I am from the country and I have seen people from everywhere and it has no affect on me and wouldn't think California any better or worse than anywhere else if they are American citizens unless they acted any differently to make me wonder about them or brought any earthquakes with them. :).
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.