Gustavo Arellano “Comforts the Afflicted and Afflicts the Comfortable.” Arellano describes himself as “a Mexican with glasses con su pluma en su mano who writes pure DESMADRE about everything.” A writer, journalist, and editor, Gustavo Arellano is not afraid to use his pen to write sh*t about anything and anyone. His publisher, Simon & Schuster,…
Regina Cash has education in her blood. Cash is the Director of Academic and Professional Programs at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), College of Continuing and Professional Education. She oversees all the degree and professional development programs for the college. The programs are for returning adult students who want to pursue tune-ups to their…
Brian Addison is a writer, journalist, critic, advocate, and in love with Long Beach. Brian is also not shy about the topics he tackles whether for the website he co-founded, Longbeachzie.com or for the Long Beach Post where he is an editor and columnist. The question for Brian was simple: if you had come up…
Barbara Rivera is not a classically trained artist and she’s fine with that. She is a Cuban-Mexican-American Artist from Southern California who paints colors that seem to vibrate off the canvas. Rivera is a self-taught artist who as she worked a full-time job, raised a family, and with her husband’s support, she would come home…
Velina Hasu Houston is Distinguished Professor and Resident Playwright at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dramatic Arts. On her website, there is a Zen saying, Ichigo Ichie, roughly translated as “Each encounter in life happens only once.” It is a saying that Ms. Houston carries into her everyday life and her writing. “For…
Alex Norman, Professor Emeritus of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, knows more than many the injustices of this country’s history. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1931, Alex Norman was a social justice teacher and activist long before he discovered that he was two generations out of slavery. His grandparents on…
Frankie Hernandez is a published writer and television producer who has been part of the Los Angeles literary scene for 25 years. Ask her to describe her creative self and she has a quick answer: passionate and just can’t help herself. Well, it’s obvious that she’s passionate, but what is it with the second part?…
Journalist Jason Ruiz covers Long Beach City Hall amongst other beats for the Long Beach Post. In the current national toxic conversation with accusations of “making stuff up” and “fake news,” Jason Ruiz is clear about his own ethical obligations as a journalist reporting the news. “Like I’m not going to let somebody buy me a…
Dr. Christine Petit, Executive Director of Long Beach Forward, knows this is the worst of times for low-income communities of color and immigrants. “It also presents a lot of opportunities as a community organizer to have conversations…people are more aware of what is happening and how it impacts them personally and really looking for solutions…
The challenge of telling and sharing the diverse stories in America today is the theme of part two of our Radio Palacio interview with José Luis Valenzuela, Artistic Director of the Latino Theater Company and the Los Angeles Theatre Center. José Luis Valenzuela is a Distinguished Professor and Head of the MFA Directing program at UCLA’s School…