What began as a summer study abroad program became a cross-continental storytelling project for a group of Berkeley Social Sciences students who turned their experiences studying immigration and identity into a multimedia zine. They used the digital journal to document their personal reflections, political analysis, and travel tips with vibrant photography.
Under the guidance of Ethnic Studies Continuing Lecturer Pablo Gonzalez, students in the Summer 2025 “El Otro Lado / The Other Side” program in Spain documented their reflections on migration, community and belonging across two major border regions — the U.S.-Mexico border and the Mediterranean Sea.
The project began as part of Berkeley’s Barcelona Summer Abroad program, where students spent five weeks traveling between Madrid and Barcelona, meeting with grassroots organizations and migrant collectives. The goal? To understand and compare migration and refugee experiences in Southern Europe with those along the US-Mexico border — and to document that learning in a collaborative zine.
“The idea was to give our community partners a deliverable they could hold,” said Gonzalez. “It was something students could also use as a guide and memory from the trip. And for future Cal students, a document that says: ‘you were here.’”
Rather than writing traditional academic papers, the students worked in groups to create entries for the zine. Senior Alondra Garcia Sifuentes, who is majoring in geography and minoring in Chicanx Latinx Studies, documented her first-time study abroad experiences in a journal-style entry for her first week in Spain. From flight prep tips to reflections on navigating unfamiliar cities, her section offered advice for future travelers.
“I included travel tips, photos and my thoughts before getting on the flight,” Garcia Sifuentes explained. “I wanted to make something useful for people who’ve never studied abroad before. It’s the kind of thing I wish I had when I was preparing.”
Sociology student Ashley Jasmine Cervantes focused her zine contributions on the guest speakers they met in Madrid from No Name Kitchen and the Centro Cultural Espacio Afro. The speakers shared firsthand stories of grassroots organizing and the intersection of race, immigration and labor in Spain.
The Centro Cultural Espacio Afro, she noted, serves as a vital community space and cultural hub for Black, African, and Afro-descendant communities in Spain.
“I wrote about the communities they built, and how they help people facing racism, exploitation and invisibility,” said Cervantes. “But I also wrote about my own experience — feeling like I was taking up space as a Mexican-American woman in Spain, navigating racism because I didn’t have the ‘right’ accent. That experience taught me to own my presence.”
Cervantes also compiled a series of quotes from classmates reflecting on their week’s discussions, adding a communal voice to the project.
Gonzalez emphasized that this was more than a class project — it was a form of cross-cultural dialogue and community accountability.
“We’ve always made it a point to center the voices of migrants and activists we meet abroad,” he said. “The zine makes those relationships tangible. It’s a document of learning — and of gratitude.”
Previous years of the program focused on podcast production, but the zine format offered something new: a physical and digital object that students, guest speakers and community partners could keep. It also allowed space for more creative and practical additions — like restaurant recommendations, packing tips and even wellness resources for students abroad.
“It’s a guide. It’s a memory. It’s a political act,” said Gonzalez. “All in one.”
Cervantes and Garcia Sifuentes emphasized that the project wasn’t just for Berkeley students but more so for their families, friends and the broader communities they represent.
“I showed it to my mom and she cried,” Cervantes shared. “She said it felt like she got to be there with me. It gave my family a window into what I was doing and learning.”
Garcia Sifuentes added that she hopes the zine reaches back to the guest speakers and migrant collectives they met in Spain. “We want them to know how much their stories meant to us,” she said.
In the end, El Otro Lado / The Other Side is a study abroad experience, a cultural bridge, and a community archive all rolled into one.
“This project leaves something behind — not just for the next group of Golden Bears, but for everyone we met along the way,” said Gonzalez.
