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CALIFORNIA SOCIOLOGY FORUM VOL. 5 

“Now What?”: Drowning in the American Dream Mural 

Darron Cunanan 

Department of Sociology 

California State University, Los Angeles 

 

“Drowning in the American Dream” is a mural produced 

at Cal State LA, painted by Claudio Talavera-Ballón, a Peruvian 

artist based in the Bay Area, depicting the challenges of migrant 

border crossings. The project originated in a collaboration 

between faculty and students of the Latin American Studies 

Student association (LASS) and the artist, with the Dreamer 

Center and the Cross-Cultural Center, and co-sponsored by the 

Sociology Department, the College of Natural and Social Sciences 

(NSS), the College of Ethnic Studies, the Ethnic Studies Student 

Group (ESSG) and the University Library, hosted by the Special 

Collections and Archives Division. The mural project culminated 

in an inauguration event at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library 

at Cal State LA in the Fall of 2022. 

The purpose of the project is to instill pride and raise 

awareness of migrant rights. Dr. Gabriela Fried, the head of the 

Talavera-Ballón working on the mural. Photo credit: Dr. Gabriela Fried. 



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CALIFORNIA SOCIOLOGY FORUM VOL. 5 

project and professor in the Latin American Studies Program and 

the Sociology Department, plans to circulate the mural to different 

university locations. She also looks forward to having more 

collaborative efforts between students, faculty, university 

organizations, and the community. Dr. Fried also envisions future 

murals covering blank walls at the university bringing “more color 

to the campus” (Ivie 2022). The mural belongs to the office of 

Latin American Studies and is currently on display in the JFK 

Memorial Library.  

Many of Talavera-Ballón’s pieces capture the experiences 

of migrants (Ivie 2022). “Drowning in the American Dream” 

brings to light important stories experienced by migrants crossing 

our border. It depicts migrant families crossing rivers and deserts 

to greener pastures. The artist illustrates border patrol on 

horseback, representing the hardships that migrants face against 

those in power. The mural also displays students in graduation 

attire, concluding a story of achievement for the children of 

immigrants. Butterflies scatter the mural, a symbol reflecting 

migrants traveling to safer homes.  

The author Hiroshi Motomura (2007) argues in his book, 

Americans in Waiting, that immigrants wait in limbo for their 

opportunity to gain legal status while acting as full members of 

American society. Motomura's ideas and Talavera-Ballón's work 

reflect the lives of Dreamers and other immigrant students from 

different parts of the world here at Cal State LA.  

In the center of the mural, a student depicted in graduation 

attire holds a sign that asks, "NOW WHAT?" Cal State LA, home 

to both this journal and the mural, serves many students who are 

immigrants themselves or belong to immigrant families. 

Immigrant students here at Cal State LA enroll in the United States 

education system, where they experience the culture, learn the 

language, and achieve all that is expected of them. These students 

may consider themselves Americans, but their legal status does 

not reflect that. After enduring migration, growing up in the 

United States education system, and living in the constant 

stalemate of migrant legality, it is understandable for this student 

to ask, "NOW WHAT?" While there are many opportunities ahead 

of them, they may be limited due to their legal status.  



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CALIFORNIA SOCIOLOGY FORUM VOL. 5 

 

If you find yourself asking the question "now what?", you 

are not alone. If you are a Cal State LA student seeking help, visit 

the Dreamer’s Resource Center, where they can connect you with 

CARECEN for legal services. If you want to learn more about 

migrant issues and how to support the community, visit the 

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Services.  

 

REFERENCES 

Ivie, Victoria. 2022. “Live Mural Painting Sparks Community and 

Culture on Campus.” University Times. Retrieved March 

16, 2023 (https://csulauniversitytimes.com/live-mural-

painting-sparks-community-and-culture-on-campus/). 

Motomura, Hiroshi. 2007. Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story 

of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States. New 

York: Oxford University Press. 

“Drowning in the American Dream” as photographed in the 

JFK Library at Cal State LA. Photo credit: Victor Mojica. 


