Having lived in California and Kansas, I can definately say KS is not California...but it's a different kind of wierd.
Imagine moving half of the people out of your town overnight, and then moving in a new half composed of illegals straight from North Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.
They don't speak English, and they have no intention of learning.
They don't come for the "American Dream", they really have no idea what that is....they just come for the "easy money" and nothing more.
If they can get something, they will.
In less than a decade they achieve critical mass and begin setting the rules for the rest of you.
The worst part is Dodge has always had a proud and decent Mexican American community.
The illegals are destroying that community even worse than the anglo.
If you talk to the old families, they are livid and beyond despair.
They hate being lumped in with the illegal guys who get drunk on payday and urinate in the street...
(a very common occurance...a public pee is not even unusual anymore- Mexicanos claim these folks are ignorant Salvadorans or Guatemalans who have never seen running water...hehe...whatta city!)
Anyhow, many of the towns here are well past the tipping point. Wages are depressed, industries are driven out or moved out of the US, and the town collapses on itself.
The schools are bursting with illegals kids, the dwindling tax base is squeezed for more and more public services...it's as close to over as it can get.
So You learn to use Spanish at McDonalds or BK.
You come to accept the fact that the only stores left in town are WalMart, Dollar General, Dollar King, and Mexican Tiendas selling bootleg DVD's.
You no longer bother reporting you car stereo is stolen.
And you don't go out after dark.
Whoa! Not a pretty picture.