Cal Humanities

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more when it is in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

Isabel Allende, Author

“Humanities is the oldest way to understand life.”

Allende, a journalist and author was born in Lima, Peru, and was the granddaughter of Salvador Allende, the first socialist president of Chile. Allende’s life was forever changed when General Augusto Pinochet led a military coup in 1973, toppling Salvador Allende’s government. Allende has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987, and became a U.S. citizen in 1993. Allende’s novels are often based upon her personal experience and historical events and pay homage to the lives of women.