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Each month, we spotlight faculty, staff, students, and alumni whose work, research, and advocacy are shaping public conversations and appearing in the media. From interviews and op-eds to feature stories, this series highlights the impact of our community in local, national, and international outlets.
This edition features highlights from May, including recent media appearances, published pieces, and more. Look out for a new roundup at the end of each month!
Tip: Click on the photo or title to read the full media mention.
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“Hope is something we make”: Solidarity and care in the South Korean labor movement
On Thursday, May 14, UCLA students, faculty, staff and community members filled a room on UCLA campus to celebrate the release of the book Against Abandonment: Repertoires of Solidarity in South Korean Protest. The authors, Ju Hui Judy Han, associate professor of gender studies at UCLA and Jennifer Jihye Chun, professor of Asian American studies and chair of the UCLA Department of Labor Studies, presented their book as part of the Labor Studies NOW series.
UCLA Institute for Research on Labor & Employment
Willa Needham
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Workers in action: Student reflection on May Day 2026
Later, I interviewed Gaspar Rivera-Salgado about student participation and leadership at May Day. He stated that, “For labor studies, it’s always a goal to be rigorous in terms of how we study labor, the theory and practices, but we also want to encourage students to learn by doing. So this is a moment where they could see workers and the labor movement in action.”
UCLA Institute for Research on Labor & Employment
Tanveer Sandal
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Long-shuttered St Vincent hospital to reopen next month as behavioral health campus
“We try our best to do this on the streets,” said Victor Narro, project director at the UCLA Labor Center and a longtime organizer in the MacArthur Park area. “But it’s much easier when you have a physical location. This building may offer us an opportunity to provide services for the category of unhoused people who are chronically ill, who have suffered major mental health issues and also people who are really deeply addicted.”
The LA Local
Hanna Kang
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May Day in LA: Thousands rally for worker and immigrant rights
Westlake is no stranger to International Workers’ Day, said Victor Narro, project director with the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center, which sits across the street from MacArthur Park. “We’re dealing with so much this year, and I think May Day is going to be a chance for us to come together,” Narro told The LA Local ahead of the rally.
LAist & The LA Local
Mariana Dale | LAist , and
Hanna Kang, Laura Anaya-Morga and Marina Peña | The LA Local
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Radical Therapy from Re:Work (Encore) 🎙
Saba Waheed: There’s this big global thing that happened that literally disconnected us, and we’re trying to make our ways back but in this new fold of the world. We know that it has to look different than it did before. In order to take care of ourselves, we also have to heal in community and she recognizes that and brings that into her practice.
Frequencies of Change Media
Hosted and produced: Veena Hampapur and Saba Waheed
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San Fernando City Council Race 🎥
“We need the immigrant workforce. I think this is one issue where people are coming behind to support immigrants, and that’s why I think there’s a vulnerable issue for any city council member in the small cities to support,” said UCLA’s Victor Narro (approx. 2:00 mark.)
Spectrum News 1
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This L.A. bookstore is leading a revolt against ‘greedy landlords’
Chris Newman, an immigrant rights lawyer whose son learned to read with books bought at the Eagle Rock shop, told The Times he showed up to the group’s first official meeting with the intention of trying to save the bookstore. “I was surprised to see so many people talking not just about the situation that Jeremy’s in, but an epidemic that small businesses are facing,” Newman said.
Los Angeles Times
Emily St. Martin
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AAPI Data Releases Timely New Guide on AANHPIs and Labor
“Accurate data on the labor force participation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities is so important, because it helps legislators shape meaningful policies that strengthen working conditions,” said Lucero Herrera, senior research analyst at the UCLA Labor Center. “When we have an accurate understanding of key factors like wages, most common industries and occupations, and union participation, we can better identify solutions that improve job quality and advance protections for workers.”
AAPI Data
Amanda Ong
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The United Farm Workers built its political power around Chavez. Now it faces a reckoning
“It’s going to make it more difficult for them,” said Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, project director at UCLA Labor Center. “How can you ask people to believe in a movement when the leader was engaged in such monstrous behavior.”
The Sacramento Bee
Matthew Miranda
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LA Quality of Life Index Hits Lowest Level in a Decade
Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, project director of the UCLA Labor Center, said rent increases are far outpacing income growth. “Many households are struggling to meet basic living expenses,” he said. “For many students, the cost of living is a bigger burden than tuition.” He added that immigrant workers and students are among the most affected, with housing and food costs posing the greatest challenges.
American Community Media
Nicole Chang
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Fewer American workers are earning a living wage, according to a new study
“Certain workers are always more vulnerable when the economy drops in any kind of way,” said Saba Waheed, director of the University of California, Los Angeles’ Labor Center. “When there's an unemployment bump, you often see Black workers to experience it harder, first, and so on.”
Marketplace
Caleigh Wells
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Have a media mention to share? Send it to Marcos Ruiz-Rojas at marcosruiz1999@ucla.edu.
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