Cultivating citriculture

This dissertation explores the connection between the historical citrus industry and the identity formation of Southern California through the symbolism of the orange, with a specific focus on women within this dynamic. The citrus industry, which peaked between 1910-1955, leveraged an existing mythical ideology known as the “California Dream” to promote California citrus fruit. This mythology, combined with citrus marketing, portrayed Southern California as an Anglo-elite agrarian paradise that diminished the presence and contributions of Mexican and Mexican Americans during and after the citrus era. The women who worked in citrus packing houses and resided in the surrounding communities, particularly Mexican and Mexican American women, played a vital role throughout this process. Their industrial labor, domesticity, images, and community activism were not just necessary but instrumental for the citrus industry's function and success and the establishment of the surrounding communities.