Merced

Download the data here.

Merced’s BHC site includes four areas of Merced County: Planada, Le Grand, Franklin/Beachwood and the Southern part of the City of Merced. This region is characterized for its ethnic diversity, with 60% of the population being Latino, 12% are of Asian descent and African Americans represent 3% of the population in Merced county.  Data collection of Merced’s cultural treasures occurred between August and December 2013. Over 100 short questionnaires were collected at local stores and home visits in Planada, Le Grand and the City of Merced, and via email utilizing the networks of the local task force members.  Unique to Merced in this BHC initiative was that this region illuminated a more diverse participating population. Much (not all) of the cultural assets were based in three central cultural groups representing the African American, Hmong, and Mexican communities.

The majority of the cultural treasures identified were individuals (63%) recognized for their expertise in music, dance, visual arts, and community heritage practices. However, the two most common practices that were identified were a variety of material art forms and food ways traditions. 

 Of the identified cultural treasures 17% were organizations/groups most of which are located in the City of Merced. The central focus of these organizations is the promotion and transmission of cultural art forms including dance, music, theater and other forms of cultural heritage.

In terms of the places (11%) respondents identified churches, museums, parks, theaters, restaurants and specialty stores (where they could find food and other items of their native countries) as the places that they consider more culturally significant. Events represented 8% of the surveys, and all of the events were organized to celebrate the cultural heritage of different ethnic communities.

Merced respondents also identified, as cultural treasures, some collective practices such as the use of Hmong language, the qeej (Hmong bamboo wind instrument) as well as the practice of folklorico dances or the celebration of patron saints, which fell under the category “General Cultural Treasures”.