" 2006 (UTC)

 hello I'm a resident of Indio Cal. and the regional term isn't as strong. More people use the term ""desert"" or ""southwest"" than the terms ""Sou Cal"" or ""Inland Empire"". There's a similarity in geography and landscape with Arizona and Nevada for those living in the Indio area. Culturally, the high Latino/Hispanic element might have to do with the name change, as some in Imperial county might refer to ""American Mexico/ Mex-USA"". Indio and Coachella became one of the U.S./Cal. highest concentrates of Hispanic or Mexican Americans, since immigration was very high for the two towns in the 1990s. I been to Imperial County, there's still plenty of farmland and the towns are growing within the confines of city limits. It's going to change and with NAFTA passed in 1993, the border city of Calexico seem to boom and thrive the most. Mexicali is a major city, the capital of Baja Cal. Mexico and perhaps the closest major city from Indio than Riverside or San Diego. The regional term seems to follow where white Anglos are the majority, but the eastward move of more (no pun intended) to Indio-Coachella to purchase a new home or property in bargain prices, the pendulum may be shifting back. Then again, most newcomers in the Inland Empire are Hispanic, and came from Los Angeles or you won't have Spanish-language new home ads. Oh well + 13:37, 18 June"