic makeup of Bakersfield
1554-415: A long history in the territory of the current-day United States dating back to the 16th century. In the wake of the 1848 Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty , hundreds of thousands of Spanish speakers became a minoritized community in the United States. The 20th century saw further massive growth of Spanish speakers in areas where they had been hitherto scarce. According to the 2020 census, over 60 million people of
1665-498: A primarily Hassaniya Arabic -speaking territory, Spanish was officially spoken as the language of the colonial administration during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Spanish is present in the partially-recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as its secondary official language, and in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf ( Algeria ), where the Spanish language is still taught as
1776-459: A result, the Northeast wraps around East Bakersfield. Bakersfield has a hot desert climate ( Köppen BWh ), with sweltering, dry summers and winters that consist of mild days with chilly/cold nights. Rainfall is low in the city, averaging only 6.36 inches (161.5 mm) annually, with most of it falling in the winter. Bakersfield averages about 191 clear days a year. Bakersfield's climate makes
1887-621: A result, the city of Bakersfield threatened to annex the city of Shafter. The large bluff and plateau east of Bakersfield—toward the Rio Bravo and Kern Canyon area—has been under development for the last 60 years. Because the steep, north-facing edge of the bluff provides a view of the foothills, mountains, oil fields, and Kern River, the city government has attempted to balance development and preservation in this area. Bakersfield's historic and primary industries are related to Kern County's two main industries: oil and agriculture. Kern County in 2013
1998-543: A scheme to disincorporate, effectively leaving him without an employer. According to local historian Gilbert Gia the city was also failing to collect the taxes it needed for services. In 1876, The city voted to disincorporate. For the next 22 years, a citizen's council managed the community. By 1880, Bakersfield had a population of 801, with 250 of Chinese descent. By 1890, it had a population of 2,626. Migration from Texas , Louisiana , Oklahoma , and Southern California brought new residents, who were mostly employed by
2109-599: A second language features characteristics involving the variability of the vowel system. While far from its heyday during the Spanish protectorate in Morocco , the Spanish language has some presence in northern Morocco , stemming for example from the availability of certain Spanish-language media. According to a 2012 survey by Morocco's Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES), penetration of Spanish in Morocco reaches 4.6% of
2220-518: A second language, largely by Cuban educators. The number of Spanish speakers is unknown. Spanish is also an official language of the African Union . Spanish was an official language of the Philippines from the beginning of Spanish administration in 1565 to a constitutional change in 1973. During Spanish colonization , it was the language of government, trade, and education, and was spoken as
2331-514: A smaller presence in Illinois, Oklahoma, Georgia, Oregon and Washington, and some have spread as far east as New York . Sureños have been documented in the U.S. military, found in both U.S. and overseas bases. They also can be found in some parts of Mexico. Sureños also maintain relationships with various drug trafficking organizations based in Mexico. They have been confirmed in 35 different states in
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#17328583347272442-413: A total area of 114.4 sq mi (296 km ), of which 113.1 sq mi (293 km ) were land (98.86%) and 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km ) were water-covered (1.14%). Bakersfield is located about 100 mi (160 km) north of Los Angeles (about a 1-hour, 45-minute drive on I-5 and State Route 99) and about 280 mi (450 km) southeast of the state capital, Sacramento (about
2553-429: A variety of states. Police departments have a difficult time dealing with this gang because of its decentralized hierarchy at the street level. Law enforcement attempts to limit the influence of the Mexican Mafia over the various Sureño street gangs have been met with little success. By the late 1990s, a federal task force was set up in order to investigate the gang's involvement in the illegal drug trade; this resulted in
2664-445: A very dense layer of fog occasionally. Due to years of prolonged drought and the rapid development of many new neighborhoods around Bakersfield, the density of the fog and the number of "fog days" has steadily decreased. At the same time, areas outside the city still experience thick fog. The official time frame for tule fog to form is about five months long – various days from November 1 to March 31. Most noticeable in summer and winter,
2775-416: Is cognate to the root word of satisfacer ("to satisfy"), and hecho ("made") is similarly cognate to the root word of satisfecho ("satisfied"). Compare the examples in the following table: Some consonant clusters of Latin also produced characteristically different results in these languages, as shown in the examples in the following table: In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish underwent
2886-640: Is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe . Today, it is a global language with about 500 million native speakers, mainly in the Americas and Spain , and about 600 million when including second language speakers. Spanish is the official language of 20 countries , as well as one of the six official languages of
2997-669: Is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California , United States. The city covers about 151 sq mi (390 km ) near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley , which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the 2020 Census was 403,455, making it the 47th-most populous city in the United States and the 9th-most populous in California . The Bakersfield–Delano Metropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Kern County, had
3108-533: Is common among different Sureño gangs even though they share a common identity. Sureños have emerged as a national gang in the United States. Mexican American street gangs originated in Los Angeles in the early 1900s as a result of various factors, including economic conditions and racial prejudice. In 1957, the Mexican Mafia (or La Eme ), California's first prison gang , was established by Luis "Huerro Buff" Flores and other East Los Angeles gang members, at
3219-548: Is common for an inversion layer to form in the valley in the winter, in which temperatures can be warmer in the foothills above the valley with the valley itself being cooler. This can trap air pollution in Bakersfield and the surrounding valley areas for days or even weeks. This can typically be mediated by rain or strong winds. Emissions from agriculture, industry, rail freight and road traffic together create significant concentrations of air pollution. The extraction of oil and gas,
3330-449: Is estimated that about 486 million people speak Spanish as a native language , making it the second most spoken language by number of native speakers . An additional 75 million speak Spanish as a second or foreign language , making it the fourth most spoken language in the world overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi with a total number of 538 million speakers. Spanish is also
3441-740: Is heavily influenced by Venezuelan Spanish. In addition to sharing most of its borders with Spanish-speaking countries, the creation of Mercosur in the early 1990s induced a favorable situation for the promotion of Spanish language teaching in Brazil . In 2005, the National Congress of Brazil approved a bill, signed into law by the President , making it mandatory for schools to offer Spanish as an alternative foreign language course in both public and private secondary schools in Brazil. In September 2016 this law
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3552-721: Is related to Castile ( Castilla or archaically Castiella ), the kingdom where the language was originally spoken. The name Castile , in turn, is usually assumed to be derived from castillo ('castle'). In the Middle Ages , the language spoken in Castile was generically referred to as Romance and later also as Lengua vulgar . Later in the period, it gained geographical specification as Romance castellano ( romanz castellano , romanz de Castiella ), lenguaje de Castiella , and ultimately simply as castellano (noun). Different etymologies have been suggested for
3663-806: Is spoken by very small communities in Angola due to Cuban influence from the Cold War and in South Sudan among South Sudanese natives that relocated to Cuba during the Sudanese wars and returned for their country's independence. Spanish is also spoken in the integral territories of Spain in Africa, namely the cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the Canary Islands , located in the Atlantic Ocean some 100 km (62 mi) off
3774-402: Is the Spanish word for south, among Sureños "SUR" also stands for Southern United Raza. Sureños use the number 13—which represents the letter "M", the thirteenth letter of the alphabet—in order to mark their allegiance to the Mexican Mafia. Common Sureño gang markings and/or tattoos include (but are not limited to): SUR, XIII, X3, 13, Sur13, Uno Tres, Trece and three dots arranged like those on
3885-512: Is the birthplace of the country music genre known as the Bakersfield sound . Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of Native American settlements dating back thousands of years. Upon Spanish arrival, present-day Bakersfield was inhabited by the Yowlumne , a Yokuts people. Yowlumne accounts indicate that the village of Woilu was situated in the bounds of the present city. The Yokuts of
3996-804: Is the de facto national language of the country, Spanish is often used in public services and notices at the federal and state levels. Spanish is also used in administration in the state of New Mexico . The language has a strong influence in major metropolitan areas such as those of Los Angeles , Miami , San Antonio , New York , San Francisco , Dallas , Tucson and Phoenix of the Arizona Sun Corridor , as well as more recently, Chicago , Las Vegas , Boston , Denver , Houston , Indianapolis , Philadelphia , Cleveland , Salt Lake City , Atlanta , Nashville , Orlando , Tampa , Raleigh and Baltimore-Washington, D.C. due to 20th- and 21st-century immigration. Although Spanish has no official recognition in
4107-568: The Bakersfield Register of Historic Places , including the Fox Theater (designated 8/24/94) and Kern County Chamber of Commerce Building (designated 3/12/08). With only 16 sites on its local register (compared to more than 300 sites designated by the City of Fresno ), Bakersfield has been criticized for its lack of focus on historic preservation. Bakersfield is located near the southern end of
4218-635: The Deuel Vocational Institution . The Mexican Mafia was formed, in part, for protection from other groups in the prison population, and recruited its members from Mexican American street gangs. A rivalry subsequently developed between Mexican American inmates from Southern California and those from Northern California . The Southern gang members viewed Mexican Americans from rural, agricultural areas in Northern California with contempt and considered them to be unsophisticated and weak, while
4329-787: The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Joaquin Valley, has made the city a regional transportation hub. In 1990, Bakersfield was one of 10 U.S. communities to receive the All-America City Award from the National Civic League . In 2010, the Bakersfield MSA had a gross metropolitan product of $ 29.466 billion, making it the 73rd-largest metropolitan economy in the United States. Bakersfield has several buildings and locations designated as historic sites at
4440-655: The Nuestra Familia became known as Norteños , or "Northerners". Although Sureños were established in 1968, the term was not used until the 1970s as a result of the continued conflict between the Mexican Mafia and the Nuestra Familia in California's prison system . When a Sureño is asked what being a Sureño means, members answer: "A Sureño is a foot soldier for the Mexican Mafia." As a result of these prison wars, all Hispanic California street gangs align themselves with
4551-531: The San Andreas Fault . The Temblor Range is about 35 mi (56 km) from Bakersfield across the valley floor. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 143.6 sq mi (372 km ), of which 142.2 sq mi (368 km ) are land (98.99%) and 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km ) are covered by water (1.01%). At the 2000 census, the city had
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4662-862: The San Joaquin Valley , with the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada just to the east. The city limits extend to the Sequoia National Forest , at the foot of the Greenhorn Mountain Range and the entrance to the Kern Canyon. To the south, the Tehachapi Mountains , rising more than a vertical mile, feature the historic Tejon Ranch . To the west is the Temblor Range , behind which is the Carrizo Plain National Monument and
4773-557: The Spanish as a First Foreign Language (SAFFL) initiative in March 2005. Spanish has historically had a significant presence on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba , Bonaire and Curaçao ( ABC Islands ) throughout the centuries and in present times. The majority of the populations of each island (especially Aruba) speaking Spanish at varying although often high degrees of fluency. The local language Papiamentu (Papiamento on Aruba)
4884-508: The Spanish–American War but was eventually replaced by English as the primary language of administration and education by the 1920s. Nevertheless, despite a significant decrease in influence and speakers, Spanish remained an official language of the Philippines upon independence in 1946, alongside English and Filipino , a standardized version of Tagalog . Spanish was briefly removed from official status in 1973 but reimplemented under
4995-748: The Sureño or Norteño movements with very few exceptions (such as the Fresno Bulldogs , and the Maravilla gangs of East Los Angeles). Due to its membership size, the Fresno Bulldogs is the only Hispanic gang in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that is able to remain independent. The Sureño's main stronghold is in southern California. They have a heavy presence in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Utah. They have
5106-506: The Sureños pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Other members from the Sureños gang received other sentences for their involvement in the shooting. In 2010, 51 Sureños were arrested in a California narcotics sting. The investigation identified eight Sureño gangs involved in various criminal activities, including the distribution of narcotics. The investigation also resulted in
5217-534: The United Nations . Spanish is the world's second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese ; the world's fourth-most spoken language overall after English , Mandarin Chinese, and Hindustani ( Hindi - Urdu ); and the world's most widely spoken Romance language. The country with the largest population of native speakers is Mexico . Spanish is part of the Ibero-Romance language group , in which
5328-528: The moment magnitude scale and was felt from San Francisco to the Mexican border , destroyed the nearby communities of Tehachapi and Arvin . The earthquake's destructive force bent cotton fields into U shapes, slid a shoulder of the Tehachapi Mountains across all four lanes of the Ridge Route , collapsed a water tower, creating a flash flood, and destroyed the railroad tunnels in the mountain chain. Bakersfield
5439-484: The urban heat island phenomenon can be observed throughout various neighborhoods in Bakersfield. Areas closer to downtown and along the 99 freeway corridor can experience warmer temperatures at night than neighborhoods on the edge of the city limits and rural Kern County areas, with temperature differences up to 7 °F (4 °C) between these areas at any given time. On average, ten mornings have freezing lows (on average between December 14 and January 24) annually, and
5550-475: The 13th century. Spanish colonialism in the early modern period spurred the introduction of the language to overseas locations, most notably to the Americas. As a Romance language, Spanish is a descendant of Latin. Around 75% of modern Spanish vocabulary is Latin in origin, including Latin borrowings from Ancient Greek. Alongside English and French , it is also one of the most taught foreign languages throughout
5661-404: The 2021–2022 school year alone. The local business process outsourcing industry has also helped boost the language's economic prospects. Today, while the actual number of proficient Spanish speakers is around 400,000, or under 0.5% of the population, a new generation of Spanish speakers in the Philippines has likewise emerged, though speaker estimates vary widely. Aside from standard Spanish,
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#17328583347275772-574: The 20th century, Spanish was introduced to Equatorial Guinea and the Western Sahara , and to areas of the United States that had not been part of the Spanish Empire, such as Spanish Harlem in New York City . For details on borrowed words and other external influences upon Spanish, see Influences on the Spanish language . Spanish is the primary language in 20 countries worldwide. As of 2023, it
5883-659: The 38th Street gang, out of the streets, banning them from using firearms, alcohol, graffiti and other dangerous materials in public. Sureños have a stronghold in San Francisco's Mission District , who feud with fellow Sureño factions and Norteños . Sureños have had a history of beefing with other Sureño individuals, whether it be gang in-fighting, or different Sureño cliques fighting each other. For instance, two rival Sureño gangs fighting over territorial grounds of Southwest Community Park in Santa Rosa, California, lead to
5994-559: The Bay Area, with local residents being priced out. The city of Shafter , a small farming town north of Bakersfield, previously filed a suit to attempt to limit the northern expansion of Bakersfield's city limits. Shafter has also annexed large pieces of farmland to its east and south to ensure that Bakersfield does not annex this area. Bakersfield, in addition, filed a lawsuit against Shafter in 2007 regarding water rights Shafter planned to use but Bakersfield stated it had purchased in 1976. As
6105-639: The Equatoguinean education system and is the primary language used in government and business. Whereas it is not the mother tongue of virtually any of its speakers, the vast majority of the population is proficient in Spanish. The Instituto Cervantes estimates that 87.7% of the population is fluent in Spanish. The proportion of proficient Spanish speakers in Equatorial Guinea exceeds the proportion of proficient speakers in other West and Central African nations of their respective colonial languages. Spanish
6216-691: The Iberian Peninsula. These languages included Proto-Basque , Iberian , Lusitanian , Celtiberian and Gallaecian . The first documents to show traces of what is today regarded as the precursor of modern Spanish are from the 9th century. Throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era , the most important influences on the Spanish lexicon came from neighboring Romance languages — Mozarabic ( Andalusi Romance ), Navarro-Aragonese , Leonese , Catalan/Valencian , Portuguese , Galician , Occitan , and later, French and Italian . Spanish also borrowed
6327-645: The Northerners considered those from Southern California to be overly Americanized . By 1967, La Eme was attempting to unify all Mexican American gangs in California, and a concerted effort was made to end rivalries between various groups and amalgamate them into the state's largest prison gang. However, the rivalry between Northerners and Southerners was solidified by an incident in which a Mexican Mafia member in San Quentin State Prison fatally stabbed his cellmate—a Mexican American from Northern California—in
6438-424: The Old Spanish sibilants) for details. The Gramática de la lengua castellana , written in Salamanca in 1492 by Elio Antonio de Nebrija , was the first grammar written for a modern European language. According to a popular anecdote, when Nebrija presented it to Queen Isabella I , she asked him what was the use of such a work, and he answered that language is the instrument of empire. In his introduction to
6549-437: The San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad being purchased by Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe . The new station was located at the intersection of 15th Street and F Street and was demolished in 1972. It was replaced with the present day Bakersfield Station built in 2000, near Truxtun Avenue and S Street. On July 21, 1952, an earthquake struck at 4:52 am Pacific Daylight Time. The earthquake, which measured 7.5 on
6660-424: The Spanish-speaking world, Spanish is called not only español but also castellano (Castilian), the language from the Kingdom of Castile , contrasting it with other languages spoken in Spain such as Galician , Basque , Asturian , Catalan/Valencian , Aragonese , Occitan and other minor languages. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 uses the term castellano to define the official language of
6771-524: The U.S. They are with the Gulf Cartel . The statewide north–south dividing line between Norteños and Sureños has roughly been accepted as the cities of Bakersfield and Delano . Sureños' strongholds in Upstate California are usually in Santa Rosa and Modesto due to a high Mexican immigrant population in those cities. Sureños in Los Angeles refer to their members in Central California as "Central Sureños" and Sureños refer to their members in northern California as "Upstate Sureños" . While sur
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#17328583347276882-502: The U.S. population were of Hispanic or Hispanic American by origin. In turn, 41.8 million people in the United States aged five or older speak Spanish at home, or about 13% of the population. Spanish predominates in the unincorporated territory of Puerto Rico , where it is also an official language along with English. Spanish is by far the most common second language in the country, with over 50 million total speakers if non-native or second-language speakers are included. While English
6993-399: The administration of Ferdinand Marcos two months later. It remained an official language until the ratification of the present constitution in 1987, in which it was re-designated as a voluntary and optional auxiliary language. Additionally, the constitution, in its Article XIV, stipulates that the Government shall provide the people of the Philippines with a Spanish-language translation of
7104-417: The arrest of several of its members. The authorities confiscated thousands of dollars in drugs and money, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and local news channels. The group has historically quarreled with various rival gangs for placement and competition, which has resulted in many drive-by shootings and deaths. On August 24, 2004, a law enforcement preliminary injunction terminated the active members of
7215-584: The average family size was 3.56. The population was distributed as 109,479 people (31.5%) under the age of 18, 37,368 (10.8%) aged 18 to 24, 97,024 (27.9%) aged 25 to 44, 74,276 (21.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 29,336 (8.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males. The 120,725 housing units averaged 840.6 per square mile (324.6/km ), of which 66,323 (59.7%) were owner-occupied, and 44,809 (40.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate
7326-406: The banks of the Kern River in 1863, at what became known as Baker's Field, which became a stopover for travelers. By 1870, with a population of 600, what is now known as Bakersfield was becoming the principal town in Kern County. In 1873, Bakersfield was officially incorporated as a city, and by 1874, it officially replaced the town of Havilah as the county seat. Alexander Mills was hired as
7437-433: The city marshal, a man one historian would describe as "... an old man by the time he became Marshal of Bakersfield, and he walked with a cane. But he was a Kentuckian, a handy man with a gun, and not lacking in initiative and resource when the mood moved him." Businessmen and others began to resent Mills, who was cantankerous and high-handed in his treatment of them. Wanting to fire him but fearing reprisals, they devised
7548-430: The city's center in the most densely populated area of the southern San Joaquin Valley . Four people died in the aftershock, and many of the town's historic structures sustained heavy damage. Between 1970 and 2010, Bakersfield grew 400% (from 70,000 to 347,483), making it one of the fastest-growing cities in California. Bakersfield's close proximity to mountain passes , primarily the Tejon Pass on Interstate 5 between
7659-566: The classic hispanus or hispanicus took the suffix -one from Vulgar Latin , as happened with other words such as bretón (Breton) or sajón (Saxon). Like the other Romance languages , the Spanish language evolved from Vulgar Latin , which was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans during the Second Punic War , beginning in 210 BC. Several pre-Roman languages (also called Paleohispanic languages )—some distantly related to Latin as Indo-European languages , and some that are not related at all—were previously spoken in
7770-485: The coldest night of the year typically bottoms out below 30 °F or −1.1 °C. On January 2, 2012, Bakersfield reached a record high of 82 °F (27.8 °C) for that year's winter. Spring and fall typically feature mild to warm daytime high temperatures with cool nighttime low temperatures, but temperatures and precipitation can vary significantly depending on the year. More than 50 percent of Bakersfield's annual precipitation falls between January and March, with
7881-446: The consonant written b (a bilabial with plosive and fricative allophones). In modern Spanish, there is no difference between the pronunciation of orthographic b and v . Typical of Spanish (as also of neighboring Gascon extending as far north as the Gironde estuary , and found in a small area of Calabria ), attributed by some scholars to a Basque substratum was the mutation of Latin initial f into h- whenever it
7992-404: The country's constitution. In recent years changing attitudes among non-Spanish speaking Filipinos have helped spur a revival of the language, and starting in 2009 Spanish was reintroduced as part of the basic education curriculum in a number of public high schools, becoming the largest foreign language program offered by the public school system, with over 7,000 students studying the language in
8103-474: The fifth-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States, with 53% of its population being Hispanic in 2020. In 1861, disastrous floods swept away the original settlement founded in 1860 by the German-born Christian Bohna. Among those attracted to the area by the California gold rush was Thomas Baker, a lawyer and former colonel in the militia of Ohio , his home state. Baker moved to
8214-661: The following table: Spanish is marked by palatalization of the Latin double consonants ( geminates ) nn and ll (thus Latin annum > Spanish año , and Latin anellum > Spanish anillo ). The consonant written u or v in Latin and pronounced [w] in Classical Latin had probably " fortified " to a bilabial fricative /β/ in Vulgar Latin. In early Spanish (but not in Catalan or Portuguese) it merged with
8325-466: The former British colony of Belize (known until 1973 as British Honduras ) where English is the sole official language, according to the 2022 census, 54% of the total population are able to speak the language. Due to its proximity to Spanish-speaking countries and small existing native Spanish speaking minority, Trinidad and Tobago has implemented Spanish language teaching into its education system. The Trinidadian and Tobagonian government launched
8436-584: The grammar, dated 18 August 1492, Nebrija wrote that "... language was always the companion of empire." From the 16th century onwards, the language was taken to the Spanish-discovered America and the Spanish East Indies via Spanish colonization of America . Miguel de Cervantes , author of Don Quixote , is such a well-known reference in the world that Spanish is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes"). In
8547-576: The language is also known as Castilian ( castellano ). The group evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. The oldest Latin texts with traces of Spanish come from mid-northern Iberia in the 9th century, and the first systematic written use of the language happened in Toledo , a prominent city of the Kingdom of Castile , in
8658-535: The language's hegemony in an intensely centralising Spanish state were established from the 18th century onward. Other European territories in which it is also widely spoken include Gibraltar and Andorra . Spanish is also spoken by immigrant communities in other European countries, such as the United Kingdom , France , Italy , and Germany . Spanish is an official language of the European Union . Today,
8769-686: The majority of the Spanish speakers live in Hispanic America . Nationally, Spanish is the official language—either de facto or de jure —of Argentina , Bolivia (co-official with 36 indigenous languages), Chile , Colombia , Costa Rica , Cuba , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico (co-official with 63 indigenous languages), Nicaragua , Panama , Paraguay (co-official with Guaraní ), Peru (co-official with Quechua , Aymara , and "the other indigenous languages"), Puerto Rico (co-official with English), Uruguay , and Venezuela . Spanish language has
8880-423: The nation for the rental market. Apartment vacancies have become a large issue, with only one percent of potential apartments being open to new renters as of April 2021. The average cost of rent and housing has dramatically increased in the last few years, with some apartments having their monthly rent nearly double in cost. Most new apartments being built are catering to commuting workers from Southern California and
8991-701: The national, state, and city levels. Five buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including the First Baptist Church (NRHP 1/2/79); Baker Street Library (NRHP 4/1/81) and Bakersfield Californian Building (NRHP 3/10/83). Four sites have been designated as California Historical Landmarks , including Garces Memorial Circle (designated in 1937) and the Colonel Thomas Baker Memorial (designated in 1944). In addition, 16 sites have been locally designated on
9102-559: The new railroad caused Southern Pacific to lower its fares from $ 9.10 ($ 347.22 in 2023) to $ 6.90 ($ 263.27 in 2023) to match the new railroad's fare. Eventually, a streetcar line would connect the Santa Fe station to the Southern Pacific station in Sumner (now East Bakersfield ). However, while the track had reached Bakersfield in 1898, a station would not be constructed until 1899 due to
9213-711: The northwest of the African mainland. The Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands traces its origins back to the Castilian conquest in the 15th century , and, in addition to a resemblance to Western Andalusian speech patterns, it also features strong influence from the Spanish varieties spoken in the Americas, which in turn have also been influenced historically by Canarian Spanish. The Spanish spoken in North Africa by native bilingual speakers of Arabic or Berber who also speak Spanish as
9324-520: The oil industry. The city reincorporated on January 11, 1898. In 1874, the Southern Pacific Railroad first arrived in Kern County. However, the train depot was placed nearly three miles east of Bakersfield due to a land dispute between the railroad and the town. Desperate to get their own station, Bakersfield residents, sugar magnate Clause Spreckels, and small investors from all over
9435-636: The other hand, currently uses the term español in its publications. However, from 1713 to 1923, it called the language castellano . The Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (a language guide published by the Royal Spanish Academy) states that, although the Royal Spanish Academy prefers to use the term español in its publications when referring to the Spanish language, both terms— español and castellano —are regarded as synonymous and equally valid. The term castellano
9546-567: The people so affable and affectionate. Given the remoteness and inaccessibility of the region, the Yokuts remained largely isolated from further contact until after the Mexican War of Independence , when Mexican settlers began to migrate to the area. Following the discovery of gold in California in 1848, settlers flooded into the San Joaquin Valley . In 1851, gold was discovered along the Kern River in
9657-414: The population in 2010, compared to 71% in 1980. The census reported 344,088 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 2,094 (0.6%) lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and 1,301 (0.4%) were institutionalized. Of the 111,132 households, 51,995 (46.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 57,276 (51.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 18,049 (16.2%) had
9768-529: The population. Many northern Moroccans have rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, with Spanish being particularly significant in areas adjacent to Ceuta and Melilla. Spanish also has a presence in the education system of the country (through either selected education centers implementing Spain's education system, primarily located in the North, or the availability of Spanish as foreign language subject in secondary education). In Western Sahara , formerly Spanish Sahara ,
9879-630: The record being 17 days in 1931. The most recent year to have more than five days of 110 °F (43.3 °C)+ temperature readings was 2017, with seven days reaching or exceeding 110 °F (43.3 °C). Temperatures can be highly variable throughout the spring, summer and fall months every year, with triple digit temperature readings in May, and on rare occasion April, and October in addition to occasional high temperatures below 80 °F (26.7 °C) in June and September not being uncommon. The warmest month on record
9990-545: The region lived in lodges along the branches of the Kern River delta and hunted antelope, tule elk, deer, bear, fish, and game birds. In 1776, Spanish missionary Francisco Garcés became the first European to explore the area. Recording his May 1 arrival to a Yokuts village along the Kern River, immediately northeast of present Bakersfield, Garcés wrote, The people of the rancheria had a great feast over my arrival, and having regaled me well I reciprocated to them all with tobacco and glass beads, congratulating myself on seeing
10101-545: The region suitable for growing crops ranging from carrots to citrus and almonds. Bakersfield summers are sweltering with extended stretches of hot weather and 112 days per year with high temperatures of 90 °F (32.2 °C)+ (on average between April 18 and October 13); in addition, there are 36 days with highs of 100 °F (37.8 °C)+ (on average between June 2 and September 19), and 0.9 days with highs of 110 °F (43.3 °C)+. The frequency of 110 °F (43.3 °C) readings can significantly vary each year, with
10212-456: The remainder falling during late fall and early winter. Snow is rare on the valley floor, although frost may occur. The last snow fell on January 25, 1999, when the city received up to 6 inches (15 cm), with 3 inches (7.6 cm) at the airport. The record maximum temperature was 118 °F (47.8 °C) on July 28, 1908, and the record minimum temperature was 12 °F (−11.1 °C) on January 3, 1908. The most rainfall in one month
10323-400: The retail-level distribution of cocaine , heroin , marijuana , and methamphetamine , both within prison systems and in the community, and the extortion of drug dealers. Sureño members may also have direct associations with Mexican drug cartels , and broker deals on behalf of the Mexican Mafia and their own gangs. There have been many high-profile criminal cases involving Sureños in
10434-476: The seizure of more than 19 pounds of methamphetamine , a methamphetamine conversion laboratory, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine , small amounts of crack cocaine , 25 pounds of marijuana , 35 firearms, and $ 800,000 in currency and property. The charges against the gang members were conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, street terrorism and firearms violations. Spanish language Spanish ( español ) or Castilian ( castellano )
10545-747: The shooting death of an 18-year-old man in 2008. The neighborhood South Park is home to a portion of the city's Angelo Heights Sureños , named after the Angelino Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles in which its original members came from. Sureños also have had territorial fighting in San Jose and Oakland . In 2009, members of the Sureños were charged in the deaths of rival Norteño gang members Alvaro Garcia-Pena and Intiaz Ahmed, who were killed at Alvarado's Bar & Grill in Richmond, California . One member of
10656-401: The southern Sierra Nevada , and in 1865, oil was discovered in the valley. The Bakersfield area, once a tule reed-covered marshland, was first known as Kern Island to the handful of pioneers , who built log cabins there in 1860. The area was subject to periodic flooding from the Kern River, which occupied what is now the downtown area, and experienced outbreaks of malaria . Bakersfield is
10767-625: The state ended up raising around $ 3,500,000 by January 17, 1895, to fund a second railroad to Bakersfield. By January 29, 1895, the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad was born. Dubbed the "People's Railroad," the project was completed and warmly welcomed by the town with a parade attended by thousands on May 27, 1898, amidst the Spanish-American War and over 20 years after the completion of Southern Pacific's line. Competition from
10878-528: The term español (Spanish). According to the Royal Spanish Academy, español derives from the Occitan word espaignol and that, in turn, derives from the Vulgar Latin * hispaniolus ('of Hispania'). Hispania was the Roman name for the entire Iberian Peninsula . There are other hypotheses apart from the one suggested by the Royal Spanish Academy. Spanish philologist Ramón Menéndez Pidal suggested that
10989-444: The theories of Ramón Menéndez Pidal , local sociolects of Vulgar Latin evolved into Spanish, in the north of Iberia, in an area centered in the city of Burgos , and this dialect was later brought to the city of Toledo , where the written standard of Spanish was first developed, in the 13th century. In this formative stage, Spanish developed a strongly differing variant from its close cousin, Leonese , and, according to some authors,
11100-623: The third most used language on the Internet , after English and Chinese. Spanish is the official language of Spain . Upon the emergence of the Castilian Crown as the dominant power in the Iberian Peninsula by the end of the Middle Ages, the Romance vernacular associated with this polity became increasingly used in instances of prestige and influence, and the distinction between "Castilian" and "Spanish" started to become blurred. Hard policies imposing
11211-581: The whole of Spain, in contrast to las demás lenguas españolas (lit. "the other Spanish languages "). Article III reads as follows: El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado. ... Las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas... Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State. ... The other Spanish languages shall also be official in their respective Autonomous Communities... The Royal Spanish Academy ( Real Academia Española ), on
11322-633: The world. Spanish is well represented in the humanities and social sciences . Spanish is also the third most used language on the internet by number of users after English and Chinese and the second most used language by number of websites after English. Spanish is used as an official language by many international organizations , including the United Nations , European Union , Organization of American States , Union of South American Nations , Community of Latin American and Caribbean States , African Union , among others. In Spain and some other parts of
11433-505: Was 197,389 (56.8%) White, 28,238 (8.1%) African American, 5,102 (1.5%) Native American, 21,432 (6.2%) Asian (2.1% Indian, 2.0% Filipino , 0.5% Chinese , 0.4% Korean , 0.2% Japanese , 478 (0.1%) Pacific Islander ), 77,686 (22.4%) from other races, and 17,068 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 158,205 persons (45.5%). Among the general population, 39.5% are Mexican , 1.3% Salvadoran , 0.5% Guatemalan , and 0.10% Colombian . Non-Hispanic Whites were 37.8% of
11544-465: Was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%. About 206,492 people (59.4%) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 137,596 (39.6%) lived in rental housing units. Bakersfield has consistently ranked as one of the least educated metropolitan areas in the United States. A study by the Brookings Institution using 2008 data found that the proportion of Bakersfield metro adults age 25 and over with
11655-525: Was 5.82 inches (147.8 mm) in December 2010, and the maximum 24-hour rainfall was 2.29 inches (58.2 mm) on February 9, 1978. The wettest "rain year" has been from July 1997 to June 1998 with 14.73 inches (374.1 mm) and the driest from July 1933 to June 1934 with 2.26 inches (57.4 mm). Air quality is generally at its worst in fall and winter due to the California wildfire season and colder temperatures forming an inversion layer, respectively. It
11766-424: Was July 2024, with an average temperature of 90.8 °F (32.7 °C). Except for occasional monsoons, which may bring light rain, typically no rain or almost no rain will fall from May to September. Winters feature mild daytime temperatures and chilly/cold nights. Frost and/or dense fog usually occurs in winter with accompanying low visibility, causing many schools to have fog delays. Winters will usually produce
11877-630: Was developed in the cities of Toledo , in the 13th to 16th centuries, and Madrid , from the 1570s. The development of the Spanish sound system from that of Vulgar Latin exhibits most of the changes that are typical of Western Romance languages , including lenition of intervocalic consonants (thus Latin vīta > Spanish vida ). The diphthongization of Latin stressed short e and o —which occurred in open syllables in French and Italian, but not at all in Catalan or Portuguese—is found in both open and closed syllables in Spanish, as shown in
11988-604: Was distinguished by a heavy Basque influence (see Iberian Romance languages ). This distinctive dialect spread to southern Spain with the advance of the Reconquista , and meanwhile gathered a sizable lexical influence from the Arabic of Al-Andalus , much of it indirectly, through the Romance Mozarabic dialects (some 4,000 Arabic -derived words, make up around 8% of the language today). The written standard for this new language
12099-713: Was followed by a vowel that did not diphthongize. The h- , still preserved in spelling, is now silent in most varieties of the language, although in some Andalusian and Caribbean dialects, it is still aspirated in some words. Because of borrowings from Latin and neighboring Romance languages, there are many f -/ h - doublets in modern Spanish: Fernando and Hernando (both Spanish for "Ferdinand"), ferrero and herrero (both Spanish for "smith"), fierro and hierro (both Spanish for "iron"), and fondo and hondo (both words pertaining to depth in Spanish, though fondo means "bottom", while hondo means "deep"); additionally, hacer ("to make")
12210-462: Was revoked by Michel Temer after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff . In many border towns and villages along Paraguay and Uruguay, a mixed language known as Portuñol is spoken. Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country located entirely in Africa, with the language introduced during the Spanish colonial period . Enshrined in the constitution as an official language (alongside French and Portuguese), Spanish features prominently in
12321-499: Was somewhat spared, experiencing minor architectural damage without loss of life. A large aftershock occurred on July 29, causing minor architectural damage but raising fears that the flow of the Friant-Kern Canal could be dangerously altered, potentially flooding the city and surrounding areas. Aftershocks continued for the next month, and on August 22 at 3:42 pm, another earthquake, measured at 5.8, struck directly under
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