Our very own editor Romeo Guzmán is in the new issue of Boom California, a refereed online journal that publishes innovative and engaging scholarship on all things California.  His piece, “Field of Dreams: Migrant Futboleros in Greater Mexico,” uses the life trajectory of Aurelio Sánchez to trace how soccer first took root in Mexico, and then how Mexicans and Mexican-Americans slowly laid the groundwork for the now-explosive popularity of the sport in the United States.  The piece is connected to RG’s new project The Other Football.  It’s a great read — part of ToM’s long-running love affair with the beautiful game — and well worth checking out!

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Luisa Mountains, San Luis Obispo feels idyllic. The Salinas and Chumash tribes were likely attracted to the region’s Mediterranean climate, the gentle fog, ocean breeze, and streams from nearby mountain springs. Throughout the centuries, Spaniards, Mexicans, and Americans found this Central Coast region to be an ideal setting for their agricultural exploits. Now, as the Fall settles in, tourists flock to the area to marvel at its seemingly endless rows of grape vines.