Alumnus Gustavo Arellano selected as 2010 commencement speaker
By Crystal Hsing
April 8, 2010 10:35 p.m.
Gustavo Arellano, columnist for the OC Weekly and a contributing editor at the Los Angeles Times, has been selected to present the keynote speech for the College of Letters and Science commencement ceremony.
“We wanted someone who had a strong UCLA connection, the ability to inspire students, and someone students felt was a bit of their contemporary, and Arellano embodies that,” said Julie Sina, College of Letters and Science chief of staff.
A UCLA alumnus who graduated in 2003 with a master’s degree in Latin American studies, Arellano is best known for his politically incorrect responses to reader-submitted questions about Mexican culture and customs in his weekly column, “¡Ask a Mexican!”
“He writes about the culture and diversity of our region in a very thoughtful, incisive way, and also in a humorous way,” Sina said.
“He’s very passionate about very diverse issues that people are talking about and that people should be talking about.”
“¡Ask a Mexican!” runs in 39 newspapers across the country, and has a weekly circulation of more than two million.
Arellano has also appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, “Nightline” and “The Colbert Report.”
