DIG Fall 2025 Issue

FALL 2025 Fall 2025

5 COMIC BOOK RECS

CSULB’S PROTECTORS

LESSONS FROM THE JUNGLE

Two women serve as the CSULB undocumented community’s first line of legal defense.

1

Finance your laptop or iPad at Beach Shops with a

0% Tech Loan from LBS Financial!*

AD Visit us on the 2nd floor of Beach Shops.

lbsfcu.org/beach • 562.598.9007 *0% Technology Loan only available for CSULB faculty, staff, and students purchasing at Beach Shops. LBS Financial technology loans are offered up to $4,000 with 12 month, 24 month, and 30 month terms for repayment. Loan must be over $1,500 to qualify for a 24 or 30 month term, otherwise the term will be 12 months or less. To qualify for the Interest-Free (0% rate) technology loan promotion, must be an LBS Financial Member over the age of 18 and have an LBS Financial checking account. Member must also set up monthly automatic payments from their LBS Financial checking account to the technology loan and have a monthly direct deposit of any amount to their LBS Financial checking account or a minimum of 5 debit card purchase transactions per month and maintain these requirements throughout the life of the loan. If loan is delinquent for more than 60 days and/or the 0% interest-free requirements are not met for three consecutive months, the rate will revert to the rate stated on the Loan and Security Agreements and Disclosure Statement. Once disqualified for promotion, the 0% rate offer cannot be reinstated. Payment Examples: A technology loan for $2,000 at 0.00% APR for 24 months would have a payment of $83.33 per month. A technology loan for $2,000 at 9.99% APR for 24 months would have a payment of $92.28 per month. All Credit Union loan programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change at any time without notice.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS 05 06

Editor’s Letter

08

Top 5

FEATURES 14

Turning the Page with Chapter II Coffee

10

Hidden Figures

12

How-To

19

What I Learned From the Jungle

BY DEVIN MALAST

Not many people can say that they grew up in another country. Even fewer can say they grew up in the jungles of Mal País, Costa Rica. And the adventures Devin Malast had in her time there were life-changing.

The Anti Groupies: Girls Rock!

A Music Student’s Guide to Karaoke

BY NIKOLETTA ANAGNOSTOU

Under heightened immigration enforcement, the CARECEN team works behind the scenes at Cal State Long Beach as the undocumented community’s first line of defense.

Dig In

Professor Amy’s RetroInspired Comic Recs

Las Protectoras de CSULB

22

Abandoned California

BY LAUREN BENSON

Spice up your next road trip and fuel your sense of adventure with these five deserted California locations.

3

ABOUT US DIG MAGAZINE is the insider’s guide to Long Beach for the CSULB community, inspiring readers to immerse themselves in the Long Beach lifestyle through in-the-know stories about the latest in food, arts, entertainment and culture; in-depth features about people and trends on the campus and in the city; poetry, fiction, and literary journalism written by students; and beautiful photography and design. Published by the Department of Journalism and Public Relations at CSULB, it is produced entirely by students.

Editor-in-Chief

Nikoletta Anagnostou

Managing Editor Marty Triplett

Art Director

Genevie Nguyen

Social Media Director Kayla Miranda

Social Media Editors Shawn Michaels Taylor Tran

Podcast Director Melina Saad

Podcast Editor

Victoria Suarez

Faculty Advisers

Senior Editor

Robin Jones Jennifer Newton

Features Editors

Cover Models

Kimberly Wong Melia Franks Joseph Lee Alitza Sanchez

Graphic Designers Nyah Bester Damien Herrera Phyke Soriano

Nyah Bester Igor Colonno Matthew Contreraz Jaclyn Thanh Nguyen Celeste Ontiveros Linh Pham Kelli Upton

FIND US ONLINE Web: digmaglb.com Instagram: @digcsulb TikTok: @digcsulb Facebook: DIG Magazine Youtube: @digcsulb Spotify: DIG Podcasts LinkedIn: DIG Magazine

LET’S CONNECT SUBMISSIONS

digmagazinelb@gmail.com ©DIG and Beach Media 2025 DIG is a publication of Beach Media.

California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA-4 203, Long Beach, CA 90840-4601

4

ADVERTISING

Brendan Nelson advertising@gobeach.media (562) 985-8000

DEAR READER, “Change is the only constant.”

A phrase my dad would scold me with, as I sat crying about our family replacing a broken car filled with memories, a dining table with splinted table legs I grew attached to — anything, really.

And, of course, what he said was true. I can’t think of one thing that has ever stayed the same. Not the mountains, not the rivers that flow through them, not the pebble resting on the bottom of the stream.

But I hate change. I like consistency, so I can quantify, analyze and make judgments; all actions that are harder when change is present — and it unwaveringly is. Though I fight it at every turn, change is the only thing that has stayed with me. Even my own body leaves me daily for a new version of itself; I wake up in the morning seeing freckles, blemishes and lines that weren’t present the day before.

As the Earth constantly shifts through the universe, so do our cultures, our societies, our governments. Just last year, our country underwent significant change. And for many people, that change was and is scary.

Though life can feel hopeless, formidable, insurmountable, perhaps there is comfort in knowing that things will change. Things can move in a worse direction, yes — but they can also change for the better.

Better happens when people make it happen, when they decide to act, speak up, create and rebuild.

Through these stories, you’ll see just that. Take Porenia Pen, owner of Chapter II Coffee, who summoned the courage to leave an unhealthy marriage

and started anew; now she has her own thriving cafe. Or the Anti Groupies, four women who are making a name for themselves in the music scene. Look at Devin Malast, and you will see a woman who could have let materialistic ideals consume her mind, but instead actively chooses to live the lessons she learned from her time in Santa Teresa. And, lastly, despite a shifting, hostile system, the CARECEN team continues to fight — and successfully help — immigrant families.

As humans, with the beautiful ability to speak, think creatively, and act, we can transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Whether it’s improving our mental health by taking a walk each day, building understanding by having conversations with people of differing opinions, or advocating for justice among your friends, families and communities, you and I hold the power to make change through the choices we make every day.

So, dear reader, as you move through this issue, I invite you to reflect on your place in the world and the influence you carry. Change may be constant — and often unwelcomed — but it can also be good and intentional. What kind of change will you choose to create?

Sincerely,

Nikoletta Anagnostou EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

5

LB INSIDER DIG IN • STORY

TURNING THE PAGE WITH

CHAPTER II

C FFEE

Chapter II Coffee lives up to its name, giving owner Porenia Pen a fresh start while serving up delicious, locally sourced coffee, tea and treats.

SECOND STREET in Long Beach is a bustling stretch of shops, restaurants and bars in the neighborhood of Belmont Shore. On the corner of one block sits Chapter II Coffee, a locally owned café that has been open for over a year and a half — a testament to the power of second chances.

Porenia Pen, owner of Chapter II Coffee, opened the café in April of 2024 amid a significant life transition.

A Cambodian immigrant and former New Yorker, Pen was only 23 years old when she and her husband opened their first café in 2018.

She worked hard and possessed a fierce desire to be involved with the business. However, Pen’s strong will clashed with the traditional values of her former in-laws, who believed her job as a woman was to stay in the background and support her husband. They even questioned why she attended school.

Porenia Pen founded Chapter II Coffee after her divorce.

Photo by Jack Haslett.

6

STORY BY JACK HASLETT

“It’s only been a year and a half, and we have already done so much for the coffee shop.”

“I married into a family where men are the only people that have a say or are in the front of the picture, and you’re just in the back,” Pen said.

“It just felt like I was never valued as a woman. But I was doing all the work, I worked seven days a week … for seven years, and I never felt like I was being appreciated [and I was never told], ‘Hey, good job.’”

At the age of 25, Pen and her husband divorced, and Pen knew she needed to build something for herself.

Opening Chapter II Coffee was Pen’s chance to turn the page and write the next chapter of her life, but this time, she would be doing it alone — a daunting task, but Pen knew that the undertaking would ultimately pay off.

“I’ve always had doubts. ‘How am I supposed to do it by myself?

He’s not here anymore, and I have to start over,’” Pen said. “I was so ready to move to Switzerland and start a new life … but then this opportunity came in and … I [decided to make] it happen.”

Pen chose Second Street for its busy foot traffic, but premier locations like these can be a doubleedged sword due to high operational costs. Furthermore, the recent tariffs imposed by the United States on foreign trade have increased ingredient prices, driving expenses

FALL 2025

Chapter II Coffee’s interior design focuses on fairy lights, foliage and natural woods to create a cozy, natural environment.

Photo by Jack Haslett.

even higher. Despite the difficult circumstances, Pen has strived to keep prices accessible for her customers.

Additionally, the café business is very competitive. Starbucks sits just a block away, and only a few months after Chapter II Coffee opened its doors, another café set up shop right across the street. The competitor didn’t last long, though, exemplary of the high-risk reality that Pen is facing: To survive, you need to excel.

One way that Pen stands out and keeps her shop connected to the community is by sourcing local ingredients. Chapter II Coffee’s beans are provided by Rose Park Roasters, a Long Beach staple, and the ingredients for the food they serve come from local vendors. A shelf next to the register is stocked full of candy and chocolates, also handcrafted by a Long Beach sweet shop.

In turn, the community has embraced Chapter II Coffee. The shop has already been rented out to host baby showers and birthday parties and has been in talks to host “coffee raves,” parties featuring a DJ. “It’s only been a year and a half, and we have already done so much for the coffee shop,” Pen said.

Rather than serving drinks alone, Pen has worked to expand the menu of Chapter II Coffee to better suit a wide variety of customers. Pen learned from the mistakes of the previous inhabitants, who could not serve hot food due to equipment restrictions. But the resourceful

Pen found a workaround, and now Chapter II Coffee is able to serve local pastries and hot food for customers to enjoy.

Friends and family joke that Pen is always at the shop, but Pen said that won’t always be the case. Pen hopes that the business will be able to function without her constant attention every hour of the day.

Achieving that kind of stability requires a strong system to be in place. Pen studies other successful business models, even her corporate competitor Starbucks, to determine the smoothest way to run her store.

“It’s just hard work … the idea of ‘How can I transform this coffee shop

where I don’t have to be here? How can I let this build by itself? At the end of the day, I don’t want to go back to six years ago, when I had to work seven days a week, 16 hours a day,” Pen said.

Though Pen doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, she is able to stand proud of what she has built so far in Long Beach, and she can finally receive the recognition for her work that had previously been pushed aside.

“I opened this coffee shop, and everyone was like, ‘You did it. This is your legacy. I hope you’re standing strong,’” Pen said. “And that was something I always wanted to hear.”

Chapter II Coffee sits in a high-traffic location on Second Street in Long Beach.

Photo courtesy of Chapter II Coffee.

7

TOP 5

PROFESSOR AMY’S RETRO-INSPIRED COMIC RECS STORY & PHOTO BY KIMBERLY WONG ILLUSTRATION BY NYAH BESTER

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s comics scholar and CSULB lecturer Amy Desuza-Riehm’s retroinspired graphic novel recommendations!

THOUGH not a comics aficionado before college, comparative world literature lecturer Amy Desuza-Riehm took a class at Cal State Long Beach that properly introduced her to the medium. This began her love affair with graphic novels and all works under the comics umbrella. Along with a variety of classes focused on various aspects of world literature and popular culture, DesuzaRiehm now teaches CWL 213: Visual Studies: Comics and Graphic Novels, a survey course that covers a variety of genres, cultures and stories, all in the medium of comics, at CSULB. The following graphic novels, all illustrated in classic styles, look back on and reanalyze different genres of comics.

01

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN

by Gene Luen Yang

From author Gene Luen Yang comes this unique exploration of cultural identity through the superhero genre. Roberta Lee, a Chinese-American girl, moves from Chinatown to central Metropolis and struggles to fit in. She and her family experience violence and discrimination from members of the Klan of the Fiery Kross, a stand-in for the real-life KKK. Superman, who is struggling with his own identity, must intervene to save the community. “[Yang’s] inspiration was a Superman radio show from the 1940s,” Desuza-Riehm said. “The book integrates history into the story and gives us an accurate piece, but also gives us a modern voice in talking about [cultural] issues.”

8

02

COUNT CROWLEY: RELUCTANT MIDNIGHT MONSTER HUNTER

by David Dastmalchian

03 BIG JIM AND THE WHITE BOY

FALL 2025

by David F. Walker

This ongoing series of comics, inspired in part by Dastmalchian’s own dependency issues, follows Jerri Bartman, a disgraced TV reporter turned monster hunter.

The comics explore feminist issues and play with ideas and aesthetics from old-school horror comics. “It’s set around the 1980s–1990s,” Desuza-Riehm said. “Think ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ meets late-night horror hosts, like Elvira, and smush them together. And make it so that [the main character is] an alcoholic that’s struggling with sobriety, trying to get her life together, and now she sees monsters.”

In this graphic novel, African-American author David F. Walker engages with and expands upon the relationship between Jim, a slave, and Huckleberry Finn from Mark Twain’s book, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

“Walker acknowledges that while [“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”] might be this iconic and canonical piece of literature, it’s very much written from Twain’s point of view,” Desuza-Riehm said. “It’s a totally different story than Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and [this adaptation is] one way to acknowledge that even when we’re engaging with real literature, moving these texts into a visual medium does not dumb them down. We’re not simplifying them, we’re adding a new layer to them.”

04

05

LOVE EVERLASTING

THE GOOD ASIAN

Known for his superhero stories, comics writer Tom King, in the series “Love Everlasting,” pays homage to comics history and questions ideas of belonging and fluctuating standards of love and relationships. “Tom King was doing research on old-school romance comics and asked, ‘What if the woman in all of these romance stories was actually the same woman?’” Desuza-Riehm explained. The story follows Joan Peterson, a woman forced into a series of romantic entanglements, each in a distinct time period and with a different man. “She’s navigating all these different romantic interests, how she’s supposed to fall in love, and if she’s not falling in love to the liking of whoever’s pulling all these strings… It’s a bloody good time.”

“The Good Asian” is an exploration of early 20th-century Chinese immigration through the eyes of a ChineseAmerican detective. “This is a classic noir tale, but it deals with systemic issues [of racism],” Desuza-Riehm said.

Edison Hark must deal with conflicting roles as his identities as a police officer and a person of color complicate his investigation of violence against the Chinese community. “[The text] plays on that issue of nostalgia, where we’re like ‘Ooh, yeah, I just want a good noir story,’ but it also deals with issues older noir stories would hide,” DesuzaRiehm said.

by Tom King

by Pornsak Pichetshote

9

HIDDEN FIGURES

Pictured from left to right are Cassidy Fleeman, Bella Broersma, Sydney Moore, and Kyla Foster.

Photo by Jack Lue.

THE ANTI GROUPIES: GIRLS ROCK! STORY BY MELIA FRANKS

The Anti Groupies, an all-girl rock band from Long Beach, is making waves, challenging norms and carving out space for themselves as women in the music industry.

PREPARING for a show is never simple — it means rushing home from work, tossing clothes everywhere, scrambling to assemble your gear, throwing glitter on your face, and frantically rushing to pile into the car with your bandmates — and that’s all before the show begins. It’s a frenzied ritual, one that’s loud and messy. But the moment the Anti Groupies hit the stage, they know they’re in the right place.

Cassidy Fleeman, lead singer for the Anti Groupies, thrives off the chaos of performing. “I love the craziness of it all because I feel like it translates on stage,” she said.

The Anti Groupies is an all-girl rock band based in Long Beach. On stage, they confidently claim their space, challenging stereotypes in an 10

industry that often sidelines female musicians.

As the drummer, Kyla Foster feeds off the energy from the crowd and her bandmates. “I’m in the back, so I see all of you guys at all times,” she said. “It’s fun because when the crowd matches the energy and they’re into it, then we’re all into it.”

Sydney Moore, the bassist, loves to entertain. “I like getting up there and giving ‘em a good time,” she said.

And Bella Broersma, the guitarist, craves the adrenaline kick. “It just gets me going,” she said. “It puts me in a certain mood where it’s like, this is where I’m meant to be.”

The girls know that performing is their calling. As Fleeman puts it: “It’s a big form of therapy for me. I could have the shittiest week, or be just

done with everything, or in a horrible mood. But as soon as I get up there … I’m like, oh, this is what I’m meant to do.”

The band, which celebrated its four-year anniversary this February, formed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fleeman and Foster, both seniors in high school at the time, met through the local music scene and mutual friends. Fleeman first met Foster while Foster was playing trumpet in another band. Fleeman knew Broersma from School of Rock, a music academy. Knowing how skilled Broersma was at guitar, Fleeman asked her to join the band.

Moore, who joined the rest of the girls on the band’s one-year anniversary, has been with them ever since.

“We’ve basically grown up together,” Fleeman said.

The band’s close relationship allows them to collaborate easily when it comes to writing songs, too.

They don’t rely on just one person to bring an idea to life.

“It’s very collaborative,” Broersma

said. “We all have our own part of each song, you know, we all have our individual styles that we incorporate, and from there, we will make a beautiful song.”

“We’ll just be jamming and figuring it out,” Foster added. “Cassidy’s typing up lyrics, and it all comes together that way, and it’s really fun.”

Their songs challenge assumptions and push back on how women — especially young, outspoken ones — are perceived by society.

“We have this new song called ‘Dumb Blonde Bitch’ that is very sassy,” Fleeman said. “That’s a lot of our songs, [they’re] very sassy and it’s almost making a mockery of [the names someone might] call me.”

“I love the part where [Fleeman says], ‘I’m a blonde bitch, dumb is where you’re wrong,’” Moore said.

With humor and defiance, the lyrics poke fun at not being palatable, challenging expectations about who the band members are supposed to be. Fleeman not only owns the insults thrown at her, but is inspired by them.

“I love not being people’s cup of tea,” Fleeman said. “When people don’t like me, it kind of lights me on fire … like, I’m doing something right.”

Whether it’s performing through

Fleeman and Moore rocking it on stage.

Photo by Chris Garcia.

sickness, battling awful sound systems, dealing with rude vendors, or facing instrument malfunctions, the girls are always determined to put on the best show possible.

One time, Broersma’s guitar went out of tune mid-set.

“No matter how much I tuned [the guitar], it just kept going down,” she recalled. “It was so out of tune, it was so bad. I had to use [another member’s] guitar for the last half of the set.”

Foster remembered another rough night that the Anti Groupies endured. “[During] March of last year, we were just sick, like the plague,” she said. “I was coughing my lungs out. I was deaf in one ear.”

Despite coughing fits and ear infections, they powered through the performance. No matter the chaos, they always keep their professionalism intact.

“We’ve been in such shitty situations and we still play because we’re people of our word,” Fleeman said.

“We don’t cancel, we show up,” Moore added.

Their raw authenticity and commitment have deeply resonated

FALL 2025

“Honestly, like, the sky is the limit, you know?”

— Bella Broersma

with audiences. The band has amassed over 5,000 followers on their Instagram, @theantigroupies.

The band collectively agrees that one of the most rewarding parts of being artists is seeing other people connect with their music — whether it’s inspiring someone or simply bringing joy to the audience.

“When people are inspired by you, that is the best feeling,” Fleeman said.

“It’s awesome seeing people who love the songs and take them into their personal lives, you know?”

Broersma added. “I’m so glad that the stuff we’re putting out is really gravitating with people. No matter who it is — it matters. The fact that the music means something to someone ... that’s everything.”

On Aug. 27, the Anti Groupies released their newest single, “Not My Problem,” an anthem for listeners declaring their newfound freedom after an unhealthy relationship.

Looking ahead, the Anti Groupies have big plans, including a full-length album coming this fall.

“I feel like all of us are very much dreamers as much as we are hard workers,” Fleeman said.

The girls have their eyes set on signing to a label and becoming a tour opener.

“Honestly, like, the sky is the limit, you know?” Broersma said.

Foster echoed her bandmate’s dreams, adding, “My overall goal is to just keep reaching people and inspiring them.”

“Yeah,” Moore said, “and be the biggest rock band in the world, maybe.”

11

HOW-TO

R A K AO

KE STORY BY MARTY TRIPLETT

Singer and CSULB music education student Jasmin Alvarez provides her expert tips so you can wow the crowd during your next karaoke solo.

YOU hear the DJ calling your name above the roar of the crowd, and it seems all eyes are on you. You start to second-guess your decision to sign up for karaoke night. Should you take a sip of water? Strut up confidently? The act of karaoke evokes a lot of feelings; some may feel excited, while others feel nervous. Still, with a bit of preparation and the right attitude, karaoke can be an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Jasmin Alvarez is a music education student at Cal State Long Beach who sings with the University Choir and one of the campus jazz choirs, Jazz ‘n’ Tonic.

Alvarez primarily sings jazz, but she also enjoys performing salsa music and hopes to create her own jazz-influenced music in the future. Alvarez said being vulnerable while singing is what makes music so personal to her, and she feels most herself while performing.

“Performing is more than being on stage,” Alvarez said. “It’s about telling a story and having fun! It teaches you how to think on your feet, handle pressure, and express yourself, which are all skills you can use anywhere in life.”

Whether you want to impress your friends at the bar or level up your shower serenades, here are Alvarez’s pro tips on how to improve your vocal performance.

Alvarez performs a solo during “Night

by Night” by Steely Dan at Oceanside College for a vocal jazz festival.

Photo courtesy of Jasmin Alvarez.

12

FALL 2025

TIP ONE: THE SONG DETERMINES EVERYTHING. Your turn on the mic is coming up, but you’re still not sure what song to pick. As you look around, you see everyone dancing and cheering along to whoever’s singing at the moment. Now there’s a huge choice to make: Do you want to keep the current vibe going, or switch up the mood of the room? The song you pick will determine the atmosphere. Maybe you’ll opt for a power ballad to tug at the audience’s heartstrings or choose something upbeat to get people dancing. Some of Alvarez’s go-to karaoke songs include “Versace on the Floor” by Bruno Mars, “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith and “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj. Having songs of different vibes prepared is essential — you never know what the mood may call for.

TIP TWO: CHANGING THE KEY DOESN’T CHANGE THE SONG. Say you’ve selected a powerhouse ballad by Mariah Carey to make your performance unforgettable. Although your vocal range might not be the same, you’re ready to blow the house down. But as the notes climb higher, your voice starts to break, causing a few to cover their ears instead in dismay — not exactly the reaction you were going for. Alvarez shared that sometimes, singing a song a few keys lower doesn’t ruin anything, but instead can really showcase your abilities in the range you do have. Don’t be afraid to ask for your song in a key that’s a little lower — or even a little higher — the main thing that matters is pouring your heart and soul into it.

TIP THREE: SING WITH CONFIDENCE! This tip might just be the most important one of all.

Singing a song with confidence is what karaoke is all about, whether you’re good or bad. It’s about having the courage to go up there and feel joy as you share your song with the room. One of Alvarez’s favorite karaoke memories was when she sang with friends, screaming the lyrics to Frozen’s “Let it Go,” not worried about sounding good or impressing anyone. The confidence to belt out “Let It Go” didn’t come from her talent, but from enjoying the moment with her friends.

13

DE CSULB

STORY BY NIKOLETTA ANAGNOSTOU

Under heightened immigration enforcement, the CARECEN team works behind the scenes at Cal State Long Beach as the undocumented community’s first line of defense.

AFTER the two-hour drive from Cal State Long Beach to the ICE Detention Center in Adelanto, California, CARECEN senior staff attorney Stephanie Barrera waits … and waits … and waits. At last, after four grueling hours, a guard allows Barrera to see her detained client, the father of a CSULB student, shackled and scared. After just 30 minutes — whether or not the time was enough — she is ordered to pack her bags, and she makes the long trek home. In total, she has exhausted nearly eight hours, a whole workday, on one client, just one of the many defensive tactics

that Barrera and the CARECEN team are facing while fighting for CSULB students under Trump’s immigration policies.

In 2018, the California Department of Social Services launched a project across the California State University system that provides free immigration legal services to all current students, staff, faculty, immediate family members of current students, recent graduates, and newly admitted students. At eight CSU campuses, including CSULB, these services are contracted through the Central American Resource Center, a nonprofit that advocates for and offers legal services to immigrants.

The CSULB CARECEN team is housed under the Dream Success Center, which supports those impacted by immigration policy. Barrera and her CARECEN partner, accredited representative Mitzy Lopez, both CSULB alumni, work behind the Despite the legal and emotional hardships of their jobs, Mitzy Lopez (left) and Stephanie Barrera (right) approach each case with optimism and determination.

Photo by Nikoletta Anagnostou.

14

FALL 2025

Illustration by Damien Herrera

“I wish more people understood how brave students are to still decide to attend school, graduate, pursue a career, even if they lack status here in the U.S.” scenes fighting for one of the most vulnerable populations at their oncehome.

Across 23 campuses, the CSU system houses nearly 10,000 undocumented students — the largest population among any university system nationwide. Now that ICE raids, protests and fear plague Southern California, these students are seeking additional legal and emotional support. As a team of only two, Barrera and Lopez work tirelessly to meet these needs.

“Immigration has always needed reform,” Barrera said. “The law is unforgiving, but … we were still able to, under the prior administration, get approval, get grants. It didn’t feel so administratively burdensome.”

After graduating from CSULB in 2010 as an English literature major, the violent death of her brother and an unfulfilling bank job drove Barrera, the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, to law school. While working at Disability Rights California

under the first Trump administration, she witnessed family after family forgoing critical disability services for their children over fears of jeopardizing their immigration status, which inspired her to become an immigration lawyer.

Lopez graduated from CSULB in 2018 with a degree in criminal justice.

Her Mexican heritage and personal experiences with the immigration system opened her eyes to how unjust the justice system can be, particularly for the undocumented community, so she set her heart on working at a nonprofit. At CARECEN, she became partially accredited, allowing her to advise and represent clients with various immigration forms, requests, and interviews.

For Barrera and Lopez, servicing the CSULB community is deeply personal. Both women honor the trust their clients place in them and have a profound admiration for the students who come through their doors.

“I wish more people understood how brave students are to still decide to attend school, graduate, pursue a career, even if they lack status here in the U.S.,” Barrera said. “I admire all the students that come in and out of the DSC, because … even when the odds are stacked against them, they continue to persevere. And they are so hardworking.”

Matthew Contreraz, CSULB senior

15

LAS PROTECTORAS DE CSULB

CARECEN is housed under the Dream Success Center and offers support with DACA renewals, Temporary Protected Status, familybased petitions, including spousal petitions, humanitarian relief, removal defense, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and naturalization. While their work has never been easy, Barrera and Lopez are concerned about the trends they have observed since the 2024 presidential election.

The duo reported a striking increase in the number of sudden status removals or flagged petitions, mostly affecting the immediate family members of CSULB students. Cases are being hit with Requests for Evidence — even when all the correct information has been submitted — or Intents to Deny.

Some have even had their TPS status suddenly revoked, even though they have lived in the U.S. for decades.

“Now we find ourselves in a position where either their TPS is getting terminated, like the government’s actively trying to terminate it,” Barrera said. “Or, if we’re renewing somebody’s TPS, suddenly [the government’s] bringing up stuff

from an application submitted in 2005 that has never been an issue in the last 20 years that [the client has] been renewing it. But suddenly now, it’s an issue.”

Barrera likened the administrative antics of the Department of Homeland Security to a trap. She and Lopez must be extra cautious when submitting information to prevent the government from using a small technicality to initiate deportation proceedings against clients.

The effects of looming status denials and deportation threats on the CSULB community have created an atmosphere of alarm. Barrera noted that undocumented students are increasingly feeling “othered” on campus, and Lopez added that their inboxes are flooded by panicked students emailing them every day, desperate for an update on their case.

Some students, faced with no other option, have chosen to self-deport.

The demand for consultations has always been steady, but Barrera said that now, the stakes feel higher and “the tone and urgency of each consultation has changed.”

“I feel like we’re providing more emotional support,” Lopez said. “Now, we’re seeing that our consultations

The Dream Success Center offers free cards that detail your constitutional rights and provide a template for conversations with police.

Igor Colonnel, 2024 CSULB graduate

16

FALL 2025

“Should you take a semester off because you don’t know if your parents are going to get deported? … It’s just incomprehensible to think of the weight of the world on [students’] shoulders right now.”

A mural advocating for immigrant rights adorns a wall in the Dream Success Center. The mural was painted by former CSULB student Julio Salgado and Myisha Arellanus in 2022.

Photo by Nikoletta Anagnostou.

are taking longer. Clients are more emotional. We’ll have clients who are in tears during the consultation.

They’re very fearful, anxious.” “[You’re] worried about your exams, but now you’re worried about who’s going to take care of your little siblings because your parents were detained,” Barrera said. “Are you going to pay for the rent? Should you take a semester off because you don’t know if your parents are going to get deported? … It’s just incomprehensible to think of the weight of the world on [students’] shoulders right now.”

Since Trump’s inauguration, Barrera said that the “most taxing but most necessary” work has been representing clients in detention centers.

“Before this administration, I had only encountered one detained case from another campus since joining [CARECEN] in March 2020,” Barrera said. “I currently have one active detained case directly connected to CSULB, but the reality is much broader. Since June, at least five individuals with strong ties to CSULB, whether they’re alumni or family members of current students, have been detained. While some cases haven’t remained on my docket due to self-deportation, transfers out of state, or retention of private counsel, the pattern is clear: There’s a

growing and deeply concerning trend affecting our university community.”

During her visits, she sees fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, restrained in sub-human conditions with inadequate access to food and water and restricted visitations with family.

“It’s hard to see someone that you know doesn’t have a criminal record chained up, being mistreated,” Barrera said. “It’s hard to know that the only real way that you can prepare them for a case is to actually spend sevenand-a-half hours of your life.”

More often than not, the duo is unable to provide legal assistance to clients and their families due to the specific circumstances of their cases. Though heartbreaking, they persevere, reminding themselves that as long as they provide people with basic but necessary information to protect themselves, they have done their job within the complicated system they’re navigating. And sometimes, that perseverance is tested in the most intense, immediate ways.

One hot August morning, Barrera entered the infamous B-18 federal basement in Los Angeles to see nonCSULB clients, but she encountered a young woman, sobbing frantically.

Her brother had just been arrested and detained off the street at dawn.

17

LAS PROTECTORAS DE CSULB

They want you to feel like there’s no hope … And that’s not the case, and we’ve shown it the first time this administration was around, and we’ll show them again. Advocacy is power …”

Quick to action, Barrera found out the woman was a student at a different CSU and informed her of the CARECEN legal support available to her. Barrera stood by her for the next two hours, petitioning guards to see her brother and ensuring she wrote down crucial information amid the chaos.

“I don’t know how much help I can be,” Barrera said to the sister after they gathered all the details they could.

“You don’t realize how much help you’ve already been,” the sister replied, as a glimmer of hope crossed her eyes.

Amid the flurry of setbacks, Barrera and Lopez are adamant that hope endures. Even with a strict administration causing immigration cases and petitions requiring more time and careful attention, this year the CARECEN duo has obtained green cards for two clients and citizenship for another two. Lopez said that she has several other cases that will

be filed in the following month, so they’re optimistic about more green card renewals.

Through every emotional consultation, every page of laborious paperwork, every setback, every success, every court hearing and every demoralizing detention center visit, Barrera and Lopez reject fear, and they urge students and their families to do the same.

“That’s what this administration wants — they want you to be scared,” Barrera said, impassioned. “They want you to cower. They want you to feel like there’s no hope, there’s no possibility, that there’s nothing that you can do. And that’s not the case, and we’ve shown it the first time this administration was around, and we’ll show them again. Advocacy is power, and pushing back and highlighting narratives are super effective in being able to combat the narrative that they’ve been pushing forward — that immigrants are criminals and they don’t deserve to be here. That’s not the case. You do deserve to be here.”

The CARECEN team’s office is located in the Dream Success Center, in Room 290 of the Shakarian Student Success Center.

The Dream Success Center’s fall hours are weekdays, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Photo by Nikoletta Anagnostou.

18

FALL 2025

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE

JUNGLE STORY BY DEVIN MALAST

Not many people can say that they grew up in another country. Even fewer can say they grew up in the jungles of Mal País, Costa Rica. And while the adventures I had in my time there were beautiful, they were also life-changing. Here is my story about growing up in a “third-world” country.

19

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE JUNGLE

ON the first day of class, when professors organize class icebreakers, the same question is always asked: What is one interesting fact about yourself?

My answer has always been that I grew up in Costa Rica.

In 2004, soon after my younger sister was born, my parents picked our family up from Huntington Beach, California, and dropped us at the very edge of the jungle in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. I don’t remember much before we moved, but I do have a few snapshots of our life before the jungle. A three-bedroom house at the end of a cul-de-sac, an old, grumpy black cat, and the warm sun to kiss our skin.

My memory begins with a kind of freedom that I have yet to feel since leaving. Beneath mosquito nets, we slept with open windows, often waking up to howler monkeys swinging through the trees at 7 a.m.

In Santa Teresa, family came before everything. Everyone knew everyone, and you counted on the community for support.

My parents bought four acres of beachfront property in a small pueblo called Mal País, the “bad lands,” after its extremely rocky coastline. We built

This is my graduation ceremony from “prepa,” or Mal País’s version of pre-K. In Santa Teresa, many kids did not have the opportunity to attend school. Photo by Jason Malast.

our two-bedroom house from the ground up. It was a home created around the idea of being outside and a haven for those who valued Mother Nature and all she has to offer.

Our days were filled with surfing, snorkeling and tidepool hunting, learning the careful ways one should navigate through nature.

My community, who became my extended family, and I spent most of our free time on the big front porch attached to our house. My mom would pass us snacks through the kitchen window to keep us from tracking sand into the entryway. And soon, to everyone in our village, our home became known as “Casa Celeste.”

Above: Us kids would often play in the tidepool in front of our house.

We would flip rocks over to find brittle starfish, sea slugs, and sea urchins.

Photo by Laura Malast. Right: A photo of me in my backyard in California, 2023.

20

“Living in another country taught me to be grateful for what I have and the experiences I’ve been through, both good and bad.”

We lived as a family for almost six years in this beautiful and wild jungle, where six months of the year were spent hiding from tropical storms.

On the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, we had unreliable electricity in both rainy and dry seasons — no WiFi, no television, no iPads. Just the gifts nature provided, our imaginations, and the friends who turned into family along the way.

Mal País was a sanctuary. A place where people from all over the world came to find themselves and reconnect with family or nature. A place of mixed culture and language.

And it was in this beautiful place that I realized the privilege I came from.

Why was it that I had a concrete floor and air conditioning when my best friend was living on dirt floors?

Why could my family afford shoes,

FALL 2025

while others could not? Why were the other kids so captivated by the Barbies my grandma had brought from California? Why was it our house that people came to for dinner and gatherings? None of it made sense until my parents moved us back to California to prioritize my sister’s and my education.

And again, in what felt like the blink of an eye, we were back in the United States. I found myself trapped under a completely different set of rules where I couldn’t show up to school without shoes or climb the trees that were begging to be climbed.

As a child, I didn’t understand what had changed about me or the new culture I was stuck in. All I can tell you is that I felt different, even from the rest of my family.

My sister and I attended a Montessori school, so our field trips often were nature outings. Here, we are at a sugar cane farm.

When I came back to California, school field trips always disappointed me.

Photo courtesy of Montessori del Mar.

I remember having a full-on meltdown in the cereal aisle at Albertsons due to the sheer number of choices that were available to me.

I can remember thinking very clearly as an 8-year-old that my number of options did not equate to my level of happiness. I had moved to a country where the multitude of choices were only there to distract you from what you could not do, from the areas where choice did not exist.

My relationship with my sister became rocky, and I fought with my parents constantly. I felt so out of place, and no one else shared my feelings, not even my family members who had lived in Santa Teresa alongside me.

The first few years back in the U.S. were some of the hardest of my life, but they taught me at a young age what I valued. Second graders already had cell phones and tablets. Although Costa Rica had given me endless enriching experiences, when it came to the material-oriented culture of America, I realized that I was behind in so much more than reading comprehension.

During this time of isolation and adjustment, I learned the most about myself as a person and realized that my life abroad gave me a wider perspective. I learned that I value experiences over objects I can hold in my hands. I value time

with loved ones above all else. I don’t need a big house or 50 varieties of cereal to choose from, but I do need to surround myself with nature, walk along the beach, and live freely.

I miss my power going out. I miss relying on glow sticks and candles and knowing I’m in for a cold shower.

I miss sitting with my parents around the table, playing board games. I miss the rain and my friends. I miss the simplicity more than anything.

I miss the ease of living in a “thirdworld country,” though I haven’t ever been able to figure out why America categorizes Costa Rica or other places as such. Living in another country proved to me that spiritual wealth is much richer than material wealth. Endless options and physical comforts mean nothing compared to the fulfillment of nature and a connected community.

Now that I live in California, I have so many things — more things than I’ll ever need or even be able to use. Living in the center of so many different industries, I have access to anything I can dream of. But what I don’t have is the power to turn any of the stress off like we could in the jungle.

Living in the jungle taught me to be grateful for what I have and the experiences I’ve been through, both good and bad. It taught me that spending time with your loved ones is the only thing that truly matters.

And never judge a place you’ve never been, because it just might be what your soul is missing.

21

ABANDONED CALIFORNIA STORY & PHOTOS BY LAUREN BENSON

Spice up your next road trip and fuel your sense of adventure at these five deserted California locations.

LOOKING for a quirky side quest or alternative stops for your next road trip? Southern California is home to numerous abandoned locations that offer a less traditional approach to sightseeing. Whether you’re looking for an interesting photo spot or want to indulge your longing for enigmatic exploration, below is a road map to kickstart your ghost town adventures.

Before beginning, remember that safety is always the top priority. You

should travel with a partner to some of these locations as they are not sanctioned in any official capacity.

The weather conditions can be harsh, and broken glass often litters the ground, so always bring sunscreen, sturdy boots and a face mask. With that out of the way, it’s time to pull up your GPS, plug in your location of choice, and start exploring!

The windows are loosely boarded at the former sanatorium that was eventually utilized by the United Farm Workers movement.

STORY & PHOTOS BY LAUREN BENSON 22

There are locks on the doors of the abandoned sanatorium at the Cesar Chavez National Monument, but visitors are still able to approach them.

ABANDONED TUBERCULOSIS SANATORIUM 29700 Woodford-Tehachapi Road Keene, California

This first location is a two-for-one. On the site of the Cesar Chavez National Monument in Keene sits an abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium. The rural location housed TB patients until the late 1960s, when the United Farm Workers movement began to utilize the buildings for their organization. It’s now abandoned, with eerie broken windows and breathtaking views that are steeped in history.

The site is managed by the National Chavez Center and the National Park Service. Visiting the grounds is free of charge, and the public is free to roam about at their leisure, but you cannot enter the buildings.

In the same location, you can also visit a small museum dedicated to Cesar Chavez and the UFW, including Chavez’s burial site and former dwellings. For hours of operation and more information, visit their page on the National Park Service website.

23

ABANDONED CALIFORNIA

BURIED NEIGHBORHOOD Stem Road & Newberry Road Newberry Springs, California

This next location is a bit of a mystery. Located off of historic Route 66, a small neighborhood hides away, almost completely buried in sand. Clues as to what happened to these homes can be found in a 1993 article from the Los Angeles Times, but today the desert winds and endless sand dunes have left the structures uninhabitable. When you first park your car in the neighborhood, it simply appears to be endless sand dunes, an ideal playground for motorbike enthusiasts. Upon closer inspection, you will notice a chimney peeking through the sand along with obscured door frames. There are barricades that the homeowners put up in a futile attempt to protect their dwellings, but amid the broken glass, debris and scattered children’s toys are the semi-visible walls that used to be part of a home.

You can still peer through the windows, or if you’re brave enough, climb inside, only to see kitchen appliances left, concealed by the desert’s destruction.

Barricades were put in place by former tenants in an attempt to salvage their living situation, but all that remains are discarded children’s toys.

ROY’S MOTEL AND CAFE 87520 National Trails Highway Amboy, California

Further down Route 66 in Amboy, California, is Roy’s Motel and Cafe. Though no longer technically abandoned thanks to the restoration efforts of Albert Okura, owner of the Southern California Mexican restaurant chain Juan Pollo, the site functions as neither a cafe nor a motel.

In place of the defunct business is a small gift shop, a working gas station and the iconic Roy’s neon sign, which has been restored to all its former glory. While visiting, you may notice that most people just stop to take a picture with the neon sign and then continue on their way. This location is definitely the most Instagrammable spot on this list. Roy’s originally opened in the late 1930s and was the only stop for gas, food and lodging for miles on Route 66. The small bungalows next to the gas station are still standing but completely unoccupied, and you can look in the windows of the old lobby to see all the midcentury furniture well-preserved. You can see all the restorations the owners have planned on their website and dream of staying in the historic hotel, but for now, it’s still a worthy photo opportunity.

The infamous Roy’s Motel and Cafe sign has been refurbished to stun spectators as the sun sets.

24

FALL 2025 Abandoned cars complement the rugged landscape of the desert and vacant buildings.

LUDLOW, CALIFORNIA 68809 Main St.

Not far from Amboy lies the unincorporated community of Ludlow, also along Route 66. Up until the 1940s, the town thrived on mining and railway activity, but by the 1960s, most businesses and residents deserted the area.

You can still pass through the ghost town, and the rubble is worth a look. The structures are mostly in shambles, but the abandoned cars and graffiti make for an interesting pit stop on the way to Roy’s Café and Motel. Closed-toe shoes are a must-have when visiting the unincorporated city due to the significant debris that fills the graffitiridden properties. There is also no designated parking, so park at your own discretion.

Remarkable graffiti adorns the abandoned buildings in this ghost town off Route 66.

DESERT CENTER, CALIFORNIA 44300 Ragsdale Road

Desert Center is a mostly abandoned town between the cities of Indio and Blythe, California. It sits on the outskirts of the Colorado Desert side of Joshua Tree National Park. The notable attractions along its main street include an abandoned café and gas station, along with various other unoccupied buildings. The town was originally founded by Stephen “Desert Steve” Ragsdale in 1921 as a pitstop for wayward travelers. The necessity for Desert Center started to decline when the growth of California’s interstate highways made traveling easier, and there have been failed attempts to revitalize the businesses over the years. While it’s not designated as an actual ghost town, the debris-filled buildings certainly make it feel like one, making it a unique option to add to your queue of strange destinations.

Unoccupied buildings are filled with interesting debris of a past life.

25

join our DIG community

@DIGCSULB DIG PODCASTS DIGMAGLB.COM DIG MAGAZINE 26

HOUSE AD

LB INSIDER • STORY

28