War Information
10 sectionsHistory of State Violence and Militarism in San Diego
San Diego, which calls itself "America's Finest City," is in fact one of the largest US military hubs and a center of the military-industrial complex. The city's history is intertwined with colonization, militarism, and racial suppression.
Kumeyaay People and California's First Mission
The San Diego area was the homeland of the Kumeyaay (Kumia) people. In 1769, Father Junipero Serra founded California's first Franciscan mission here. Mission San Diego de Alcalá subjected Natives to forced labor, and European diseases devastated the population. In 1775, the Kumeyaay burned the mission in the first major Native uprising against Spanish colonization.
US Conquest and Military Base
After the US-Mexican War, San Diego was annexed in 1848. From the early 20th century, San Diego became one of America's most important military bases. The San Diego Naval Base and Miramar Air Station (famous from Top Gun) are symbols of American militarism. The city hosts the US Navy's Pacific Fleet.
Border Militarization and Violence Against Migrants
San Diego sits on the Mexico border and is the epicenter of border militarization. The border wall, tens of thousands of migrant detentions, and hundreds of deaths during crossing attempts are part of this city's violent border history.
Destruction of Barrio Logan
In the 1960s-70s, I-5 freeway construction and the Coronado Bridge split the historic Barrio Logan (Latino neighborhood), forcibly displacing thousands of families.
