In the media & in his own words
Conversations with Chris, essays in his own words, and selected public work. Every link takes you to the original source.
Original interviews include audio and transcripts. Videos open on YouTube; nothing plays automatically on this page.
01 · Watch & listen
Interviews about Banning, opportunity, and taking part in community life.
The Joy of Democracy
Part two of Straight Outta Rivco: a conversation about neighborhood organizing, community trust, and taking part in local decisions.
The Joy of Democracy
Part one of Straight Outta Rivco: Chris joins Anyse Smith and Francisco Ramos to discuss housing, local jobs, land use, and public participation.
KPBS · The Parker Edison Project
Chris is one of several guests discussing perceptions of crime in the Inland Empire. His segment focuses on Banning, youth opportunity, and community–police relations.
02 · By Chris
Selected essays written by Chris. These are his own publications, separate from independent reporting.
Chris Castorena · Substack
A letter to Chris’s niece and Banning High’s class of 2026 about opportunity, home, and what a community owes its young people.
Chris Castorena · Substack
Why Chris is running for City Council, and his vision for local jobs, housing, and opportunity in Banning.
Chris Castorena · Substack
A closer look at Sunset Crossroads, city finances, logistics jobs, and public participation in development decisions.
Chris Castorena · Substack
A reflection on Section 14 displacement, the San Gorgonio Pass as a receiving community, and how local history shapes planning.
03 · Beyond the interviews
Presentations, coauthored research, and regional meeting coverage—with Chris’s role identified in each.
Inland Empire Labor Council
A meeting write-up identifying Chris in a group photo with regional workforce leaders and state labor officials. This is meeting coverage, not an interview.
Center for Nonprofit Management
Chris spoke about regional economic development and job creation in his then-role as GO-Biz’s Los Angeles Regional Economic Recovery Coordinator.
UC Riverside · School of Public Policy
A Master of Public Policy capstone on the role, impacts, and challenges of youth civic engagement, coauthored with Yolanda Aguilar Candelario and Katherina Avila.
04 · From earlier years
Coverage from Chris’s Banning High and UC Riverside years. Dates and roles reflect the time of publication.
The Highlander · Mela Magat
Coverage of Chris’s 2015 ASUCR personnel-director candidate debate, with an embedded debate video. This concerns a past student election, not the current City Council race.
Banning-Beaumont Patch · Guy McCarthy
A profile introducing Chris as a 17-year-old Banning High senior and a new local blogger, published under his full name, Christopher Gaige Castorena III.
