Schedule of Events

This qualitative study sought to provide preliminary data about the community engagement of a Southern California Sikh religious community. Our community-building project aimed to empower members of the Sikh religious community by understanding their engagement with the broader County community in light of national engagement trends of Sikh-American communities.

The rise in childhood obesity has been associated with an increase in the incidence of obesity-related metabolic abnormalities in children, especially pediatric type 2 diabetes metabolic syndrome polycystic ovarian syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Furthermore, there are distinct disparities across culturally diverse groups in the prevalence of obesity and pre-disposition to obesity-related complications such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. This increase in pediatric obesity has increased the awareness of decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behavior particularly in the pediatric population is a major public health concern. The overall goal of this study was to examine the physical activity levels and sedentary behavior patterns of children aged 12 to 36 months from an ethic minority background, specifically Hispanic and African Americans.

This presentation highlights a research project that hopes to facilitate the development of educational materials about the cultures, histories, and languages of indigenous Mexicans living in Ventura County. These materials are meant to support the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project's (MICOP) "Resolution for Respect for Indigenous Peoples," which the Oxnard School District adopted into policy. The resolution has a specific emphasis on creating a climate of cultural respect, diversity, and promoting Mexican indigenous history. This presentation highlights specific needs expressed by MICOP in its "Don't Call Me Little Oaxacan" campaign and the hurdles to inclusion experienced by indigenous Mexican students in Oxnard schools, which are primary based on differences of language, physical appearance, culture, parental employment, and socioeconomic status. Using a compilation of interviews with those identifying as "Mixteca", the project explores what this population requires in order to overcome hurdles of educational exclusion in Ventura County.