Some New Writing
Undocumented Students in California During the Trump Era and the Exploration of Agency in “Anora.”
I haven’t posted here in a while, so I wanted to share a couple of pieces I’ve written for The Mesa Press. And yes, even though both are under my real name, I’m keeping my pseudonym here. I don’t really care about being anonymous anymore, but I’d rather people not be able to find my Twitter and Substack just by Googling my name.
This piece examines how federal policy shifts after Trump’s victory have affected undocumented college students, with a particular focus on San Diego Mesa College and legal and institutional pushback within California.
During his campaign, now President Donald Trump vowed to launch “the largest deportation program in American history.” Since taking office, he has signed multiple executive orders and issued directives aiming to fulfill this promise.
Some efforts, such as an executive order ending birthright citizenship, have been blocked by the courts. Others, like changes in Department of Homeland Security rules allowing ICE to make arrests in previously protected “sensitive locations” such as schools and churches, have become law.
The Trump administration is also attempting to overturn local and state sanctuary laws, which restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. During Trump’s first term, California successfully challenged an attempt to penalize sanctuary jurisdictions by withholding federal law enforcement grants. Similarly, the current administration is attempting to pressure sanctuary states and cities by threatening to withhold transportation funds.
California has allocated $50 million to fight federal immigration policies—$25 million for lawsuits against the administration and $25 million for legal aid to immigrants facing deportation.
Read the rest here : https://www.mesapress.com/news/2025/03/08/navigating-the-trump-era-support-and-struggles-for-undocumented-students/#
This is my review of “Anora” where I discuss the film's embrace of moral ambiguity and its exploration of agency. Warning : it contains spoilers, so if you haven’t seen it yet (and you should see it!) you might want to wait before reading it.
“Anora” has taken the film world by storm, winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison’s portrayal of the titular protagonist. Made on a modest $6 million budget with a 40 person crew, the film’s raw, naturalistic style pulls viewers into a courageous exploration of freedom, agency and vulnerability.
At its center is Ani, a 23-year-old stripper and escort who seizes a chance at upward mobility by marrying Vanya, the 21-year-old son of a Russian oligarch, shortly after meeting him as a client. She holds onto this means of escaping her working class life long after the red flags have become obvious to everyone else.
Her desperation does not seem to stem primarily from an urgent desire to flee sex work or trauma related to it—indeed, her clients are depicted as more pitiable than threatening—but rather from dreams of fairytale romance and luxury.
Vanya, meanwhile, is escaping an entirely different reality. As the privileged yet infantilized son of a Russian oligarch, he has unlimited money but no real autonomy. His days blur together in an endless cycle of partying, video games, drugs and sex—less out of rebellion than an avoidance of his looming responsibilities.
Read the rest here : https://www.mesapress.com/a-e/movies/2025/03/20/freedom-vulnerability-and-agency-in-anora/