doors in 1887, but was closed down and demolished in 1909. On October 18, 1987, a bronze bust of Arcadia Bandini de Baker was unveiled at Palisades Park, Santa Monica. Created by artist Masahito Sanae, the bust is mounted on a four-foot pedestal and is placed at the center of a rose garden. A bronze plaque on the front reads: DEDICATED / TO / ARCADIA BANDINI DE BAKER / 1827-1912 / FOR HER LOVE AND DEVOTION TO SANTA MONICA AND / GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF LAND TO BENEFIT / THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY / BY / THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA / BANDIDI FAMILIES AND FRIENDS / SANTA MONICA HISTORICAL SOCIETY / MASAHITO SANAE / SCULPTOR / OCTOBER 18, 1987. Ethnic/racial identity Many elite Californios/as like Arcadia Bandini stressed their "Spanish" (rather than Mexican) blood and heritage, thus aligning themselves with Europe and whiteness and distancing themselves from the mestizaje (racial mixing) associated with Mexico Marrying white Anglo American men, like Abel Stearns and Robert S. Baker, served as further confirmation and assertion of whiteness. When this white or "Spanish" racial status was challenged, Californias like de Stearns Baker were often outraged. An instance described by scholar Eileen Wallis illustrates this. When the General Federation of Women's Clubs in Los Angeles made the decision to officially exclude African American women from their membership, the influential clubwoman Caroline Severance (though officially supporting the new policy) remarked that she did not understand why white Americans associated socially with "Italians, Spaniards, and representatives of other dark-skinned races," but not with African Americans. De Stearns Baker, a benefactress of clubwomen causes and events, was so furious at being labeled part of a "dark-skinned" race that she decided not to participate in the annual Fiesta de Flores in Los Angeles and took back her donation to the fund, setting a precedent that other elite Californias followed. Death and legal battle over estate Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker died in 1912, at age 85, and was interred between her husbands at Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles. It is estimated that 2,000 people attended her funeral, held in St. Vibiana's Cathedral, which is a testament to her status as a public figure and pillar of the community. The numbers vary, but the estate she left was estimated to be between $8 and $15 million. Because she left no will, her death thus launched