How does the death of an immigrant killed in the 1950’s by Anaheim police and a 2019 family funeral converge into one incredible moment for Gustavo Arellano? He joins the Alta podcast to explain.
Arellano, a journalist for the Los Angeles Times and regular contributor to Alta, shares what turned out to be a deeply personal journey in our Winter 2020 issue. Titled, “The Tomb of the Unknown ‘Wetback’,” this is the story of Juan Peña Diaz, an undocumented worker from Mexico who was almost forgotten by history. Almost.
Gustavo’s previous work for Alta includes an in-depth look at the shifting political landscape of Orange County, a profile of a Los Angeles attorney who represents top gymnasts who claimed they were abused by their team’s doctor, and what turned out to be a highly-controversial critique of the hype surrounding the In-N-Out Burger chain.
Beth Spotswood is Alta's special projects director. In addition to her work for Alta, Spotswood has contributed to 7x7 Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, Discovery Channel, Slow News Day, KGO Radio, SFist and the San Francisco Chronicle, where she had her own weekly column in the Thursday edition of the newspaper. Spotswood's work in Alta has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club, Los Angeles Press Club, and the FOLIO Awards.
