About Us
Our goal is to provide meaningful insights and recommendations to improve the health and well-being of Mexican Indigenous communities living in San Luis Obispo. We collaborate across sectors to ensure that our project is responsive to the community's needs.
Our team comprises experienced scholars, health professionals, and community leaders committed to advancing health equity for the Latinx Indigenous peoples. We bring a range of interdisciplinary expertise to this study of health disparities, including community-based assessments and health policy analysis. We seek to inform policy and practice better to serve the needs of Mexican Indigenous families living and working in San Luis Obispo.
The Team
You can learn more about each of the team members in the following section.
Dr. Mario Espinoza-Kulick
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Mario Alberto Viveros Espinoza-Kulick is an instructor of Ethnic Studies at Cuesta College and Mellon / American Council of Learned Societies Community College Faculty Fellow. He earned an MA and PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Bonnie Bade
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Bonnie Bade is a Professor of Anthropology at California State University, San Marcos. She has been conducting research on farmworker health in California for over 30 years. Dr. Bade earned a PhD from the University of California, Riverside.
Ana Huynh
Community Partner
Ana Huynh is the Program Director for the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP). She provides valuable insight and leadership to this project based on years of experience.
Silvano Vazquez
Interviewer and Coordinator
Silvano Vazquez is the project coordinator and an interviewer for this project. He uses his skills in speaking multiple languages (Mixteco, Spanish, and English) to create more opportunities for his communities.
Celeste Martinez
Interviewer
Celeste Martinez is one of the interviewers for this project. She utilizes her knowledge and ability to speak Mixteco, Spanish, and English to gather vital information from community members.
Susana Arce
Interviewer
Celeste Martinez is one of the interviewers for this project. She utilizes her knowledge and ability to speak Mixteco, Spanish, and English to gather vital information from community members.
Dr. Alex Espinoza-Kulick
Statistician
Dr. Alex Espinoza-Kulick is an Addictions Studies, Social Work, and Human Services instructor at Cuesta College. He earned an MA and PhD from the Univerity of California, Santa Barbara.
Joel Diringer
Project Director
Joel Diringer is the project director for this assessment. He brings years of experience on community health topics with an emphasis on immigrant and farmworker wellbeing.
Photo Credit: "San Luis Obispo Mexican Indigenous Community Survey Team" by Stephen Heraldo (2023) in Paso Robles, California