White Americans in California

Most people who identify as white in California say their heritage is Mexican, German, Irish, English, Italian, French, Spanish, Scottish, Polish, Salvadoran, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch, Armenian, or British.

There are also sizable Iranian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Greek, Hungarian, Austrian, Danish, Lithuanian, Finnish, Lebanese, Ukrainian, white Australian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovak, and Albanian populations in California.

[8][9] Most European immigrants in California come from Ireland, Germany, and United Kingdom, alongside countries such as France and Italy.

[13] By 1846, more White Americans had begun to enter California from other parts of the United States, making up 10% of the non-Native population.

[18] Between 1880 and 1920, Southern California’s population grew from 64,000 to 1.3 million, which included an influx of white health-seekers, real estate investors, and Midwestern farmers.

[21] Although this is probably an overestimation due to flaws in statistical methods, it shows the significant white predominance in California by the early 20th century.

[25] Whites in the Los Angeles area are also concentrated in Hollywood Hills, Bel Air and North San Gabriel Valley.