Cover Story
Japanese American Incarceration: How It Happened Here
By Jonathan van Harmelen and Greg Robinson Photography by Dorothea Lange
A president’s 1942 executive order led to the imprisonment of some 120,000 Japanese Americans. But planning, discriminatory laws, fear-mongering, lies, and policies beforehand made the order possible.
Read More
What’s the Matter With U.S. Soccer?
Is the pay-to-play system prevalent in U.S. youth soccer the reason for frequently disappointing results from the U.S. Men’s National Team?
Behind the Hits
Denny Tedesco’s films, “The Wrecking Crew” and “Immediate Family” turn the spotlight on the session musicians behind the hundreds of songs and albums that have lived in the playlists of our minds for decades.
The Road From Loss
After the wildfires of January 2025 ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena, we asked nine writers in the LMU community to reflect broadly on the experience of loss.
A Conversation With Laurie Levenson
With judges and courts under pressure, LMU Loyola Law School Prof. Laurie Levenson assesses the state of the U.S. court system.
L.A.’s Guardian Angels
If L.A. politics has shifted toward the progressive end of the spectrum in recent decades, Catholic organizations and activists have played major roles in the process.
China’s Migrant Mothers
Mothers in rural China who move to cities for employment and an income often leave their children behind, sparking feelings of guilt and failure. Prof. Meng Li has done research about them and their painful choice.
This Side of Paradise
LMU Prof. Emeritus John Dorsey, who has surfed the nearby waters even longer than he taught at LMU, ranks the 10 best beaches in L.A. County.
The Plants We Live With
Sarah Pardi ’18, who holds a Ph.D. in plant biology, describes some of her favorite housemates — the plants she likes to keep and care for in her home.
A Conversation With John Mayer
Coach John Mayer, AVCA Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year who recently led LMU to the NCAA championship match, talks about the role that recruiting plays in building a No. 2-ranked team.
Joan Didion’s California Odyssey
In essays, articles, novels, and plays, the iconic writer mapped her beautiful, battered state with landmarks by which we find our way.
A Conversation With Brendan Busse, S.J.
LMU alumnus Brendan Busse, S.J., who is pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles, discusses the impact of Pope Francis on the parishioners he works with every day in his Boyle Heights parish.
Water Fight
NorCal surfing has the Mavericks; SoCal surfing, the Lower Trestles. Who gets brag rights for the best surf in California? Read on, then decide for yourself.
The Lost Neighborhood
Joseph Wakelee-Lynch, editor of LMU Magazine, suggests loss is like an eddy in time that carries us back and forth from past to present.
Fernando Guerra on the L.A. Wildfires
The wildfires of January 2025 likely are the biggest natural disaster in Los Angeles history. Fernando Guerra, director of the LMU Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, talks about the current and future impacts of the fires on the city’s people, resources, and budget.
Radical Change and Challenges to the Constitutional Order
President Trump has regularly bypassed the legislative process and, instead, chosen to rule by executive order. Michael A. Genovese looks at why and whether it’s effective in the long term.
Racism’s Infrastructure
Richard Frishman’s photos and B. Brian Foster’s essays together explore the history and the built environment of racism, slavery, and segregation in America. Their book, “Ghosts of Segregation: American Racism, Hidden in Plain Sight,” accompanies a photo exhibition of the same name currently underway at the LMU Laband Art Gallery.
“Anima Mundi”: Watch It Here
Watch the full presentation of the “Anima Mundi” show that was projected onto the Sacred Heart Chapel façade in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Loyola-Marymount merger.
The Burn and the Rebuild
L.A.’s wildfires took lives and burned homes, businesses, churches, and schools. They took a piece of our sense of place, too, leaving us to rebuild both our neighborhoods and our sense of community.
Canto de la Ciudad
KXLU’s “Alma del Barrio” has been singing its songs to L.A. and binding together LMU and the city’s Spanish-speaking communities for five decades.
Martin Sheen’s Five Minutes of Fame
Actor Martin Sheen describes how his Catholic faith has shaped some of his best-known roles and his commitment to social justice.
Hunting Demons
James Keane ’96 remembers the fear he felt at 14 when he saw “The Exorcist.” He still wonders if exorcism can rid him of the demons in the world.
The Loud-Mouthed Neighbors
Noisy, smart, social, resourceful — crows, as readily as humans, have adapted to L.A.’s urban-wild and thrive among us.
A Conversation With Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland was the first Black female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. She talks about her experience and struggles while breaking new ground.
Shelves of Selves
To Lynell George ’84, every book on her shelves is a window into who she was, is and will become. How to live when a treasured one goes missing?
Alvarado and 3rd
The United States meets Central America at L.A.’s Westlake intersection. Rubén Martínez finds that survival is one of the many stories found at this hemispheric meeting place.
A Well-Aimed Rock
Blake Pickens MBA ’19, a Chickasaw film producer and stand-up comedian, uses film and jokes to change people’s minds about Native Americans and people in poverty.
Climate Chaos
Extreme California weather may bring chaos, but do we resist, mitigate or adapt to preserve the climate, our common good? David L. Ulin explores the path head and our responsibilities.
The Magazine of the Year
LMU Magazine wins the 2020 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award, the top honor in university magazine publishing, in the annual CASE Circle of Excellence Awards competition.
A Conversation With Vin Scully
Former Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully P ’95, P ’99, talks about what he misses about his job and the influence of his Jesuit education on his life.
The Dogs That Save Us
The human-dog lovefest may be 15,000 years old, and the pandemic has given it a shot in the arm. Are they our most faithful friends, or are we theirs?
Off Press Podcasts
Fernando Guerra on the L.A. Wildfires
The wildfires of January 2025 likely are the biggest natural disaster in Los Angeles history. Fernando Guerra, director of the LMU Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, talks about the current and future impacts of the fires on the city’s people, resources, and budget.
Nathan Sessoms on L.A. Freeways and Communities
Freeways both connect and divide the Los Angeles region. Nathan Sessoms, professor in the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, describes the impact of building the 10 freeway through L.A.’s West Adams community.
Trent Kersten on D1 Volleyball
Trent Kersten, head volleyball coach, talks about the increased popularity of women’s sports, volleyball strategy and recruiting, and the impact of the transfer portal on LMU and D1 volleyball.
