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Julia Barajas
What I cover
I strive to bring nuance and context to the issue of immigration, which is often cast as a competition for limited resources or a concern for public safety.
Beholden to no political party, I document the impact of federal immigration policy on Southern California communities—including U.S. citizens of color—while holding our government accountable. My coverage centers human suffering and resilience, with an emphasis on how communities are taking collective action in response to this evolving landscape.
My background
I’ve covered a broad range of issues for English and Spanish-language news media—everything from environmental injustice to the arts. Most recently, I was LAist’s higher education reporter. My work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association, the Los Angeles Press Club, the Press Club of Atlantic City, and the Society for Features Journalism.
My goals
I pledge to reflect SoCal’s economic, ethnic, racial, and linguistic diversity in my reporting. This means making it a point to include people who speak Armenian, Arabic, Farsi, Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Zapotec, and all the other beautiful languages in the place we call home—while acknowledging that Tongva is the first language of this land.
How to contact me
If you or your community have been affected by federal immigration policy, I want to know about it. Also, if you have ideas about stories I should be covering, I welcome your thoughts. You can reach out by email. I'm at jbarajas@laist.com. Or, if you have a tip you’d like to share more privately, you can reach me on Signal. My username is @jbarajas.68.
Stories by Julia Barajas
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The Oscars give us a chance to root for our favorites. Film critic Carlos Aguilar tells us how to discover something new.
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As an undocumented student, Aguilar didn’t qualify for financial aid. It was up to him to pay his way through school.
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Oral health can impact academic performance. It can also be a learning opportunity for dental hygiene students.
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The union had reached a deal in late January after being on strike for one day. As details of that agreement slowly emerged, many members urged leaders to go back to the bargaining table.
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California State University faculty are weighing an agreement that would increase pay and benefits. Many don't want to go back on strike, but others say the union can do better.
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A week of screenings, panels, and meaningful conversations leads to new confidence and excitement to make movies.
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For many of California State University's faculty members, the chancellor's salary and benefits are an example of executive pay run amok.
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The hundreds of thousands of students across 23 campuses won't have classes.
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In a town where USC, UCLA, and AFI tout their powerful alumni networks, community colleges have a stake in developing future members of the film industry.
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The Middle Class Scholarship is for students whose families earn a little over $200,000 a year.
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New Program Wants To Put More Community College Grads In Full-Time Professor Jobs, Diversify FacultyThe Compton College Faculty Prep Academy, in partnership with USC, will pair participants with a mentor and help them prepare for job interviews.
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Having trouble with the new 2024-25 FAFSA? You’re not alone. And there are other changes you might not know about, too.
