GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I
WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON CALIFORNIA.
MEXICO, BINATIONAL AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS EDUARDO
GARCIA. I WILL BE CHAIRING
TODAY'S SELECT COMMITTEE
HEARING. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU
ALL, TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE
CAPITOL, TODAY'S HEARING, IS
BEING TELEVISED ON THE ASSEMBLY.
STATE ASSEMBLY CHANNEL. AND, WE
WILL BE, MAKING SURE THAT, WE
ALSO WILL BE RECEIVING SOME
COMMENTS ON THE WEBSITE AND THEN
, OF COURSE, AT THE END OF THE
AGENDA, TAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS,
THIS IS OUR FIRST, HEARING FOR
THE YEAR FOR THE CALIFORNIA
BINATIONAL AFFAIRS SELECT
COMMITTEE. WE HAVE A VERY, VERY
GOOD AGENDA SET UP THAT WILL BE
FOCUSING ON CALIFORNIA, MEXICO'S
SHARED EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES, WE HAVE SELECTED
A VERY GOOD, SET OF PANELISTS, A
DIVERSE GROUP OF PANELISTS THAT
WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND
INVESTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE,
IN A BINATIONAL MANNER, I WANTED
TO EMPHASIZE HOW SIGNIFICANTLY
IMPORTANT AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM
OUR PRESENTERS, THE CALIFORNIA
MEXICO RELATIONSHIP IS FROM AN
ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, FROM A
CULTURAL STANDPOINT. AND AS
YOU'LL HEAR TODAY, FROM AN
EDUCATIONAL STANDPOINT, WE ARE
VERY EXCITED. TO HAVE THIS
HEARING TODAY. AND WE'RE ALSO
EXCITED ABOUT THE TIMING OF THIS
HEARING, GIVEN THE RECENT
HISTORIC CHANGES THAT ARE TAKING
PLACE IN MEXICO TODAY, THIS PAST
WEEKEND, MEXICO ELECTED DOCTOR
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, WHO WILL
BECOME THE FIRST FEMALE
PRESIDENT IN THE COUNTRY'S
HISTORY AND WHO HAS TIES TO
CALIFORNIA, FROM AN EDUCATIONAL
STANDPOINT. AND WE ARE EXTREMELY
EXCITED TO ESTABLISH A WORKING
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER
ADMINISTRATION, TO ENSURE THAT
CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO'S ECONOMIC
, CULTURAL AND AS TODAY'S
SUBJECT WILL HIGHLIGHT,
EDUCATIONAL TIE INS CONTINUE TO
STRENGTHEN, FROM A POLICY STAND
POINT AS WELL, WE WILL HAVE, A
SERIES AND A NUMBER OF MEMBERS
COME IN AND OUT OF THE HEARING
ROOM TODAY AS THEY ARE ATTENDING
, THEIR OWN LEGISLATIVE
PRIORITIES AS WELL. BUT I HAVE
BEEN TOLD THAT, A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT LEGISLATORS WILL JOIN
US THROUGHOUT THIS HEARING TODAY
, WITH THAT, THOSE ARE MY
OPENING REMARKS. AND I WILL ASK,
MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF THEY
HAVE ANY, REMARKS THAT THEY
WOULD LIKE TO START THIS HEARING
WITH AS WELL. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD
MORNING. STILL, IT'S HOT ENOUGH
IN SACRAMENTO. THAT FEELS LIKE
THE AFTERNOON, BUT IT'S STILL
MORNING, APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF
TODAY'S HEARING. TRULY LOOKING
FORWARD TO THE PANELS, I JUST
WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE CHAIR,
AND THE HIS TEAM, HIS STAFF FOR
PUTTING TOGETHER AN EXCELLENT
PANEL, THAT WILL FURTHER,
FURTHER, PROVIDE, INFORMATION,
CERTAINLY TO, CALIFORNIANS ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA
MEXICO RELATIONSHIP, BUT NOW
MORE SPECIFICALLY ON HOW HOW
TIED WE ARE FROM AN EDUCATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS SOMETHING
THAT OFTEN IS LEFT OUT OF THE
BINATIONAL CONVERSATION. BUT
SIGNIFICANT NONETHELESS, AS WE
WILL HEAR FROM THE PANELISTS, I
HAVE THE HONOR, LIKE THE CHAIR
OF SERVING, A DISTRICT THAT
BORDERS THE COUNTRY OF MEXICO
AND HAVE HAD THE REAL HONOR OF
SERVING IN A ROLE OR CAPACITY
FOR WELL OVER A DECADE. AND, I'M
EXCITED THAT CALIFORNIA HAS
CONTINUES TO TAKE THE LEAD ON
THESE ISSUES. AND CONTINUES TO,
MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE
THIS VERY UNIQUE LOCATION WHERE
WE ARE, WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO
THE SOUTH, AND WE TRULY
INTEGRATE, WHAT WE DO AS A STATE
WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND
FRAMEWORKS. AND IN THIS CASE,
AROUND THE SPACE OF EDUCATION,
WHICH I THINK IS, IS ONE THAT
WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN US
AS A STATE, CERTAINLY, AND
CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR
ECONOMY. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU,
CHAIR, FOR, THE INVITATION AND
FOR ORGANIZING THIS TODAY. TRULY
LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF YOU
TODAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER JUAN CARRILLO,
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE CHAIR
FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE PART OF
THIS COMMITTEE, REALLY LOOKING
FORWARD TO IT, IT REPRESENT THE,
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 39, WHICH IS,
NORTH LA COUNTY AND A PORTION OF
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, THE
CITIES OF PALMDALE, LANCASTER,
HESPERIA, VICTORVILLE AND
ADELANTO. AND, REALLY EXCITED TO
BE PART OF THIS GROUP. WE'RE
EXCITED TO TAKE PART IN THE
CONVERSATIONS, ME, MYSELF BEING
BORN IN GUADALAJARA, COMING HERE
AT THE AGE OF 15, IT REALLY
GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE
PART OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND,
BEING ABLE TO, AND HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE,
THE, THE ECONOMIC, EDUCATIONAL
AND MANY OTHER TOPICS OF
INTEREST, BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND
MEXICO, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
THE CONVERSATION. I WANT TO
THANK AGAIN, THE CHAIR, FOR
ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU TO
BOTH OF MY COLLEAGUES, WHEN
OTHER MEMBERS COME IN, WE WILL
DEFINITELY GIVE THEM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE QUESTIONS
AND ENGAGE WITH OUR PANELISTS.
THANK YOU, TO ALL OF THE
PANELISTS AGAIN THAT ARE HERE.
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
ASSEMBLYMEMBER ALVAREZ AND HIS
TEAM FOR HELPING US, PUT
TOGETHER THIS AGENDA. LET'S JUMP
RIGHT IN TO THE FIRST PANEL,
EXCHANGE OF BINATIONAL HIGHER
EDUCATION PROGRAMS. WE HAVE TWO
PRESENTERS, MARGARITA H.
COLMENARES, VICE PRESIDENT OF
INVESTMENTS OF MENOS
ACCELERATOR. AND WE HAVE
PROFESSOR ARMANDO VAZQUEZ RAMOS,
CEO AND FOUNDER OF CALIFORNIA
MEXICO STUDY CENTER, THANK YOU,
PROFESSOR, FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST
PRESENTER AND, THANK YOU SO
MUCH, YOUR BIOS ARE IN THE
FOLDER. WE APPRECIATE, ALL OF
THE PROFESSIONAL WORK THAT
YOU'VE DONE. AND, YOU MAY BEGIN.
THANK YOU. AND GOOD MORNING. MY
NAME IS MARGARITA COLMENARES,
AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE
MENOS ACCELERATOR. I'M HONORED
TO BE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS THE
CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF
BINATIONAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES
BETWEEN MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA.
THESE INITIATIVES ARE PIVOTAL
FOR FOSTERING EDUCATIONAL
COLLABORATION THÀNH,
PARTICULARLY IN THE HIGH TECH
SECTOR, WHICH IS VITAL TO
CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY AND GLOBAL
COMPETITIVENESS. CALIFORNIA,
WITH ITS DIVERSE POPULATION AND
ROBUST ECONOMY, THRIVES ON
INNOVATION AND GLOBAL
COLLABORATION, ESTABLISHING AND
MAINTAINING STRONG BINATIONAL
INITIATIVES WITH MEXICO NOT ONLY
STRENGTHENS OUR CULTURAL TIES,
BUT ALSO PROMOTES GROWTH,
ECONOMIC GROWTH, TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENT, AND EDUCATIONAL
EXCELLENCE. THE MENOS
ACCELERATOR HAS FOR SOME YEARS
NOW HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH
MEXICO. NEXT, NEXT SLIDE. AND
THE MENOS ACCELERATOR PROVIDES
DIFFERENT FACETS OF ASSISTANCE
TO START UP COMPANIES, THAT ARE
LAUNCHING IN THE SILICON VALLEY,
THE BREAKDOWN IS ABOUT 60%
LATINO LED US LATINO LED
CORPORATIONS AND 40% FROM FROM
MEXICO. NEXT SLIDE. THIS THIS
SLIDE SHOWS A MAP OF SOME OF THE
RELATIONSHIP CHIPS THAT MENOS IS
STRIVING FOR WITH MEXICO. AND
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THEY ARE A
LOT OF THEM ARE THE CENTERS OF
GROWTH, ECONOMIC GROWTH WITHIN
MEXICO ITSELF. NEXT SLIDE. ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT MENOS DOES IS
THEY HOLD DEMO DAYS, WHERE THE
CEOS PROVIDE PITCHES, TO SILICON
VALLEY INVESTORS, AND MENOS
FACILITATES THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
PUT THEM IN FRONT OF POTENTIAL
INVESTORS. AND YOU'LL HEAR LATER
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MEXICO
AND THE EMPRESARIOS AND THE
STUDENTS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. DID
WE MISS A SLIDE THAT SHOWED AN
ECOSYSTEM. YES. THAT ONE. OKAY.
SO THIS ONE SHOWS THE DIFFERENT
TIES THAT MENOS HAS SET UP WITH
UNIVERSITIES WITH HIGH TECH
COMPANIES, WITH, ANGEL
INVESTORS, ETC. SO THAT IS THE
MENOS ECOSYSTEM THAT EITHER
STUDENTS OR BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE
INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN, OR
SOMEONE WHO'S LAUNCHING A
COMPANY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO
THE IMMERSION PROGRAM AND I, I'M
SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE
STUDENTS CONSISTS OF ONE WEEK IN
SILICON VALLEY AND THE STUDENTS
COME OUT AND THEY THEY GET TO
VISIT SOME OF OUR HIGH TECH
COMPANIES SUCH AS, NETFLIX AND
SALESFORCE AND TESLA, ETC. AND
THEY GET EXPOSURE TO THE, THE
CULTURE, IF YOU WILL, AT THOSE
SITES. COMBINED WITH THAT AND
NEXT SLIDE. COMBINED WITH THAT,
OUR WORKSHOPS, WHICH TEACH THE
STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT
STARTING A COMPANY IN SILICON
VALLEY. THERE'S INTERACTIONS
WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS. THEY
VISIT AND INTERACT WITH INDUSTRY
LEADERS, GAINING INSIGHTS INTO
THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS AND
TRENDS. THERE'S WORKSHOPS AND
SEMINARS WHERE THEY COVER A
RANGE OF TOPICS, INCLUDING THE
FUNDAMENTALS OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THERE ARE
ACADEMIC COLLABORATIONS, AND
THEY HAVE VISITS TO PLACES LIKE
STANFORD OR UC BERKELEY. AND
THERE'S ALSO THE CULTURAL
EXPERIENCE, BEYOND ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL, OF UNDERSTANDING
THE RICH AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA. SO THE STUDENT
IMMERSION PROGRAM NOT ONLY
ENHANCES THEIR ACADEMICS, BUT
ALSO BROADENS THEIR
PERSPECTIVES. NEXT SLIDE.
PARALLEL TO THAT, THERE IS AN
EMPRESARIO PROGRAM WHERE
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE SOMETIMES,
LET'S SAY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA,
ARE INVITED TO COME AND
PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM AS
WELL. SO THERE HAVE BEEN
EXCHANGES LIKE THAT AS WELL,
PARALLEL TO WHAT THE STUDENTS DO
WITH THE PROFESSIONALS. AND IT'S
THE SAME, SAME IDEA IS THAT
INTRODUCTION TO AND RELATIONSHIP
BUILDING WITH, NEXT SLIDE. SO
EVERYTHING, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
SOMEONE COMING IN WHO HAS NOT
BEEN TO SILICON VALLEY, THEY
KIND OF GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO
COME AND VISIT SILICON VALLEY.
NEXT SLIDE. EXAMPLE OF A
GATHERING WHERE THEY MEET WITH
CAPITAL INVESTORS. AS I SAID
BEFORE, THE CEOS HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE
A PITCH, BEFORE INVESTORS. NEXT
SLIDE. EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE
COMPANIES AND NEXT SLIDE. THAT'S
OUR CONTACT INFO, MANOS IS
UNIQUE IN ITS APPROACH, IT IS
ONE OF THE OLDEST ACCELERATORS
OF ITS KIND. AND ACTUALLY FOCUS
ON LATINOS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH
THE, BRIDGE TO MEXICO. IT IS
UNIQUE IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT
PRESENTER WILL BE PROFESSOR
ARMANDO VASQUEZ RAMOS, CEO AND
FOUNDER OF THE CALIFORNIA MEXICO
STUDY CENTER. AND I'LL ASK OUR
THIRD PRESENTER, DELA DE LA
TORRE, PRESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO
STATE UNIVERSITY, IF SHE'D LIKE
TO COME UP AS WELL. AND, MISS
MARGARITA, YOU'RE WELCOME TO
STAY UP HERE, WE'LL GET INTO
QUESTIONS, AFTER OUR THIRD AND
FINAL PRESENTER. OKAY, SO,
DOCTOR, ARMANDO VASQUEZ RAMOS,
WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. AND, THE
FLOOR IS YOURS. MUCHAS GRACIAS.
EDUARDO. I AM SO DELIGHTED TO
JOIN YOU TODAY. AND ALSO, I'M
JUST SO HAPPY. I JUST FLEW BACK
THIS MORNING FROM MEXICO. I'VE
BEEN DOWN THERE FOR THE LAST
WEEK, AND THE CELEBRATION OF
CLAUDIA'S ELECTION IS JUST,
UNPRECEDENTED. WHAT'S MOST
IMPORTANT IS THAT WE ARE NOW, IN
A NEW ERA, THE LEGACY OF LOPEZ
OBRADOR AND THE SWEEP BY MORENA,
ALMOST OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY,
REPRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE INVESTMENT IN POLICIES
AS WELL AS THE COLLABORATION,
SPECIFICALLY. AS YOU KNOW, I
HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR BOTH,
YOUR BILL AB 2852, AS WELL AS A
SPONSOR FOR THE ALVAREZ, 2633
LEGISLATION, CREATING JOINT
INTERNATIONAL DEGREES, IN
PARTICULAR WITH MEXICO. SO I
REALLY THINK THAT TODAY IT'S A
IT'S A CELEBRATION FOR THIS MEGA
REGION, WHICH IS, THE CALIFORNIA
, THE, FIFTH ECONOMY OF THE
WORLD AND THE 12TH ECONOMY OF
THE WORLD THAT HAS HAD A VERY,
LIMITED AMOUNT OF POLICY
INTERACTION AND IN THIS CASE,
SPECIFICALLY OF ACADEMIC
EXCHANGE. I'M GLAD TO, TO FOLLOW
THE PRESENTATION BY MARGARITA ON
THE MANOS, PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN
AROUND OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS OR
MORE AND HAS, OF COURSE, CREATED
GREAT CONNECTIONS. BUT I HAVE TO
SAY IT'S ALSO THE EXCEPTION,
THERE'S VERY FEW INITIATIVES,
ESPECIALLY IN THE ACADEMIC
EXCHANGE AREA, SO TO ME, IT'S
REALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HOW, THE EFFORT THAT WE
HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE
LAST EIGHT YEARS, HAVING
PIONEERED A CONCEPT, A PROGRAM
FOR DREAMERS TO STUDY ABROAD,
PHD, TEN YEARS AGO, IN 2014,
RIGHT AFTER THE, THE DACA
PROGRAM WAS CREATED BY OBAMA,
BUT ALSO, I SO DELIGHTED TO
SHARE WITH YOU THAT ON SUNDAY,
WE ALSO ELECTED THE FIRST DREAM
TEAMER TO BE FOR THE NEXT SIX
YEARS IN THE MEXICAN SENATE, ONE
OF MY MOST OUTSTANDING GRADUATES
OF THE CALIFORNIA MEXICO STUDY
CENTER, DREAMER STUDY. THAT'S,
KARINA RUIZ, WHO WAS ELECTED,
PART OF THE A LARGE APPOINTMENTS
THAT ARE DONE BY EACH PARTY. AND
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT A NEW
ERA OF HAVING A VOICE AND A VOTE
IN THE UPPER HOUSE, BUT ALSO THE
MIGRANTS, IMMIGRANT AND,
CONGRESS MEMBERS THAT WILL BE
ADVOCATING FOR A MUCH LARGER
ROLE OF THE OF THE MEXICAN
DIASPORA, WE ARE NOW 65 MILLION
LATINOS IN THE US, AND AT LEAST
70% OF THAT IS OF MEXICAN
ORIGIN. BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY
POLICIES THAT REFLECT THAT ON
EITHER SIDE. AND MEXICO IS
BEGINNING TO, TO RECOGNIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY THAT THAT WE HAVE TO
CREATE THOSE BRIDGES NOW, THE,
THE, THE, THE BILL INTRODUCED BY
EDUARDO GARCIA, WHICH
UNFORTUNATELY MAY NOT PROCEED
OUT OF APPROPRIATIONS IS, IS
REALLY THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY
THAT I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR, FOR
SOMEONE POSSIBLY, DAVID, SINCE
EDUARDO IS NOT COMING BACK TO
REINTRODUCE WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE
CALIFORNIA MEXICO HIGHER
EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT AND
ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAM, WE
HAD EXPECTED TO GET A LOT MORE
SUPPORT, BUT OF COURSE, WE ARE
REALISTIC THAT THERE IS NO
FUNDING AVAILABLE DUE TO THE
DEFICIT. AT THE SAME TIME, I
WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE
HAVE NOW WORKED FOR THE LAST
THREE, FOUR YEARS WITH THE,
LOPEZ OBRADOR ADMINISTRATION.
BUT COLLABORATION AND AGREEMENTS
THAT WE HAVE WITH UNA, WITH
AUTONOMA METROPOLITANA, WITH
COLEGIO DE LA FRONTERA NORTE,
CENTRO CULTURAL SALTILLO, C AND
MANY OTHER INSTITUTIONS WHERE WE
HAVE BUILT THIS RELATIONSHIP
INDEPENDENT OF MY PREVIOUS ROLE
AS A PROFESSOR AT CAL STATE LONG
BEACH. AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT
ADELA IS GOING TO BE WITH US. I
MET ADELA WHEN SHE WAS THE
DEPARTMENT CHAIR OF CHICANO
STUDIES, AT WHICH I LOOK FORWARD
TO HEARING YOUR REMARKS, MY OWN
BEGINNING WAS AT CAL STATE LONG
BEACH IN 1969, WHEN I WAS ONE OF
THE STUDENT LEADERS THAT
ESTABLISHED THE CHICANO STUDIES
DEPARTMENT AT CAL STATE LONG
BEACH. AND I HAVE BEEN PURSUING
THIS DAY WHERE WE CAN CREATE
THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MEXICO,
SPECIFICALLY, THE ACADEMIC
EXCHANGE, WHICH IS ALMOST NONE
THE ENTIRE CAL STATE SYSTEM
SENDS TO MEXICO LESS THAN 100
PER YEAR. THAT WAS BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW
MUCH IT THEY HAVE ALREADY RAMPED
UP. THE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN
TRADITIONALLY TO A PRIVATE
UNIVERSITY, AND GIVEN THE
SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH
OUR DREAMERS STUDY ABROAD
PROGRAM THAT OVER THE LAST TEN
YEARS, I HAVE TAKEN 25 GROUPS,
OVER 800 PARTICIPANTS THAT HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO RETURN 100% AND
THAT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THEY
CLEAR THEIR PRIOR UNDOCUMENTED
ENTRY. AND THIS IS WHEN IT
DAWNED UPON ME THAT I NEEDED TO
PROMOTE A CONCEPT, AN IDEA THAT
EDUARDO WAS WAS SO, ENGAGED WITH
AND INTRODUCED HIS AB 2852
LEGISLATURA AND THAT CONTINUES
TO BE, TO ME, A HIGH PRIORITY
BECAUSE WE HAVE LITERALLY NO
INSTITUTIONAL LINKAGES. I KNOW
SAN DIEGO STATE HAS HAD FOR
DECADES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
INTERACTIONS. THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA IN SAN DIEGO AND SOME
OF THE OTHER UC CAMPUSES. UC HAS
A CASA CALIFORNIA IN MEXICO
CITY, BUT WE REALLY HAVE A VERY
DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF
RESEARCHERS OF ACADEMIC AND
STUDENT EXCHANGE AND THIS IS
ALSO WHAT I REALLY, REALLY
APPRECIATE. THE LEADERSHIP OF
DAVID ALVAREZ IN HIS AB 2633
BILL, WHICH PROMOTES THE IDEA,
AUTHORIZES THE CSU TO CREATE
JOINT DEGREES WITH INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS MEANS SPECIFICALLY
THE EXAMPLE THAT HE PROVIDES IS
THE WORK THAT THE UC IS DOING
ALREADY BLUNHAM AND WITHIN THEM.
AND SO FINALLY, I WANTED TO GIVE
YOU THIS PERSPECTIVE, AB 2852
WAS WAS PROPOSED WITH THE
FOLLOWING CONCEPT THAT WE NEEDED
TO CREATE A NEW FUND THAT WOULD
BE BINATIONAL, THAT WOULD BE
WITH MATCHING FROM MEXICO, BUT
ALSO THAT WOULD ELIMINATE
INTERNATIONAL TUITION, BECAUSE
MEXICO HAS SENT ALL OF THEIR
ELITE STUDENTS TO THE ELITE
UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED
STATES, AND VERY FEW COME TO
CALIFORNIA. THEY SEND THEM TO
THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS AND PAY
60, $70,000 OR MORE IN TUITION
PER YEAR. THE CONCEPT OF EDUARDO
BILL WAS TO CREATE A FUND, BUT
ALSO WHAT I PROPOSED TO HIM IS
THAT WE WOULD DO A NEEDLE
EXCHANGE, 1 TO 1 EXCHANGE. YOU
SEND ME ONE, I SEND YOU ONE, AND
NOBODY PAYS OUT-OF-STATE
TUITION. THE CSU HAS BEEN PAYING
PRIVATE TUITION FIRST TO THE
AMERICANA, A UNIVERSITY, AND
THEN NOW WITH THE TECH, THE
MONTERREY IN QUERÉTARO AND
ISOLATING OUR STUDENTS TO A
VERY, DISTANT PLACE FROM THE
HEART OF MEXICO, WHICH IS MEXICO
CITY. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE
YOU A SHORT BACKGROUND ABOUT MY
EXPERIENCE OVER THE YEARS, I
MENTIONED ALREADY MY CONNECTION
TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH AND OF
COURSE, ALSO IN THE 1990S, I
WORKED FOR THREE YEARS AT THE
CSU CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE IN THE
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S WHEN I
REALIZED THAT WE WERE DOING VERY
LITTLE EXCHANGE. BUT 30 YEARS
LATER, THE NUMBERS HAVE NOT
CHANGED. AND THE, THE IRONY THAT
WE SEND LESS THAN 100 TO MEXICO
AND WE SEND 500 TO SPAIN. AND
LET ME TELL YOU, THAT HAS TO
CHANGE. AND IT'S NOT GOING TO
CHANGE UNLESS THERE'S NEW
FUNDING. AND WITH THE CONCEPT OF
BEING 1 TO 1 EXCHANGE, WE
ELIMINATE THE MOST COSTLY,
ASPECT OF STUDENT EXCHANGE. AND
OF COURSE, WE NEED TO PROMOTE
REGIONAL FINAL ACADEMIC AND
RESEARCH EXCHANGE. AND THERE'S
NO FUNDING FOR THAT. THERE HAS
BEEN NEVER ANY COMMITMENT FOR
THAT INITIATIVE. AND THIS IS
WHAT WE NEED TO PROMOTE,
ESPECIALLY IN THIS ERA. THAT IS
A CHANGING. WE JUST, HAD A
MEETING WITH CONACYT, WHICH IS
THE COUNTERPART TO THE NSA, AND
ALSO IT PROVIDES THE FUNDING FOR
ALL THESE SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY
ABROAD IN MEXICO IS VERY
INTERESTED IN THIS CONCEPT, AND
WE WANTED TO GET A, AN
INITIATIVE BEFORE THE END OF
THIS ADMINISTRATION. BUT LET ME
TELL YOU, I AM SURE BECAUSE WE
HAVE BECOME VERY CLOSELY
CONNECTED WITH CLAUDIA
SHEINBAUM. IN FACT, SHE GAVE ME
THE KEY TO MEXICO CITY IN THE
SUMMER OF 2022 AFTER SHE HOSTED
A DAY LONG SEMINAR WITH A GROUP
OF MY DREAMERS. AND OF COURSE,
LAST SUMMER I BROUGHT TO THE
STAGE TO WELCOME HER AT ONE OF
HER INFORMATIONAL ASSEMBLIES.
KARINA RUIZ, WHO HAPPENS TO BE A
39 YEAR OLD DREAMER WHO IS
ALREADY A GRANDMOTHER OF THREE
GRANDCHILDREN AND THREE US BORN
CHILDREN, AND SHE IS DYNAMITE.
SHE IS A NATIONAL DREAMER LEADER
OUT OF ARIZONA AND WHO WILL
BECOME, THE FIRST MEXICAN,
IMMIGRANT WENT TO BE IN THE
SENATE OF MEXICO FOR THE NEXT
SIX YEARS. AND OF COURSE, WE
ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE
TO GET HER TO HEAD THE
COMMISSION ON MIGRATION AND
BORDERS. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED
TO SHARE THIS BACKGROUND,
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS IS
JUST A BEGINNING OF WHAT COULD
BE A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP IF
WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE
EDUCATIONAL LEADERS, POLICY
MAKERS, AND OF COURSE, I'M GLAD
TO COME AFTER THE, THE
PRESENTATION BY MARGARITA
MARGARITA AND THE GREAT WORK
THAT MANUS HAS BEEN DOING,
BECAUSE WE ALSO NEED TO BRING TO
THE TABLE THE PRIVATE SECTOR,
THE CORPORATE WORLD, BECAUSE
LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY, WE ARE
EACH OTHER'S NUMBER ONE BUSINESS
PARTNER. THE REGION. THE MEGA
REGION IS. COMPOSED OF 170
MILLION PEOPLE, 130 MILLION IN
MEXICO AND HALF OF THE 40
MILLION, OR ALMOST HALF OF THE
40 MILLION CALIFORNIANS, ARE OF
MEXICAN ORIGIN. SO WHAT'S WRONG
WITH THIS PICTURE? WE NEED TO
CREATE A SYNERGY FOR US TO PLAN
FOR THE FUTURE. AND OF COURSE,
THE KEY FACTORS IS THE LABOR
FORCE PREPARATION AT ALL LEVELS.
IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH THE
EDUCATIONAL PLANNING ON A LONG
RANGE OF HOW HIGHER EDUCATION
CAN PREPARE THE ECONOMY OF
CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO TO REMAIN
COMPETITIVE, AND THE FIFTH
ECONOMY OF THE WORLD. THE 12
ECONOMY OF THE WORLD. AND
ACTUALLY, TO ADVANCE THAT AND
THEN FINALLY, NEEDLESS TO SAY,
IS THE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIP THAT WE NEED TO
PROMOTE, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE
ALREADY AS A VERY, VERY STRONG,
PRESENCE OF THE OF THE MEXICAN
AND LATINO CULTURE, BUT WE NEED
TO ALSO PROMOTE THE RESEARCH AND
THE POLICIES THAT RELATE TO
ENERGY. MEXICO HAS ONE OF THE
HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS OF
LITHIUM. I KNOW THAT EDUARDO HAS
ALREADY BEEN PIONEERING THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME OF THE
FOLKS IN IN SONORA, BUT LET'S
TALK ABOUT ARE WE READY FOR THE
NEXT PANDEMIC? WE HAVE NO
POLICIES WITH MEXICO IN HEALTH.
WE HAVE NO POLICIES THAT RELATES
TO THE ISSUES THAT HAVE THAT
AFFECT BOTH, PARTS OF THIS MEGA
ECONOMY THAT HAS TO DO WITH
WATER SOURCES, THAT HAS TO DO
WITH CLIMATE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES AS WELL AS, OF COURSE,
THE BORDER ISSUES. AND IT HAS
BEEN ALMOST ENTIRELY OUR CONCERN
HAS BEEN ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE
BORDER REGION AND ISSUES THAT
PERTAIN TO IMMIGRATION. THÀNH IS
BEYOND THAT. IT'S AN ECONOMIC
AGENDA. IT'S A LABOR FORCE
AGENDA. AND FINALLY, I WOULD SAY
ALSO IS RECOGNIZING THAT THE
POPULATION IS PREDOMINANTLY
MEXICAN MEXICAN ORIGIN. AND
THAT'S WHAT WILL CONTINUE TO
MAKE THE BACKBONE OF THE
ECONOMY'S LABOR FORCE, BUT ALSO
OF HIGHER EDUCATION. AND I WANT
TO JUST CLOSE BY SAYING THAT I
REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE
DAVID'S, LEADERSHIP AND PASSING
AND HAVING THE GOVERNOR SIGNED
AB 91 THAT NOW ALLOWS FOR THE WE
CALL THEM DÍAS. THE STUDENTS
FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA THAT CROSS
OVER EVERY DAY TO STUDY IN IN
THE SAN DIEGO REGION TO ATTEND
COLLEGE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
WITHOUT PAYING TUITION. AND
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF IDEAS, AS
I PROPOSED ALREADY, THAT WE NEED
TO EXPLORE WHAT THE EUROPEANS
HAVE BEEN DOING FOR MORE THAN 50
YEARS, WHICH IS 1 TO 1 AND NO
INTERNAL NATIONAL TUITION TO
PROFITEER FROM. AND ALSO BECAUSE
THEY PROMOTE MOBILITY. MØT
LINGUAL EXCHANGE AND CALIFORNIA
AND MEXICO. AND LET ME REPEAT
THAT CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO BOTH
HAVE TO BECOME BILINGUAL AND WE
HAVE A PARTNER IN, IN MY
INITIATIVE, AND IN THE CSU SAN
MARINO CAMPUS THAT WILL FEATURE
THIS IN SEPTEMBER AT HIS ANNUAL
LEAD SUMMIT, DOCTOR ENRIQUE
MURILLO. AND WE EXPECT TO
FEATURE THE, THE POLICY MAKERS,
THE ACADEMIC LEADERS OF MEXICO
THAT WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGING IN
THIS CONCEPT AS WELL, THAT
OURSELVES. AND CERTAINLY WE HOPE
TO HAVE THE PARTICIPATION OF
CALIFORNIA HIGHER EDUCATION
LEADERS AND, AND, AND,
LEGISLATORS. SO LET ME LEAVE IT
AT THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW I
COVERED QUITE A BIT. AND WE MAY
HAVE, QUESTIONS TO RESPOND TO
LATER ON. THANK YOU FOR INVITING
ME. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE
INTERACTION. THANK THANK YOU,
DOCTOR, PLEASE, STAY TUNED. I
KNOW THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS FOR
YOU. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR
THIRD PANELIST, ADELA DE LA
TORRE, PRESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO
STATE UNIVERSITY. WELCOME, AND
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, GOOD
MORNING, CHAIR AND MEMBERS, I
WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU. I ALSO
WANT TO THANK ARMANDO AND
MARGARITA. YES, I KNOW THEM
BOTH. IT'S A SMALL WORLD, BUT, I
ALSO WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT
SOMETHING TODAY THAT I THINK IS
PRETTY REMARKABLE AND GIVE KUDOS
TO THE, MY FACULTY AND STAFF IN,
IN DEVELOPING A VERY UNIQUE
CENTER. THE CENTER FOR
MESOAMERICAN STUDIES IN OAXACA.
THIS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2022.
AND WITH THE IDEA OF CREATING AN
ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE COULD
FOSTER TRANSBORDER DIPLOMACY,
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RELATIONSHIPS
AND BINATIONAL COOPERATION. SO
THE CENTER IS ACTUALLY THE ONLY
PHYSICAL ENTITY OF A US
INSTITUTION IN OAXACA. SO I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THAT CENTER HAS HAD A
LONG HISTORY IN BINATIONAL
COOPERATION. BUT THIS, I THINK,
IS VERY UNIQUE. AND WHAT IT DOES
PROVIDE IS CLASSROOM SPACE. IT
PROVIDES OFFICE EVENT SPACE,
STAFF SUPPORT STAFF, STUDENTS
AND FACULTY. AGAIN, JUST THINK
FOR A MOMENT. MANY TIMES, A LOT
OF THE BARRIERS OF WHY PEOPLE
DON'T GO TO MEXICO IS THERE'S
NOT A SPACE THAT THEY CAN GO TO.
YES, THEY CAN GO TO A HOTEL.
THEY CAN THEY CAN WALK AROUND A
CITY. THEY MAY BE ABLE TO VISIT
PEOPLE, BUT THIS IS REALLY AN
INVESTMENT OF THE INSTITUTION.
IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THIS TYPE
OF, REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, WE
ACTUALLY HAVE EQUIPPED IT SUCH
THAT EVEN THE INTERNET THAT IS
USED IS, EDUROAM, WHICH IS USED
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY BY
UNIVERSITIES. IT ENHANCES
SECURITY. SO PEOPLE ARE DOING
ANY TYPE OF RESEARCH. WE REALLY
MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE DOING THIS, AS WELL AS OUR
STUDENTS, HAVE THE KIND OF
CONNECTIONS THAT SUPPORT, THAT
ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR CSU SYSTEM.
SO IN A NUTSHELL, WE VIEW IT AT
SAN DIEGO STATE THAT THIS IS THE
HEART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL,
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT IN MEXICO. SO YOU
MIGHT ASK WHY OAXACA? AND SO IF
YOU KNOW MEXICAN HISTORY, YOU
KNOW, OAXACA IS THE MOST
ETHNICALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY
DIVERSE STATE IN MEXICO, NOT TO
MENTION A SIDE PORFIRIO DIAZ WAS
FROM THERE, BENITO JUAREZ WAS
THERE FROM THERE. BUT IT ALSO
HOLDS A HIGH THE HIGHEST
PERCENTAGE OF NATIVE AND
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE SPEAKERS IN
MEXICO. SO YOU HAVE 16 OAN
NATIVE LANGUAGES AND MORE THAN
150 DIALECTS OF THESE LANGUAGES.
IT HAS AMAZING ARCHEOLOGICAL
SITES. THE COMPLEX, VERY COMPLEX
ECOSYSTEM IN TERMS OF
BIODIVERSITY, TÊ, DEEP
AGRICULTURAL HISTORY, CULTURAL
HERITAGE AND A VILLAGE LIFE THAT
PROVIDES A RICH ENVIRONMENT FOR
CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH INTO THE
ORIGINS AND IMPACT WITHIN THE
STATE AND BEYOND. SO, IN THE
1960S AND 70S, MANY OAXACANS
MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN
RESPONSE TO THE SOCIAL STRIFE
AND ECONOMIC DECLINE, SETTLING
IN CALIFORNIA. SO TODAY THE
GOLDEN STATE HAS A COUNTRY,
COUNTRIES LARGEST POPULATION OF
INDIGENOUS MESOAMERICAN
COMMUNITIES, AND THE LARGEST
CONCENTRATION OF INDIGENOUS
OAXACANS. SO RIGHT NOW IT'S
ESTIMATED THAT IN CALIFORNIA WE
HAVE 350,000 OAXACANS MANY OF
THEM LIVE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY,
CENTRAL COAST, SAN FRANCISCO
METROPOLITAN AREA OF LA AND SAN
DIEGO COUNTY. SO THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OAXACA,
CALIFORNIA AND SAN DIEGO STATE
UNIVERSITY IS QUITE EXTENSIVE.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
OF SAN DIEGO STATE. WE WERE
FOUNDED IN 1897, SO WE'RE THE
SECOND OLDEST CSU IN THE SYSTEM,
AND WE'RE THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY
IN THE SAN DIEGO REGION. WE ALSO
HAVE A MONIKER THAT'S CALLED THE
AZTEC, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY
STUDENTS IN 1925. AND THERE WAS
CONSIDERABLE THOUGHT GIVEN TO,
THE NAME, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LEGACY OF
THE REGION'S HISTORY. BUT
PARTICULARLY THE AZTEC, WHO IS
WHAT WE THAT IS, OUR MONIKER IS
A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND PRIDE.
OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE
RESISTANCE OF THE SPANISH
CONQUERORS WHO WHO SOUGHT TO
SYSTEMATICALLY EXPLOIT
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. LIKE MANY IN
SOUTHERN STATES, OAXACA SUFFERED
EXPLOITATION AT THE HANDS OF
SPANISH SPANIARDS, PRIMARILY
CONSISTING OF FORCED LABOR,
OVERT DISCRIMINATION, CULTURAL
LANGUAGE, REPRESSION, AND LOSS
OF LAND. AS CALIFORNIA
EXPERIENCED AN INFLUX OF
OAXACANS, THE CHICANO MOVEMENT
WAS AT ITS PEAK AND THE AZTEC
SYMBOL CONTINUED TO BE
EMBLEMATIC OF THIS STRENGTH AND
PRIDE FOR CHICANOS. YOU KNOW,
SINCE I WAS A CHAIR OF CHICANO
STUDIES MANY, MANY TIMES I HAVE
TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS
INTERSECTION. FOR ME, IT'S
ORGANIC. IT IS NATURAL BECAUSE
WE REALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR
OWN IDENTITY STRUCTURE, CHICANO
STUDIES PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR MOVEMENT,
WE LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WE
TRACE OUR ROOTS BACK TO THE
AZTEC EMPIRE, OF WHICH THE
PEOPLE OF OAXACA WERE A
SIGNIFICANT PART, THE AZTEC
SYMBOL PROVIDED THE STRENGTH TO
RISE ABOVE THE FORCES SEEKING TO
SUBJUGATE, AND IN MANY WAYS
ERADICATE, THE HERITAGE OF THEIR
INDIGENOUS PAST. LEADERS IN THE
MOVEMENT PUSHED FOR AND
SUCCEEDED IN CHANGING AMERICAN
SOCIETY, SO SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN
EDUCATION, LAND RECLAMATION, AND
LABOR WERE LARGELY DUE TO
CHICANO LEADERS LIKE CESAR
CHAVEZ, DOLORES HUERTA, CORKY
GONZALES, AND REYES LOPEZ
TEJERINA. THESE LEADERS SUCCESS
IN ELEVATING THESE SOCIAL
INEQUALITIES IS CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT TODAY, AS A LARGE
NUMBER OF OAXACANS ARE FARM
WORKERS WHO CONTINUE TO FACE
SOCIAL DISPARITIES AND AT THE
SAME TIME, THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT
ON CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY IS
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND
CELEBRATE. SO SDSU CONTINUES TO
RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE MULTIPLE
WAYS IN WHICH OUR FACULTY,
STAFF, AND STUDENTS RELATE TO
OUR AZTEC IDENTITY. EMBRACING
OUR PROXIMITY TO THE MEXICAN
BORDER IN BOTH SAN DIEGO AND
IMPERIAL COUNTIES, AND THE
STRONG PRESENCE OF MESOAMERICANS
IN THIS GREAT STATE IN FACT, WE
SOLIDIFIED OUR COMMITMENT TO
DEVELOPING THESE STRONG TIES BY
INCORPORATING IN OUR AND
MEMORIALIZING OUR CROSS-BORDER
GOALS INTO OUR GLOBAL STRATEGIC
PLAN, A BLUEPRINT FOR RESEARCH
R-1 STATUS, WHICH INCLUDED
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH,
INTERNSHIP AND STUDY ABROAD
PROGRAMS. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A
MOMENT BECAUSE SAN DIEGO STATE,
FEELS VERY STRONGLY ABOUT US AS
THE STATE'S TRANS BORDER
INSTITUTE, WE ARE THE ONLY
UNIVERSITY THAT HAS A MAJOR
PRESENCE IN THE SAN DIEGO
REGION. AND IMPERIAL VALLEY. AND
WE CELEBRATE THIS RELATIONSHIP
THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR
DECADES. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT
IS REALLY CRITICAL TO OUR
IDENTITY AS AN INSTITUTION. SO
IN ADDITION TO OUR EDUCATION AND
RESEARCH EFFORTS, SDSU CONTINUES
TO DEVELOP WIDESPREAD AWARENESS
ABOUT THE AZTEC HERITAGE IN ITS
ARTWORK, ARCHITECTURE,
AGRICULTURAL IMPACT, AND EVEN IN
ITS DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY
CUISINE. SO FOR THOSE WHO'VE
GONE TO THE STADIUM, YOU CAN
HAVE ACTUALLY ASKED TO CONFUSE,
FOOD SUCH AS CHAPULINES, WHICH
ARE DELICIOUS, IF YOU EVER HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY. SO THERE'S A
LONG STANDING INTERCONNECTEDNESS
WITH WITH A UNIQUE AND SHARED
CULTURE AND EXPERIENCE THAT
TRANSCENDS OUR GEOGRAPHICAL
BOUNDARIES AND FORMS ONE WHOLE
REGION WE PROUDLY CALL OAXACA,
CALIFORNIA. AND WHY WE WHY WE'RE
HAVING THIS CENTER FOR
MESOAMERICAN STUDIES IN OAXACA.
IT MAKES SENSE. SO OUR FACULTY
ARE COLLABORATING IN OAXACA, AND
IT'S VIBRANTLY AND GROWING. IN
FACT, WHEN I ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WITHIN
THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE
ABOUT TWO DOZEN FACULTY WHO
CONDUCT RESEARCH ACROSS FIELDS
IN ANTHROPOLOGY, BIOLOGY,
CLIMATE CHANGE, PUBLIC HEALTH,
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES AND
CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE,
IDENTITY EMPOWERMENT, MIGRANT
YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SINCE MAY 2022, THE LAUNCH OF
THE CENTER IN OAXACA, OUR
FACULTY HAVE CONDUCTED AT LEAST
11 INTENSIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS
WITH OVER 30 UNDERGRADUATE,
GRADUATE AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS.
THIS YEAR, OUR FACULTY PARTNERED
WITH UNAM, THE NATIONAL
AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OR
UNIVERSITY AND NACIONAL AUTONOMA
OAXACA AND INAH, THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY, OR
INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE
ANTROPOLOGIA E HISTORIA, OAXACA,
TO RESEARCH MIGRATION ACROSS
TIME AND SPACE AMONG MIXTEC AND
ZAPOTEC COMMUNITIES IN OAXACA,
IN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. IN THE SAME YEAR, WE
PARTNERED WITH SDSU'S MIXTEC
INSTRUCTOR ON A THREE YEAR
RESEARCH PROJECT FOCUSED ON FOOD
INSECURITY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND
MIGRATION. THE PROJECT
DOCUMENTED THE SHIFTS IN FOOD
PREFERENCES, ACCESSIBILITY, AND
HEALTH PRACTICES, ALONG WITH
ADAPTATIONS IN FARMING AS A
RESULT OF RETURN MIGRATION AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. WE ALSO ARE
CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH
THE LIBRARY CENTERS IN OAXACA
THROUGH OUR SDSU UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY. OUR LIBRARY IS
CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN DEVELOPING
PARTNERSHIPS WITH LIBRARIES,
ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS IN MEXICO,
INCLUDING THE BIBLIOTECA DE
INVESTIGACION ONE, THE CORDOVA
AND OAXACA. WE ENGAGE IN JOINT
PROJECTS FOCUSED ON THE
DIGITIZATION, DESCRIPTION, AND
PROVISION OF ACCESS TO LIBRARY
MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED
THROUGH GRANTS PROVIDED BY SAN
DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS
ANGELES, MODERN ENDANGERED
ENDANGERED ARCHIVES PROJECT, AND
THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE
HUMANITIES. WE'RE WORKING
EXTENSIVELY ON DEVELOPING AN
ONLINE COLLECTION OF 20TH
CENTURY INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE
RESOURCES FOR USE IN RESEARCH
AND TEACHING. THESE LEGACY
MATERIALS WILL BE AN INVALUABLE
RESOURCE FOR RESEARCHERS AS WELL
AS FOR SPEAKERS OF THOSE
ENDANGERED LANGUAGES. IN
ADDITION, THE PROJECT WILL
FURTHER LIBRARY SCIENCE
INVESTIGATIONS BY CREATING AND
DISPLAYING MULTILINGUAL METADATA
AND EXPLORING THE SUPPORT OF
MULTILINGUAL SERVICES ACROSS
THE, ACROSS THESE AREAS. A
FUTURE PROJECT, FULLY FUNDED BY
SDSU'S DIVISION OF RESEARCH
INNOVATION, WILL INCORPORATE
STUDENT ASSISTANTS FROM FIELDS
SUCH AS LIBRARY SCIENCE, HISTORY
AND LINGUISTICS TO HELP COMPLETE
THE WORK. THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
IS CURRENTLY PURSUING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL
PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE
BIBLIOTECA FRANCISCO DE BURGOS
AND THE ARCHIVO GENERAL DE
ESTADO DE OAXACA, EL COLEGIO DE
MÉXICO AND ARCHIVOS, AND A
COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION
INITIATIVE OF IBERO-AMERICAN
COUNTRIES, ARTICULATED AND
RATIFIED BY THE BUREAU THE
IBEROAMERICAN SUMMITS OF HEADS
OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT TO
PROMOTE ACCESS, ORGANIZATION,
DESCRIPTION, CONSERVATION AND
DISSEMINATION OF DOCUMENTARY
HERITAGE. I JUST WANT TO SAY
SOMETHING I'VE KIND OF TOLD YOU
ALL OF THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO
REFLECT ON THIS. SO I'VE
PERSONALLY DONE WORK IN OAXACA
FOR DECADES. I WANTED TO JUST
MENTION THAT ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT HAS BEEN REALLY, I THINK, A
CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IS THE LOSS
OF LANGUAGE AND THE IMPLICATIONS
OF LOSS OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
FOR THESE INDIGENOUS INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES. AND THE FACT THAT
WE AT SAN DIEGO STATE HAVE NOT
ONLY LEANED INTO THIS, BUT
ACTUALLY HAVE INVESTED. WE
ACTUALLY JUST HIRED A NEW A
LIBRARIAN WHO WOULD BE WHO WILL
WORKING IN MEXICO AND RECOGNIZED
THAT, PRESIDENT LOPEZ OBRADOR
COMMISSIONED, IF YOU WILL, ALL
THE ARCHIVES BE PLACED IN THE
PUBLIC ARCHIVE LIBRARY IN
OAXACA. YET THEY DON'T HAVE THE
STAFF OR CAPACITY TO DO THE
DIGITIZATION THAT IS CRITICAL
FOR PRESERVATION IS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. SO
WE'VE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THIS
ENTERPRISE, AND I THINK IT'S
PAYING OFF, NOT IN TERMS OF JUST
THE FACT THAT OUR FOLKS ARE
GOING DOWN, BUT THESE FOLKS ARE
WORKING WITH US. SO WE ARE
WORKING WITH THEM TO DO WHAT IS
BEST FOR THEM. THE OTHER AREA
THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS
THE WHOLE IDEA OF PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE
OF THAT FOR FACULTY, STAFF AND
STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS. IN
OTHER WORDS, WE NEED TO
PROACTIVELY AND THIS IS WHAT
WE'RE DOING HERE, REALLY BE
PROACTIVE IN EXPANDING THE
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
INDIGENOUS HERITAGE AND WAYS IN
WHICH WE CAN HONOR, RESPECT, AND
PROVIDE ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF
THE PEOPLES OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT IT
OFTENTIMES IN A VERY KIND OF
SUPERFICIAL MANNER. BUT FOR US,
AS MEXICANS, AS CHICANOS AND
MEXICAN AMERICANS, REGAINING AN
UNDERSTANDING, RESPECTING THE
HISTORY SUPPORTING IS VERY
CRITICAL. AND SO THE PROJECTS
THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING HERE AND
THE RELATIONSHIP AS EMBRACING
OAXACA, CALIFORNIA, AND IS ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT'S VERY
IMPORTANT. SO ONE OF THE FUN
PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE DONE WITH
OUR, OUR CHEFS IS THAT WE BEGAN
A PROGRAM, BECAUSE OF CHEF
TRAINING. SO LAST YEAR WE SENT
FOUR OF OUR SDSU CHEFS, WHO
WORKED FOR OUR AUXILIARY AZTEC
SHOPS, AND THEY SPENT NINE DAYS
TRAINING WITH CHEFS IN OAXACA IN
ORDER TO FULLY EMBRACE THE KINDS
OF LOCAL INDIGENOUS FOODS AND
INTEGRATE IT INTO OUR FOODS. AND
SO NOW WE OFFER A MENU, AZTECA.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A REAL MENU
ROOTED IN THE CULTURE. AND IT'S
BEEN QUITE REMARKABLE. SO, FOR
EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVEN'T TRIED
AZTECA OR CHOCOLATE AZTECA, IT'S
A SPICY CHOCOLATE DRINK. IT'S
FABULOUS. AND SO ALSO AS I
MENTIONED, YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY
THE CHAPULINES BECAUSE WE ADD
THEM WITH WITH TOASTED PEANUTS,
CHILI PEPPERS, LIME AND GARLIC.
IT'S QUITE DELICIOUS CON UNA
CERVEZA. SO SO WE ARE GOING TO
BE SENDING ANOTHER GROUP. BUT
THE IDEA HERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE
EMBRACE, WE SHARE, WE LEARN, AND
WE REALLY ARE CREATING, I THINK
A REALLY IMPORTANT SYNERGY. NOW,
I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME
OF THE RELATIONSHIPS AND
AGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED
IN OAXACA. SO THE CENTER IS
REALLY, REALLY COMMITTED THIS IS
NOT A ONE OFF, IT WAS MENTIONED
ABOUT THE CENTER, THE CASA, IN
IN MEXICO CITY, WHICH WHEN I WAS
AT UC DAVIS FOR 16 YEARS, I WAS
DEEPLY INVOLVED. I WAS DEEPLY
INVOLVED IN CONACYT. I WAS
DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THESE TYPES
OF PROGRAMS, BUT IT REALLY
CREATES A REAL INSTITUTIONAL
PRESENCE. AND A COMMITMENT IN
ORDER TO MAKE THESE THINGS WORK.
SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING
WITH SCHOLARS AND UNIVERSITIES
TO CREATE THESE AGREEMENTS. SO
AS WE MENTIONED, WE ARE WORKING
WITH THE RESEARCH LIBRARIES.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED FORMAL
RELATIONSHIPS, WE COMMITTED
RESOURCES, AND WE'RE WORKING IN
PROGRAMING SPECIFIC PROGRAMING.
AND WE'RE DOING THIS IN A VERY
RESPECTED, RESPECTFUL AND
INCLUSIVE AND CREATING THIS
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. SO WE HAVE
THE, RESEARCH COLLABORATION WITH
THE RESEARCH LIBRARY, THE
CORDOVA, WHICH THIS IS A LARGE
COLLECTION OF INDIGENOUS TEXTUAL
MATERIALS IN MEXICO, WHICH ARE
HOUSED IN CLIMATE CONTROLLED
VAULT THAT SERVES TO ASSURE THE
PRESERVATION OF THESE MATERIALS.
IT'S DIRECTED BY DOCTOR MICHAEL
SWANTON. THE LIBRARY WORKS WITH
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES TO HOUSE,
RESTORE AND PRESERVE THEIR
TEXTUAL MATERIALS. WE'RE WORKING
STRONGLY WITH BJC TO DIGITIZE A
RARE AND SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION
OF MATERIALS THAT WERE
ORIGINALLY CREATED TO TEACH
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO SPEAK
SPANISH, BUT ARE NOW BEING USED
TO REVERSE TO HELP SPANISH
SPEAKERS RECAPTURE AND
REVITALIZE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES.
SO THIS PRESERVATION IS
IMPORTANT. WE'VE ESTABLISHED A
DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH LA
UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SALLE, A
PRIVATE UNIVERSITY WITH
OUTSTANDING FACULTY IN THE AREAS
OF SPANISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION,
FOOD SCIENCES, NURSING,
KINESIOLOGY AND TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT, SDSU HAS
ESTABLISHED PROGRAMING WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S
PROGRAMS IN GLOBAL LITERACY. WE
HAVE 26 DOCTORAL AND
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION STUDENTS
PARTICIPATE IN MAY AND MORE
PROGRAMS ARE ARE ARE DEVELOPING.
SO THINK ABOUT IT. THIS IS LESS
THAN TWO YEARS AND WE HAVE 26
DOCTORAL PROGRAMS ALREADY
WORKING IN OAXACA. THEN WE HAVE
SURCO, THE UNIVERSITY SERVICES
AND NETWORKS OF KNOWLEDGE ON
SERVICES, NETWORKS OF KNOWLEDGE,
AND SURCO IS AN ORGANIZATION
THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT TO THE US
AND EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES IN
DEVELOPING STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
IN OAXACA. AS WELL AS OFFERING
THEIR OWN PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND
ECO TOURISM. SURCO SERVES A
PRIMARY THIRD PARTY ENTITY FOR
OUR STUDY ABROAD INTERNSHIP
PROGRAMS, ALLOWING US TO GROW
OUR PROGRAMS. ANOTHER IMPORTANT
RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE
UNIVERSITY. HUESO UNIVERSITY OF
TECHNOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL
VALLEYS. AND IT WAS ESTABLISHED.
WE ESTABLISHED THIS RELATIONSHIP
EARLY ON IN 2012, AND THIS
FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE, RENEWABLE ENERGY,
ECO TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY,
DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES. AND WE'RE NOW
COLLABORATING OUR FACULTY. WE
HAVE A $5 MILLION GRANT WITH US
DEPARTMENT OF AG TO INVESTIGATE
THE IMPACT OF MEZCAL
DISTILLATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
ON SMALL SCALE FARMING. YOU
KNOW, MEZCAL IS INCREDIBLY
POPULAR AND IS A GROWING SOURCE
OF RESOURCES TO THE STATE. AND
THEN WE HAVE ALSO A
COLLABORATION WITH ARCHIVO
GENERAL DEL ESTADO DE OAXACA.
THIS IS THE STATE ARCHIVES OF
OAXACA THAT HOLD MATERIALS
ASSOCIATED WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF
OAXACA IN 1512 AND CARRY THROUGH
THE PRESENT. IN 2018, MEXICO
PRESIDENT LOPEZ OBRADOR DIRECTED
THAT RELEVANT ARCHIVAL MATERIALS
FROM OTHER MUSEUMS AND ARCHIVES
BE RETURNED TO OAXACA, SO SDSU
IS DEVELOPING AN INTERNSHIP AND
DIGITIZATION PROJECT TO SUPPORT
THE MOVEMENT OF THESE MATERIALS
TO PUBLIC ACCESS. THEN OUR
FACULTY LED PROGRAMS. MANY SDSU
STUDENTS AND FACULTY ENJOY STUDY
ABROAD PROGRAMS IN OAXACA. SINCE
2023, THE CENTER HAS HOSTED 140
STUDENTS AND FACULTY WHO CHOSE
OAXACA FOR A STRUCTURED
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OF THE 13
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS AND
INTERNSHIPS OFFERED, NINE WERE
FOCUSED ON INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES, LANGUAGES AND
CULTURES. IN FACT, SDSU IS
RENOWNED FOR ITS INDIGENOUS
LANGUAGE PROGRAMING IN BOTH SAN
DIEGO AND OAXACA. THAT INCLUDES
NAHUATL, MIXTEC AND ZAPOTEC. FOR
SDSU, THE PRESERVATION AND
TEACHING OF NAHUATL, WHICH IS
VIEWED AS A LANGUAGE OF THE
AZTECS, HAS ESPECIALLY DEEP
CULTURAL IDENTITY AND POLITICAL
SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE REGION.
SOME OF OUR SDSU'S RECENT STUDY
ABROAD PROGRAMS AND WILL
CONCLUDE IN 20 24. 12 ASSOCIATED
STUDENT LEADERS, FOUR FROM THE
SDSU IMPERIAL VALLEY AND EIGHT
FROM SAN DIEGO, PARTICIPATED IN
IMMERSION PROGRAM FOCUSED ON
LIVES OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
OF AZTEC EMPIRE FROM PRE-CONTACT
TO CONTEMPORARY TIMES. STUDENTS
LEARN FROM FARMERS, DOMESTIC
COOKS, ARTISANS, AND SMALL
BUSINESSES. ALSO IN 2023, 24, 72
STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN
MULTIPLE PROGRAMS GLOBAL
EDUCATION WITH LA SCALA
UNIVERSITY, A COMMUNITY BASED
PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH PROGRAM
THAT WORKS ON ISSUES OF CLIMATE
CHANGE, FOOD SECURITY, AND THE
IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON MIXTEC
AND ZAPOTEC COMMUNITIES OF
IXPANTEPEC, NIEVES, SAN PABLO,
HUITZO AND MEXICO. SOCIAL AND
SOLA DE VEGA. THERE WAS A TWO
WEEK SUSTAINABLE FOOD FUTURES
INTERNSHIP, A SIX WEEK IMMERSION
PROGRAM IN THE MIXTEC LANGUAGE
THAT IS OPEN TO OTHER
UNIVERSITIES THROUGH THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, FOREIGN
LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES. TITLE
SIX PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
INCLUDED STUDENTS FROM STANFORD
UNIVERSITY, TRINITY UNIVERSITY,
ALONG WITH REGISTERED NURSES
FROM MADERO, AND A SIX WEEK
IMMERSION PROGRAM IN ZAPOTEC
LANGUAGE AND IS OPEN TO OTHER
UNIVERSITIES. I MIGHT TELL YOU
THAT THIS IS JUST AN ASIDE. I'VE
BEEN CONTACTED BY OTHER
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS,
RESEARCHERS, BECAUSE OF THIS
DEEP INTEREST IN HAVING A SITE
WHERE YOU CAN FOCUS IN THE AREAS
OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES AND
CULTURE, IT IS VERY UNIQUE AND
IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN
TERMS OF THIS PRESERVATION. SO
OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY BEGAN
TRAVELING TO OAXACA TO EXPAND
THEIR RESEARCH FIELDS. AS I
SAID, 2022 IS THE OPENING OF THE
CENTER, BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
PRODUCE 56 MASTER'S THESES AND
13 DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS
RELATED TO THE WORK IN THE AREA
OF OAXACA, AND WITH THE IMPACT
OF THE CENTER. AND THIS IS NOT
EVEN WE'RE JUST BEGINNING. SO
THIS IS ALMOST WE JUST OPENED
OUR DOORS. WE'RE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT ADDITIONAL DOCTORATE
DEGREES AND DISSERTATIONS, WE'RE
HOPING, OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE CAN
DO THIS BY NATIONALLY WITH OTHER
FACULTY AND STUDENTS, WE HAVE,
JUST FUNDED 15 GRADUATE STUDENTS
TO CONDUCT PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
IN OAXACA THROUGH THE TINKER
FIELD RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE
GRANT THROUGH THE CENTER FOR
LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES IN 23 AND
24. WE HAVE, AS I SAID, OUR
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IS VERY
UNIQUE. SO OUR ASSOCIATED
STUDENTS ACTUALLY HAVE FUNDED
$40,000 A YEAR TO FUND STUDENTS
GOING TO OAXACA. THIS IS OUT OF
THEIR OWN FEES. THEY HAVE MADE
THIS DECISION. THIS IS LARGELY
BECAUSE WE SEND ALL OF OUR
ASSOCIATED STUDENT LEADERS TO
OAXACA. THEY HAVE AN IMMERSION
PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE THERE, EYES
ARE OPEN IN WAYS THAT THEY
RECOGNIZE. THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS. SO, I
ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THEY ALSO
ARE OUR STUDENTS IN THE IMPERIAL
VALLEY FUNDED OUT OF THEIR
STUDENT FEES, $5,000 A YEAR. SO
JUST THINK ABOUT THESE ARE
STUDENTS WHO ARE OUT OF THEIR
MONEY, ARE FUNDING STUDENTS WHO
GO TO OAXACA. SO WE HAVE ANOTHER
VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM, WHICH
IS, OUR CHILD FAMILY HEALTH
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM. CHILD
FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL IS
THE GOLD STANDARD FOR CLINICAL
ROTATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA. AND
THEY'VE AGREED TO PARTNER WITH
US. THEY HAVE PARTNERED WITH
STANFORD. I LED A PROGRAM AT
DAVIS. THEY HAVE PROGRAMS WITH
HOPKINS, BUT OUR STUDENTS ARE
NOW WORKING WITH FACULTY IN
OAXACA IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THEIR
UNDERSTANDING AND CULTURAL
SENSITIVITY ABOUT THESE ISSUES,
WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND,
AND WE'RE HOPING AGAIN, TO
EMBRACE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO NOT
ONLY CREATE PARTNERSHIPS THERE,
BUT ALSO OAXACA, CALIFORNIA,
BENEFIT WHEN THESE STUDENTS COME
BACK AS PRACTITIONERS, AS
NURSES, THEY CAN PRACTICE WITH
THE CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND THE
LANGUAGE SENSITIVITY. SO WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS
HAPPENING. WE'VE HAD THEM SUCH
AS THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. WE'VE
HAD EVENTS IN NOVEMBER AND IN OF
22 AND 24, WE'VE HAD CALIFORNIA
LEGISLATIVE DELEGATIONS ON
MARCH, IN 23, WE HAD A WOMEN IN
VIOLENCE CONFERENCE WITH THE
CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND SUPERIOR
STUDIES ON IN ANTHROPOLOGY.
ANTHROPOLOGISTS IN 23, WE HAD
THE CENTER FOR FOLKLIFE AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE WITH ITS
SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS. IN AUGUST
23. AND AS I MENTIONED, OUR
STUDENT RETREATS, WHICH WILL BE
HAPPENING ANNUALLY. SO, WE'RE
HOPING TO CONTINUE IN THIS
DIRECTION WITH FACULTY LED
PROGRAMS SUPPORT. AND I ALSO
WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS. BUT AS
YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE REALLY BUSY
IN OAXACA. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR PRESENTATIONS. ALL THREE OF
YOU. I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR
QUESTIONS AND, CENTER US AROUND
THE ISSUE. AND, YOU KNOW, THE IT
WAS SAID EARLIER, THE AGENDA IS
AROUND THE ECONOMY, LABOR FORCE,
HIGHER EDUCATION, AND ALL OF YOU
COVER ALL THREE OF THOSE
PARTICULAR AREAS. AND SO,
PLEASE, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY
COLLEAGUES. I'LL LOOK TO MY
RIGHT. MR. ALBERS, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL THREE OF
YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE TODAY, I
THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
PERHAPS DIDN'T I DIDN'T STAY IN
MY IN MY OPENING STATEMENTS, AND
WE SOMETIMES JUST TAKE THINGS
FOR GRANTED. BUT RESEARCH DOES
DEMONSTRATE THAT, PROGRAMS WITH
EXCHANGES AND WITH STUDENTS WHO
GO STUDY ABROAD, HELP PRODUCE
STUDENTS THAT ARE MORE
WELL-ROUNDED, MORE PREPARED FOR
THE WORKFORCE. AND THAT'S THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE, THESE
OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO I WANTED
TO JUST, STATE THAT AT THE
BEGINNING, AS THERE IS EVIDENCE
IN RESEARCH BASED EVIDENCE THAT
DEMONSTRATES THIS AND WHY THIS
IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION, I'M GOING TO TRY
TO JUST ASK ONE QUESTION OF THE
THREE OF YOU, SO WE CAN GET
OTHERS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SHARE. I THINK THE FIRST
QUESTION IS TO OUR FIRST
PRESENTER ON THE MANOS PROGRAM.
AND JUST JUST CURIOUS, I SAW
THERE WERE, THERE WERE
PARTNERSHIPS WITH INSTITUTIONS.
AND SINCE WE'RE FOCUSED ON
EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES, I'M
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW
INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATE WITH
THE MANOS PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE
THAT STUDENTS HAVE THESE
EXPERIENCES, PARTICULARLY IN
THIS CASE, IN THE DIFFERENT
REGIONS OF MEXICO, AS, AS YOUR
MAP ON THIRD SLIDE DEMONSTRATE,
LIKE, WHAT ARE THOSE
RELATIONSHIPS AND WHAT IS THAT
PIPELINE AND HOW CAN WE WHAT IS
IT AND HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT
MORE THERE'S ACCESS TO MORE AND
MORE PARTICIPATION? LET ME GET
MORE INFORMATION ON THAT FOR
YOU. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
THE STUDENTS COME TO VISIT THE
CAMPUSES AS PART AS AS ALSO IN
ADDITION TO THE SILICON VALLEY
COMPANIES. SO IT'S A IT'S AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE
SURROUNDINGS, TO UNDERSTAND, YOU
KNOW, WHAT THE DIFFERENT,
OPPORTUNITIES ARE IN CALIFORNIA,
BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WILL
ASK, SILVIA TO GET BACK TO YOU,
THE CEO. YEAH. IT'D BE GREAT TO
HAVE A FOLLOW UP, OPPORTUNITY TO
LEARN MORE. TO, PROFESSOR,
VASQUEZ. RAMOS. YOU HAD YOU
MENTIONED YOUR EXPERIENCE AS THE
IN THE CSU CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE,
WORKING ON INTERNATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW THE
NUMBERS HAVEN'T REALLY CHANGED
SINCE YOU WERE THERE MANY YEARS
AGO. I'D JUST BE INTERESTED
GENERALLY HOW MANY STUDENTS IN
THE CSU SYSTEM DO YOU ESTIMATE
ARE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN,
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS? AND YOU
MENTIONED SPAIN BEING, YOU KNOW,
ONE WHERE THERE'S 500 STUDENTS,
I THINK, PER YEAR YOU MENTIONED.
SO THAT SEEMS TO BE A POPULAR
DESTINATION. BUT COULD YOU GIVE
US JUST A GENERAL SENSE OF WHERE
OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING THESE
EXPERIENCES? AND. WELL, TO BEGIN
WITH, THE PANDEMIC WOULD ALL
STUDY ABROAD, TO HALT, AND
TODAY, HIGHER EDUCATION STUDY
ABROAD IS REVAMPING, THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES. I AM NOT
AWARE RIGHT NOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH
PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE BY THE
CSU INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS. AND
MY REFERENCE TO THE, THE PROGRAM
WITH MEXICO, I BELIEVE HAS BEEN
NO MORE THAN, 70, 75 PER YEAR.
THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF
LEADERSHIP, A LACK OF
COMMITMENT. AND ADELA, LET ME
JUST COMMENT BRIEFLY THAT YOU
ARE DOING AMAZING WORK AND I
WISH THAT COULD BE REPLICATED,
WITH EVERY CAMPUS IN THE CSU,
THE UCM, NOTABLY HAS BEEN
INVOLVED WITH MEXICO, BUT IN
PROPORTION TO THE SIZE OF OUR
STUDENT ENROLLMENT, THE CSU IS
HALF A MILLION. ALMOST HALF A
MILLION STUDENTS. IT'S, THE UC
HAS PROBABLY ABOUT HALF THAT
MANY, BUT UNDOUBTEDLY NOW WE'RE
APPROACHING ALMOST HALF OF THE
STUDENT BODY IN THE CSU BEING
LATINO, CHICANO, LATINO, IN THE
UC SYSTEM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S SLIGHTLY LESS. BUT EVEN
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES NOW,
WE'RE MORE THAN HALF UP AND DOWN
THE STATE. SO THE QUESTION HERE
IS HOW MUCH, LEADERSHIP, NEEDS
TO BE PROVIDED, AND THEN I THINK
THAT YOU, YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE,
THE, THE LEGACY OF SAN DIEGO
STATE UNIVERSITY FOR DECADES TO
BE THE CLOSEST TO THE BORDER,
BUT ALSO THE ONE THAT HAS HAD
MOST ACTIVITY WITH MEXICO. AND
WHAT WE'RE LACKING IN THE CSU IS
A MEXICO INITIATIVE, LIKE THE UC
HAS HAD FOR QUITE AT LEAST THE
LAST 20 YEARS. AND IN THIS
CONTEXT, IT'S A BROAD AGENDA.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A PLAN, WE
NEED TO DEVELOP LIKE THE 1960
HIGHER EDUCATION PLAN OF
CALIFORNIA. MASTER PLAN, A
MASTER PLAN FOR CALIFORNIA.
MEXICO HIGHER EDUCATION. BECAUSE
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL FIELDS OF
STUDY. AND, OF COURSE, WHO'S THE
POPULATION THAT IS IN THE
PIPELINE AND ON BOTH SIDES OF
THE BORDER IS THE MEXICAN
CHICANO LATINO POPULATION. SO I
THINK THAT THAT'S THE FOCUS THAT
HAS BEEN LACKING, IN MEXICO,
THERE'S ONLY ONE CAMPUS. IT'S A
PRIVATE UNIVERSITY. THAT SYSTEM
WIDE. THE CSU CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE, COORDINATES A PROGRAM,
BUT IT'S DONE THROUGH EACH
CAMPUS, WHICH, IF YOU TAKE THE
AVERAGE, IS PROBABLY ABOUT 3 OR
4 STUDENTS THAT PER CAMPUS GO TO
THIS PROGRAM IN MEXICO, AND THEY
TEC DE MONTERREY IN, IN IN
QUERETARO. NOW THE COMPARISON
WITH SPAIN IS THAT THE LURE OF
EUROPE TRAVELING IN EUROPE IS
THE MAGNET, BUT ALSO THE, HIGHER
EDUCATION HAS HAD A DECADES
LONG, RELATIONSHIP TO PROMOTE
THE LANGUAGE OF LEARNING, BUT
ALSO FOR THOSE PLACES IN THE IN
THE FAR EAST OF COURSE, IN, IN
EUROPE, THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND
GERMANY, FRANCE, BRITAIN, AND OF
COURSE, MANY OTHER PLACES EXCEPT
SOUTH OF THE BORDER, BECAUSE
THERE'S ALSO VERY LITTLE BIT OF
ACADEMIC EXCHANGES TAKING PLACE
WITH ANY SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A, A CRITICAL
POINT OF VIEW THAT IT HAS ALWAYS
BEEN, AS RUDY ACUNA SAYS,
ANYTHING BUT MEXICAN, WE HAVE A
TREMENDOUS HUMAN CAPITAL SOUTH
OF THE BORDER. IF WE JUST FOCUS
ON THIS MEGA REGION GALGIANI
MEXICO. AND OF COURSE, THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS IS HOW
LIVES ARE CHANGED. UNDOUBTEDLY,
THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN GENERATED
BY ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL
PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE DOING DOWN
THERE. ADELA BECAUSE IT
REINFORCES AND THE COMMENT THAT
YOU MADE REFERENCING THE FUNDING
THAT'S PROVIDED BY, THE ASI IS
BECAUSE YOU HAVE ENGAGED THEM.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE, IT
DOESN'T REALLY COME AS PART OF
THE CSU'S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
RECORD. MANY OF THE PROGRAMS,
LIKE I DID FOR MANY YEARS, ARE
STUDENT LED. AND THERE IS VERY
LITTLE RECORD OF HOW MANY OF
THOSE, PROGRAMS ARE BEING DONE.
SO I THINK A GOOD QUESTION WOULD
BE TO ASK THE ALL THREE SYSTEMS
TO PROVIDE DATA OR WHAT HAS BEEN
THE PATTERN OVER THE LAST EIGHT,
TEN YEARS. GRANTED THERE'S A
HALT FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS
DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT I
TESTIFIED BEFORE THE, BÀN HUESO
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
CALIFORNIA-MEXICO AFFAIRS. AND
WHAT I PRESENTED WAS THAT THERE
WAS CONSISTENTLY 70 TO 75
STUDENTS FROM THE ENTIRE HALF A
MILLION, STUDENTS IN THE CSU
THAT HAD ATTENDED THIS PROGRAM
IN MEXICO FOR LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION. NOW THE FLIP SIDE
OF THAT IS HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE
WE GETTING FROM MEXICO TO ANY OF
THE THREE SYSTEMS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION? THEY DON'T COME TO
CALIFORNIA. MEXICO HAS BEEN
STUCK IN THIS ELITIST MENTALITY,
WHICH I BELIEVE THAT IS GOING TO
CHANGE. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS
THE TIME TO PROMOTE THIS IDEA OF
A 1 TO 1 EXCHANGE, BECAUSE WE
ALSO NEED TO GET THOSE THAT THAT
HUMAN CAPITAL TO COME TO
CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU. DOCTOR
THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I
THINK YOU RAISE, CERTAINLY SOME
QUESTIONS THAT FOR ME REMAIN, AS
YOU STATED, WE HAVE HEARD MANY
PROMINENT MEXICAN CIVIC LEADERS,
PARTICULARLY WHO TEND TO HAVE AN
IVY LEAGUE EDUCATION. AND WHY
NOT CALIFORNIA? I THINK THAT'S
CERTAINLY A GOOD QUESTION.
REVISITING THE MASTER PLAN.
CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME
OF THE 1960S, THERE WAS SORT OF
THIS VISION OF HOW WHAT EACH OF
THE SYSTEMS DID, WE HAVE, I
THINK LITTLE BY LITTLE, EVEN IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS, STARTED TO
CHANGE WHAT THE SYSTEMS DO AND
WHAT WE ALLOW THEM TO OFFER. AND
I THINK AS THE WORKFORCE
CHANGES, REQUIRE US TO BE MORE
REQUIRE OUR STUDENTS WHO TEND TO
SEEK PROFESSIONAL DEGREES AT THE
CSU SYSTEM, THEY NEED TO BE WELL
VERSED IN THE MORE OPEN, DYNAMIC
WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN. AND SO
THIS IS WHY THESE MAKE SENSE.
LAST QUESTION I'LL ASK TO
PRESIDENT DE LA TORRE IS MAYBE
FROM AN INSTITUTION STANDPOINT,
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT REMAIN IN INSTITUTING
PROGRAMS. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT
FUNDING IS ALWAYS AN EASY
ANSWER, SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, YOU
DON'T NEED TO TELL ME TALK TO ME
ABOUT THAT. I KNOW HOW YOU'VE
BEEN CREATIVE THERE, THANKS TO
YOUR STUDENTS, BUT YOU KNOW,
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER
BARRIERS THAT REMAIN IF WE
WANTED TO REALLY CREATE, AND
SUPPORT THE CSU SYSTEM IN
PARTICULAR AND EACH CAMPUS IN
ORDER TO BE ABLE TO FURTHER
DEVELOP THESE PROGRAMS, BECAUSE
THE EXAMPLES YOU GAVE, THERE'S
PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE,
STUDENTS HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES,
BUT THEY HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN,
BEYOND PERHAPS, IT SOUNDS LIKE A
SHORT, VERY SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME. IT HASN'T BEEN FULL
IMMERSION. AND THERE'S A COST
ASSOCIATED TO THAT, AND THERE'S
STAFF ASSOCIATED TO THAT. SO I'M
JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
ARE THE BARRIERS THAT WOULD
REMAIN IF WE REALLY WANTED TO
BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS
WITHOUT, REALLY GIVING TOO MUCH
TO. YEAH, I DO HAVE A WE'RE NOT
DISCUSSING BILLS IN THIS
COMMITTEE, BUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING
TO ALLOW CSU TO OFFER JOINT
DEGREES SO THEY CAN REALLY WORK
IN PARTNERSHIP HEAD IN HAND WITH
MEXICAN INSTITUTIONS. BUT WHAT
OTHER BARRIERS REMAIN? SO, YOU
KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT STRIKES ME, I HAD 16 YEARS
IN UC SYSTEM. SO I HAVE A
COMPARISON AND I WAS VERY
INVOLVED WITH THE UC MEXES
PROGRAM AND ALSO IN WITH SETON
EXCHANGES AND REPRESENTED
ACTUALLY THE SYSTEM IN SOME OF
THE PROGRAMS DOWN IN MEXICO. SO,
THE CSU REALLY DOES NOT HAVE A
BINATIONAL COMMITTEE, WE DON'T
REALLY HAVE THIS BROADER VISION
OF WHERE WE FIT AND I THINK IT
BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAN
IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT A, YOU
KNOW, AS ARMANDO MENTIONED,
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY
LARGE SYSTEM. AND I HAVE TO
LAUGH ABOUT RUDY ACUNA'S BOOK,
ANYTHING BUT MEXICAN. IT'S KIND
OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT?
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK
ARMANDO AND I HAD AND I'M SURE
MARGARITA FOR DECADES HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON THE IDEA OF MAKING
MEXICO AN EQUAL PARTNER IN THESE
DISCUSSIONS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
RESEARCH AND TEACHING AND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. SO
YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A
NEED FOR, I THINK, A, YOU KNOW,
A COMMITTEE THAT IN MY SIMILAR
TO èC MEX, IS SOMETHING THAT
WOULD ALLOW US TO BEGIN TO TALK
ABOUT THIS IN A STRATEGIC WAY,
IT HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN SINCE
I'VE BEEN PRESIDENT IN THE LAST
SIX YEARS. AND I WAS AT LONG
BEACH, Tê, SO I WAS MANY YEARS
AGO. BUT MY POINT HERE IS THAT
KIND OF CONVERSATION HASN'T BEEN
BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT. I
THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR
NEW CHANCELLOR IS VERY COMMITTED
TO UNDERSTANDING THAT. I THINK
FOR A CAMPUS LIKE SAN DIEGO
STATE, IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I'M
USED TO, YOU KNOW, FRONTERIZA
THAT'S WHAT I AM. I LIVED IN
ARIZONA. I WAS AT UVA FOR SIX
YEARS. I'VE BEEN HERE AT SIX
YEARS. BUT LIVING ON THE BORDER,
AS YOU WELL KNOW, ASSEMBLY
MEMBER ALVAREZ, YOU HAVE TO BE.
THERE'S A FLUIDITY THERE. YOU
REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND
EMBRACE THAT. THE REASONS YOU
LOOK AT THESE POLICIES IN A
JOINT WAY ISN'T BECAUSE YOU'RE
TRYING TO UPSET THE MASTER PLAN
OR CHANGE THE RULES. IT'S THAT
MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, EVEN,
PARTICULARLY IN IMPERIAL VALLEY,
BUT BUT ALSO IN SAN DIEGO, THEY
LIVE ACROSS THE BORDER, RIGHT?
THEY COME TO SCHOOL HERE, THEY
HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT CAN
BENEFIT. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
THINGS LIKE THE REGION THAT WE
LIVE IN, THE SAN DIEGO IMPERIAL
VALLEY REGION, WE NEED TO CREATE
A LOCAL LABOR FORCE TO, TO
ACCELERATE IT. RIGHT. SO IT
SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE BROADER
THINGS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN
THAT ARE NOT MONEY CENTRIC,
ALTHOUGH MONEY IS IMPORTANT. BUT
IF YOU CREATE, IF YOU WILL, THE
KIND OF SYNERGY OF LIKE
MINDEDNESS WITH EXPERIENCE AND
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND
AWARENESS, RIGHT, YOU'RE GOING
TO HAVE A DIFFERENT
CONVERSATION. THAT BEING SAID, I
CAN ALSO BE CRITICAL THAT THE
èC MAX'S PROGRAM HAS A
DELIVERED IN ITS PROMISES AS
WELL, ARMANDO IS RIGHT. HE
DOESN'T KNOW THE DATA, BUT I
REMEMBER GOING DOWN TO UNAM
LOOKING AT THERE WAS A PROMISE
FOR THESE EXCHANGES. REYES VERY
FEW èC STUDENTS GO TO MEXICO.
IN FACT, THE PROGRAM I HAD IN
OAXACA WAS PROBABLY. THIS IS
WHEN I WAS AT DAVIS AND I LED A
PROGRAM. THERE WAS PROBABLY ONE
OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF
STUDENTS FROM THE UC SYSTEM THAT
WENT INTO MEXICO. SO IT SPEAKS
TO A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, WE
NEED TO CREATE THE KIND OF
STRUCTURE. SO THIS DOESN'T COST
MONEY, BUT IT DOES. YOU NEED TO
HAVE THE TYPE OF LEADERSHIP AND
EXPERIENCE TO REALLY, THINK
ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT THIS TYPE
OF POLICY, WE NEED TO CREATE THE
MECHANISM IN WHICH OUR STUDENTS
CAN AFFORD TO GO. AND THAT'S
WHERE IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
THROUGH YOU KNOW, SEMESTER
PROGRAMS, YOU CAN HAVE, YOU
KNOW, THEIR FINANCIAL AID, COVER
THOSE COSTS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE,
YOU KNOW, THE SYNERGY OF THE
FACULTY SUPPORTING IT, WHICH,
AGAIN, NOT DIFFICULT. BUT AS I
SAID, THE OAXACA CENTER, IT'S A
SAN DIEGO STATE CENTER, BUT IT'S
REALLY OPEN TO ANYONE WHO WANTS
TO COME AND COORDINATE AN
ACTIVITY THAT BENEFITS THE
BROADER MISSION OF THAT CENTER.
THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. I'M
GONNA LET OUR COLLEAGUES, SAY A
FEW WORDS AND ASK SOME
QUESTIONS. MISS SORIA. YEAH.
THANK YOU, AND GOOD MORNING. AND
THANK YOU TO ALL THE PANELISTS
FOR THE GREAT INFORMATION THAT
YOU GUYS SHARED. I'M FROM THE
CENTRAL VALLEY. I REPRESENT THE
COUNTIES OF FRESNO, MADERA AND
MERCED, WHERE WE DO HAVE A BIG
OAXACAN POPULATION, ACTUALLY. IN
FACT, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, WE
ELECTED THE FIRST MISTICA TO SIT
ON THE MADERA CITY COUNCIL.
SHE'S THE FIRST EVER. I BELIEVE
THERE'S TWO OAXAQUENOS, ELECTED
FOR CITY COUNCIL. SO I JUST
WANTED TO, PUT THAT OUT THERE
BECAUSE I'M VERY PROUD THAT IN
OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE BEGINNING
TO SEE THE OAXACAN COMMUNITY.
REALLY, BE SEEN AND BE
REPRESENTED AND BE PART OF, YOU
KNOW, THE POWER STRUCTURES IN
OUR COMMUNITIES, JUST,
REMARKABLE TO SEE WHAT SAN DIEGO
STATE IS DOING WITH THE OAXACAN
CENTER, DIDN'T KNOW ALL THE
WORK. SO, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE
HAVE SUCH A STRONG POPULATION IN
THE VALLEY, I'D LOVE TO JUST
KIND OF FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF
THERE ARE ANY FUTURE
OPPORTUNITIES, FOR PARTNERSHIP,
ALSO, AS A PARTICIPANT OF THE
EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAM, WHEN I
WAS AT UC BERKELEY, I WAS ONE OF
THE STUDENTS THAT ENDED UP GOING
TO SPAIN, YEARS LATER, WISHING
THAT I WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING
IN MEXICO, BECAUSE I AM A FIRST
GENERATION DAUGHTER OF CHICANOS.
BUT, IT SEEMED LIKE THOSE
PROGRAMS WHEN I WAS AT BERKELEY
WEREN'T BEING PUSHED AS MUCH
THEN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY GOING
GOING TO EUROPE. AND SO BUT I AM
A STRONG BELIEVER OF THESE
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS. I DO BELIEVE
THAT WE HAVE TO DO BETTER, I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO REALLY
FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, NEXT
STEPS TO BE ABLE TO PUSH BOTH,
THE UC, AND ALSO CSUS TO MAYBE
WORK IN A MUCH MORE
COLLABORATIVE FASHION AND FIGURE
OUT HOW WE STRENGTHEN THE
PROGRAMS. I ALSO SHARE THAT I
READ AT UC MERCED, AND THAT IS A
HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION.
AND WHAT AN INCREDIBLE
OPPORTUNITY THERE IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT OUR LATINO STUDENTS
FROM UC MERCED, HAVE SOME OF
THESE SAME EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
TO GO ABROAD. AND THEN ALSO JUST
WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION AND I
DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS. I KNOW
THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OUR
STUDENTS THAT ARE DACA. HOW DOES
IT WORK? ARE THEY ELIGIBLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THESE
EDUCATION ABROAD, PROGRAMS
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE
FACT THAT I, YOU KNOW, LEARNING
ABOUT THE OAXACAN CENTER AND
JUST THE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE IN
THE VALLEY, WITH THE OAXACAN
COMMUNITY AND THE STUDENTS THAT
ARE, GOING TO HIGHER
INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION, JUST
INTERESTED IN KIND OF THAT.
PROFESSOR, IF YOU COULD, JUST
QUICKLY RESPOND TO THAT. I KNOW
THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT JUST A
LITTLE CONTEXT. WE HAVE OTHER
MEMBERS WHO'D LIKE TO ASK
QUESTIONS TO. YEAH, I'LL MAKE A
VERY BRIEF, THE ONLY WAY THAT
YOU CAN DO IT IS IF THE
PARTICIPANT HAS DACA STATUS.
DACA PROVIDES WHAT IS KNOWN AS
ADVANCED PAROLE, WHICH IS A
CONDITIONAL PERMIT TO TRAVEL
ABROAD AND RETURN LAWFULLY IF
IT'S FOR AN EDUCATIONAL,
EMPLOYMENT OR HUMANITARIAN
REASON WHEN THEY RETURN. I'M NOT
SURE. YEAH. YOU HAVE YOU CAN
HEAR ME, RIGHT? YES YES WE CAN,
OKAY. OKAY. SO WHEN THEY RETURN,
THEY ACTUALLY CLEAR THE PRIOR
UNDOCUMENTED ENTRY WHEN THEY
WERE BROUGHT IN AS CHILDREN. AND
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF
MY OF MY PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE
WANTED TO EMPOWER DREAMERS
WITHIN SIX MONTHS THROUGH
MARRIAGE. THEY GET THEIR GREEN
CARD WITHOUT HAVING TO GO BACK
AND WAIT FOR, FOR IN CIUDAD
JUAREZ, AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHEN
IT AMOUNTS TO IS THAT THE
INSTITUTIONS NEED TO PROVIDE THE
ATTENTION, THERE IS LITTLE OR NO
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
THAT HAVE TAKEN THE RISK, THAT
HAVE DECIDED TO COMMIT THE
RESOURCES THROUGH INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS. ALL CITIZENS, ALL U, C
AND EVEN COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT
HAVE INTERNATIONAL SAID THANK
YOU. BUT THERE'S THE QUESTION OF
LIABILITY AND IMAGE OF MEDIA.
THAT'S A GREAT RESPONSE. OKAY.
AND THEN JUST LASTLY, JUST
BECAUSE I HAVE TO ALSO LEAVE, I
JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON I
KNOW I'M GETTING AHEAD OF THE
SECOND PANEL, BUT I'M VERY
INTERESTED IN THE MEXICAN PILOT
PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE
FACT THAT THE CENTRAL VALLEY HAS
A SIGNIFICANT DOCTOR SHORTAGE.
SO I WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH
YOU GUYS. I HAVE TO STEP AWAY TO
ANOTHER THING, BUT I DID JUST
WANT TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
SUCCESS FROM WHAT I'VE, YOU
KNOW, BEEN ABLE TO BRIEFLY READ.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH FOLKS ON THAT ISSUE. THANK
YOU, MISS SORIA. MR. GIBSON,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, REAL QUICK,
BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE TO RUN. WE
ARE JUST BUSY TODAY IN THE
LEGISLATURE, WITH OUR NONPROFIT.
BUT, DOCTOR, VAZQUEZ, RAMOS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, IT'S GOOD
SEEING YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. WE
MET IN 2023, IN MY OFFICE. HE
GAVE ME A BOOK. WE TALKED ABOUT
AN AIR, WITH THE 11 MILLION
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND A
PARDON, IF YOU CAN RECALL. AND
I'M STILL MOTIVATED TO WORK WITH
YOU, IN THAT REGARD. AND SO FOR
ME, I REPRESENT COMPTON, CARSON,
NORTH LONG BEACH HARBOR GATEWAY,
NORTH AND SOUTH HARBOR CITY, AND
ALSO WILMINGTON. AND ALSO MY
NEPHEW IS FROM MEXICO CITY, CAME
TO THIS COUNTRY, LOOKING FOR A
BETTER PLACE. AND OF
OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO, FROM THAT
UNION, I HAVE BIRACIAL NIECES
AND NEPHEWS AND WE EMBRACE, THEM
, IN OUR FAMILY IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS. AND ALSO THE
WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WHEN I WAS
A CHAIR OF CSG WEST, WITH OUR
BORDER STATES OF MEXICO, HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOUR AT THE
END. SHE WAS A CANDIDATE RUNNING
FOR PRESIDENT AND GRATEFUL THAT
SHE IS PRESENT RIGHT NOW AND HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HER
PERSONALLY. AND SO MY QUESTION
IS, IS REAL QUICK, IS WHAT
SHOULD WE DO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
WHAT CAN I WALK AWAY WITH WITH
SOME TANGIBLES? WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
THINGS, AND I'VE TRIED TO WRITE
THOSE THINGS DOWN ABOUT
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CSUS AND
THE UCS, AND ELEVATING A SPACE
THERE TO CREATE A RELATIONSHIP,
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP,
RELATIONSHIP THAT WILL, OF
COURSE, EMBRACE STUDENTS, FROM
MEXICO TO COMING TO THE UNITED
STATES AND THINGS OF THAT
NATURE. BUT WHAT CAN WE DO AS A
LEGISLATURE, GIVEN THE FACT WE
DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY RIGHT NOW?
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, PRESIDENT
TORRES IS GOING TO GIVE A
RESPONSE HERE. GO AHEAD, GO
AHEAD. SO. SO WHAT I WOULD
SUGGEST IS GOING BACK TO THE
IDEA OF CREATING THESE TYPES OF,
YOU KNOW, BASICALLY LEADERSHIP
IS KEY IN HERE, MEANING YOU NEED
TO GO TO THE TOP, JUST LIKE WITH
THE PRESIDENTS. I MEAN, OAXACA,
THE OAXACA CENTER WAS COMPLETELY
SUPPORTED IN THE VISION THAT I,
THAT I SHARED WITH THE FACULTY
AND STUDENTS. RIGHT. AND WE
INVESTED STRATEGIC EARLY, IN
THIS AREA. SO I DO THINK THE WAY
TO MOVE FORWARD IS TO REALLY
CREATE THE TYPES OF STRUCTURES
INTERNALLY WITHIN THE SYSTEM
ITSELF. I WILL SAY THAT I KNOW
THE CHANCELLOR FROM MY
CONVERSATIONS IS VERY COMMITTED
TO THESE ENHANCING THESE
RELATIONSHIPS. SO THE CSU SYSTEM
, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MAYBE IT'S
DORMANT SOMEWHERE. IT DOESN'T
REALLY HAVE A STRUCTURE THAT IS
FOCUSED ON MEXICO OR BINATIONAL
RELATIONSHIPS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION. THE èC HAS ONE, BUT
IT'S ALSO NOT BEEN AS EFFECTIVE.
THEY HAVE UC MEX AT UC RIVERSIDE
THAT HAS A FUNDING MECHANISM,
BUT SYSTEM WIDE THERE'S NEVER
WILL HAS BEEN IN MY MIND A
VISION OR CALL OF A COMMITTEE OF
INDIVIDUALS WITH EXPERTISE AND
INTEREST AND COMMITMENT. I WILL
SAY THAT THERE ARE MANY
PRESIDENTS, I THINK, THAT WOULD
EMBRACE THIS OPPORTUNITY, YOU
KNOW, I WOULD SAY, PRESIDENT
FROM FRESNO, THE PRESIDENT OF
SAN JOSE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
PRESIDENTS THAT I KNOW WOULD BE
VERY INTERESTED IN THE CSU. SO I
DO THINK THAT DOESN'T COST
MONEY, BUT IT IT IS IT ALLOWS
YOU TO CREATE A SYSTEM WIDE
APPROACH TO LEVERAGE WHAT WE
HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR.
GIBSON. YEAH. MISS IF I CAN
MAKE. YEAH. IF YOU WANT TO GIVE
A BRIEF RESPONSE BECAUSE HE'S
GOING TO. YEAH. JUST A QUICK
RESPONSE. I THINK THERE'S THREE,
TANGIBLES AND ONE THAT WE NEED
TO PROPOSE A, A CSU MEXICO
INITIATIVE AND TO BUILD UPON
WHAT THE UC SYSTEM HAS DONE,
WITH ITS SUCCESS AND ITS
LIMITATIONS. THE OTHER IS TO
MERELY REQUEST THAT A US, THE
COMMITTEE CAN REQUEST THE DATA,
LET'S SAY FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS
OF STUDY ABROAD IN MEXICO. SO
FROM ALL THREE SYSTEMS AND THE
LAST WOULD BE TO ENGAGE ALL
THREE SYSTEMS AT THE TOP WITH
THE CHANCELLORS AS WELL AS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UC. THANK YOU.
VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU, MR.
CERVANTES. YES. WELL, FIRST OF
ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EACH
OF THE PANELISTS FOR JOINING US
TODAY, PRESIDENT DE LA TOUR.
BEING BUSY WAS CERTAINLY AN
UNDERSTATEMENT, WE KNOW HOW
IMPORTANT THESE CULTURAL
IMMERSION PROGRAMS ARE AS THEY
REALLY TRANSFORM STUDENTS
PERSPECTIVE OF SELF AND OTHERS,
AND SO WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO
DO BETTER, BETTER, AND THIS IS
AN ECONOMIC AGENDA AS WELL AS A
LABOR AGENDA, AS WAS MENTIONED
EARLIER AND AS CHAIR OF THE
LATINO LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS, I'M
REALLY ENCOURAGED BY TODAY'S
DISCUSSIONS AND REALLY OUR
INTENTIONS TO MAXIMIZE OUR TRANS
BORDER RELATIONSHIPS AND REALLY
FURTHER, DEVELOP MEANINGFUL
DIALOG. AND SO THESE ISSUES ARE
OF IMPORTANT TO MANY OF MY,
COLLEAGUES AND CAUCUS MEMBERS.
SO CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO
HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSION AND
HOW WE COULD FURTHER COLLABORATE
. THANK YOU, WANT TO GUESS I
HAVE ONE COMMENTS, PLEASE. JUST
LISTENING TO ALL OF THIS, I AM A
DESCENDANT OF BOTH ZAPOTEC AND
MIXTEC. MY PARENTS, MY FATHER
WAS A BRACERO FROM OAXACA WHO
CAME TO SACRAMENTO, AND I HAD A
VERY FORMATIVE CULTURAL
IMMERSION LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM, MOMENT WHEN AT THE AGE
OF 15, I WAS ALLOWED BY MY
PARENTS TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO. IT
WAS MY IT WAS MY OWN VERSION OF
STUDY ABROAD. AND I WENT TO
BELLAS ARTES AND TO LEARN
FOLKLORICO DANCE. THIS WAS
BEFORE I KNEW THAT LATER IN
LIFE, I WAS GOING TO BECOME AN
ENGINEER, THAT I WAS GOING TO
GRADUATE FROM STANFORD
UNIVERSITY. MY PARALLEL LIFE HAS
BEEN LA CULTURA. AS A TEENAGER
STARTED A FOLKLORICO GROUP HERE
IN SACRAMENTO. WE TAUGHT OVER 60
STUDENTS. I KNOW ALL THE DANCES
FROM LA MESA, VERY FAMILIAR WITH
ETHNICALLY IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO
SAY. I BUILT A BASE THAT I
DIDN'T REALIZE WAS GOING TO
TRANSLATE INTO LEADERSHIP. WHAT
DO I MEAN BY THAT? EVERY TIME I
WAS TOLD MAYBE YOU CAN'T DO
THIS, I REMEMBERED WHAT SOMEONE
TOLD ME THAT THE ZAPOTEC AND
MIXTEC EXCEL AT MATHEMATICS. SO
WHEN I CHANGED MY MAJOR TO
ENGINEERING, I WAS NOT PREPARED.
I WAS IN TYPING AND SHORTHAND,
BUT THAT CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
GAVE ME THE BASE TO KNOW WHO I
AM AND WHERE I CAME FROM. I'M A
I'M A FORMER WHITE HOUSE FELLOW.
I'VE SERVED IN DC TWICE AT THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNANCE. I
WAS THE FIRST FEMALE ELECTED TO
LEAD THE SOCIETY OF HISPANIC
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS SHIP AND
I'VE WORKED WITH STARTUPS,
RELATED TO MONOS. YOU KNOW, I
WORKED WITH THE STARTUP THAT IS
TAKING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND
DESALINATING WATER USING
RENEWABLE ENERGY, NOT NOT NOT
OUR TRADITIONAL METHODS. I SAY
ALL THIS BECAUSE THAT
FOLKLORICO, WHICH IS TOTALLY
DOESN'T SEEM RELATED TO STUDY
ENGINEERING IN THE SCIENCE, IS
TOTALLY RELATED IN THE SENSE OF
THE LEADERSHIP. I HEARD THIS
WORD MANY TIMES TODAY, SO I WANT
TO LEAVE YOU WITH THAT THOUGHT.
I KNOW WE'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW,
UNIVERSITY LEVEL COLLEGE. AND BY
THE WAY, I, I'VE GONE THROUGH
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM,
CSU AND UC, BUT I ENDED UP WITH
A DEGREE IN, IN ENGINEERING FROM
STANFORD. SO I'VE BEEN TOUCHED
BY ALL THE INSTITUTIONS. MY
EXPERIENCE, I WILL REMIND YOU,
WAS THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND I KNOW THAT'S BEYOND WHAT
WE'RE THINKING HERE, BUT IT'S
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. IT'S
ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. IN
THE END, ALL OF THESE
EXPERIENCES AND REALLY KNOWING
WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU COME
FROM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING
THAT. IT REMINDS ME OF WHAT I
LEARNED WHEN I DID THE VISIT
DELEGATION VISIT, AND I HOPE OUR
COLLEAGUES GET TO COME AND VISIT
OAXACA AND LEARN ABOUT SOME OF
THE, POLITICAL SYSTEM OF USOS
COSTUMBRES, WHICH IS A CONSENSUS
BUILDING TYPE OF DECISION
MAKING, WHICH, CERTAINLY THESE
DAYS IN OUR COUNTRY WOULD BE A
WELCOME, A WELCOME THING, I WANT
TO THANK ALL THREE OF YOU. WE I
KNOW WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
YOU'VE GIVEN US ALL GREAT
FEEDBACK. WE APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING HERE. WE'RE GOING TO
RECESS FOR A SECOND AS WE TAKE
THE NEXT PANEL AND WAIT FOR OUR
CHAIR TO RETURN. WE'LL BE IN
RECESS. THANK YOU. ALL I.
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO
RECONVENE. LET'S, GET STARTED
WITH OUR FIRST PRESENTER. AND,
ALL RIGHT, THE HONORABLE NALDO
TORRES. AND BEFORE MY TIME
STARTS IN, FABIOLA STARTS TIMING
ME, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR INITIATIVE. AND
RECOGNIZING, AS YOU HAVE SAID,
THAT THERE IS A PHENOMENAL
WINDOW OPEN, TO DO THINGS THAT,
PEOPLE HAVE, FANTASIZED ABOUT
THAT COULD BE DONE WITH MEXICO.
AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT, THAT YOU
WILL CONTINUE IN THAT, IN SOME
ROLE IN, SERVING AS LIAISON, IN
SOME OFFICIAL OR UNOFFICIAL BUT
SUBSTANTIVE, ROLE WITH THIS NEW
ADMINISTRATION, WE COME TO YOU
BECAUSE YOU ARE CARRYING SOME OF
OUR LEGISLACIÓN, BUT WE IN IN
THE YEAR 1997, AFTER NAFTA HAD
PASSED, WE WERE LOOKING AT A
PHENOMENAL MOVEMENT OF MEXICANOS
FROM MEXICO TO THE UNITED
STATES. NAFTA WAS SUPPOSED TO
HAVE CREATED 1.5 MILLION JOBS,
IT CREATED 750,000 JOBS. THE
NAFTA AGREEMENT, COMPLETELY
DECIMATED THE COOPERATIVE SYSTEM
IN MEXICO, THUS COMPLETELY
CAUSING MANY OF THE RURAL
MEXICANOS WHO WERE MAKING A
LIVING, THROUGH THE COOPERATIVES
, TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT IN THE
URBAN CENTERS. THOSE JOBS WERE
NOT THERE, AS I INDICATED. THERE
WERE ALONG THE MEXICAN BORDER
WITH MAQUILADORAS. CLOSE TO
700,000 JOBS WERE CREATED IN THE
MAQUILADORAS OPERATION, BUT THEY
PRIMARILY EMPLOYED WOMEN. SO
WHERE DID THE MEN GO? THE MEN
CAME TO THE UNITED STATES IN A
RECORD MOVEMENT OF CONTEMPT,
FREE IMMIGRATION FROM MEXICO
THAT WE HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE OR,
NOT SINCE THE 1960S. AND 70S,
MOST OF THEM CAME INTO FARM
WORKERS, THROUGHOUT THE
SOUTHWEST STATES, ESPECIALLY IN
CALIFORNIA. AND OUR CLINICS WERE
CONFRONTED WITH A REALITY WE DID
NOT HAVE THE MEDICAL STAFF THAT
SPOKE THE LANGUAGE OF THE
PATIENTS THAT WE WERE SEEING.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAD A
GREAT MOVEMENT FROM INDIGENOUS
POPULATIONS. SO WE DIDN'T HAVE
ENOUGH SPEAKING SPANISH, BUT WE
DIDN'T HAVE MANY OR ANY THAT
SPOKE THE THREE MAJOR DIALECTS
FROM OAXACA ZAPOTEC AND MIXTEC,
C . AND WITHIN THOSE YOU HAVE
BAJO, ALTO. SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT
ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT DIALECTS,
WHICH WERE PRIMARILY IN THE
COASTAL VALLEY DOWN IN VENTURA,
OXNARD AND IN SALINAS. THE TWO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF THAT
CLINIC TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT
WERE HAPPENING THAT THEY COULD
NOT UNDERSTAND. WOMEN DID NOT
LIKE TO LAY DOWN WHEN THEY WERE
DELIVERING. THEY WANTED TO STAND
UP, ALLOW THE NATURAL FLOW OF
THE CHILD TO SIMPLY COME OUT.
THEY WOULD NOT LIKE THE CORD.
THEY DIDN'T WANT THE CORD CUT.
UMBILICAL CORD CUT, BECAUSE WHEN
YOU CUT IT, IT WAS A SEPARATION
BETWEEN MOTHER AND CHILD, A
VERY, VERY DIFFERENT, COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT APPROACH TO MEDICINE,
WE WERE NOT PREPARED FOR ANY OF
THAT, MANY MEN IN THEIR 30S HAD
THREE WIVES. THINGS THAT WE HAD
TO REPORT TO THE STATE BECAUSE
OF THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE TO
FOLLOW THESE WERE REALLY VERY
SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES. THEN WE
LOOKED AT WHAT, OUR PROFILE WAS
IN THE MEDICAL FIELD OF THE
WORKFORCE, IN 1999, 4% OF ALL
THE DOCTORS IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, OR BETTER YET, IN
THE NATION, WERE OF HISPANIC
DESCENT. 5% OF ALL OF THE
DENTISTS IN CALIFORNIA WERE OF
HISPANIC DESCENT. BUT WE DIDN'T
KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE ACTUALLY
SPOKE SPANISH AND KNEW THE
CULTURE OF THE DAY OF THE NEW
MEXICANO COMING INTO THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA, A VERY
INTERESTING FACT NOW IS THAT
DELOITTE, FOR A BUSINESS
ROUNDTABLE, ALL, LATINO,
PHYSICIAN, ROUNDTABLE HAS FOUND
THAT AT CALIFORNIA'S CURRENT
LATINO MD, GRADUATE RATES, WHICH
ARE 110 PER YEAR, THE SHORTAGE
WOULD NOT BE MADE UP UNTIL THE
YEAR 2515. SO ANYTHING THAT'S
GOING TO BE DONE TO BRING TO
HAVE MORE DOCTORS THAT ARE
LATINO HAS TO BE DONE WITH
MEXICO. YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING,
TO EFFECT DEAL WITH THE
CHALLENGES OF A POPULATION THAT
IS NOW 40% LATINO IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA. AND THE NUMBER OF
LATINO DOCTORS HAS NOT INCREASED
ANYWHERE CLOSE, CONSISTENT TO
THAT NUMBER. WE'RE NEVER LIKE
AGAIN PARITY 2515. SO IN IN THE
YEAR 2000, WE WERE VERY
FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH MARCO
ANTONIO FIREBAUGH, A
DISTINGUISHED MEMBER FROM LÀ.
NOW DECEASED, AND HE HAD THE
GUMPTION AND THE FORTITUDE AND
LEADERSHIP TO HELP SPONSOR BILLS
THAT WE A BILL THAT WE WROTE TO
BRING DOCTORS FROM MEXICO. WE
HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO LOOK
TO MEXICO, TO PROVIDE US WITH
THE AVENUE OF CREATING ACCESS,
IF YOU HAVE A DOCTOR THAT'S
SPANISH SURNAME, WE DO NOT
ASSUME ANYMORE THAT THEY SPEAK
THE LANGUAGE OF THE POPULATION.
IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO ASSUME
THAT EVERY LATINO IN A MEDICAL
SCHOOL IS GOING TO WANT TO WORK
IN A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
SHORTAGE AREA, IS AN ASSUMPTION
THAT IS FAR TO, INCORRECT, THAT
JUST DOES NOT HAPPEN. AND IT HAS
NOT HAPPENED UP TO NOW. SO THESE
DOCTORS THAT WE FINALLY WERE
ABLE TO GET LEGISLATION THROUGH,
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO IMPLEMENT
THIS BILL UNTIL 2019. THE FIRST
DOCTORS CAME IN IN 2021. WHY?
BECAUSE THE èC SYSTEM DID NOT
WANT TO COOPERATE WITH THIS
PROGRAM AND PROVIDE THE AND
SPONSOR THE ORIENTATION PROGRAM
FOR THE DOCTORS FROM MEXICO.
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR STUDIES
THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, ON WHAT YOU
SEE IS DOING ON THE CREATING
MORE DOCTORS FROM THAT ARE
LATINO, AND THAT ARE CULTURAL
LINGUISTICALLY COMPETENT. THESE
THREE STUDIES DO NOT ACTUALLY
HAVE YOU EMBRACING WHAT YOU SEE
AS DOING A LOT OF MONEY IS BEING
SPENT BY èC, AND THE RESULTS
ARE ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE CLOSE TO
WHAT THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE
INVESTING, IS PAYING FOR, WE IN
OUR OPINION, CANNOT CONTINUE TO
DEPEND ON MEXICO, FOREVER. BUT
WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT
DOING VERY, VERY CLEAR THINGS.
AND THAT IS TO EXPAND THIS
PROGRAM. WE HAVE LEGISLATION NOW
THAT WILL EXPAND IT. AND BY THE
YEAR 2045, WE WOULD HAVE HAD
OVER 1000 DOCTORS THAT HAVE COME
IN FROM MEXICO EVERY THREE YEARS
. BEGINNING IN 2025, WE WOULD
HAVE HAD OVER 1000 DOCTORS.
THOSE 1000 DOCTORS WILL CREATE
THE KIND OF ACCESS THAT THESE
DOCTORS THAT WE HAVE NOW IN THE
30 DOCTORS THAT WERE IN THE
PILOT SINCE OCTOBER 1ST, OR
BETTER YET, SINCE OCTOBER 1ST TO
MAY 31ST, ALTOGETHER, WE HAVE
SEEN OVER 250,000 MEDICAL
ENCOUNTERS TO OVER 70,000
PATIENTS. AND THAT BEGINS REALLY
IN AUGUST OF 2021 TO MAY 31ST,
2024. NOT ALL 2030 DOCTORS HAVE
BEEN PRACTICING, 22 PRACTICED
UNTIL SEPTEMBER, AND WE'VE HAD
THE REMAINING SIX. BUT THE
NUMBERS ARE SUBSTANTIAL. THIS IS
A POINT OF ACCESS THAT WE NEVER
THOUGHT, WOULD EVER COME ABOUT.
THE EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM, I
THINK, IS IN YOUR, IS IN YOUR,
FOLDER, YOU WE PUT IN THE
LEGISLATION THÀNH WITH MARCO
ANTONIO FIREBALL THAT èC
MEDICAL SCHOOL WOULD DO AN
EVALUATION. UC DAVIS HAS DONE
THAT, IT'S A ONE PAGE SUMMARY.
READ IN CONCLUSION, THUS FAR,
THE DOCTORS FOR MEXICO PROGRAM
HAS STRONG POSITIVE FEEDBACK
FROM ALL PHYSICIANS, INTEGRATED
SEAMLESSLY MAKING HEALTH CARE
MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INCREASING
PATIENT TRUST. STAFF REPORTED
EXCELLENT PATIENT CARE PROCESSES
AND A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
DOCTORS FROM MEXICO DEMONSTRATED
A SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL STANDARDS, SO
THE IDEA THAT DOCTORS FROM
MEXICO CANNOT CUT IT OR DENTISTS
FROM MEXICO CANNOT CUT IT IS AN
ATTITUDE NOW THAT HAS CHANGED
SOMEWHAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
THE DENTIST, THE DENTAL BOARD
CONTINUES TO PUT UP A NUMBER OF
PROTESTS NOT AGAINST OUR BILL,
BUT AGAINST OTHER MEASURES THAT
WE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE OPEN
TO, NEXT YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY,
YOUR TERMED, IT WAS OUR
INTENTION TO COME TO YOU AND TO
PROPOSE AND NOW TO THIS
COMMITTEE. ANY MEMBER THAT'S
INTERESTED, WE WILL PROPOSE A, A
PILOT PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE SUPER
SPECIALTIES. NEUROLOGIST.
NEUROLOGISTS. UROLOGIST, ORTHO.
PEDS. DERMATOLOGISTS.
DERMATOLOGIST A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES NOT TO
COME INTO CALIFORNIA VÀ ANYMORE,
BUT WE WANT THEM TO SEE THE
PATIENTS VÌ TELEMEDICINE AND TO
BE REIMBURSED BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND BY CALIFORNIA'S
MEDI-CAL PROGRAM. WE BELIEVE
THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT
OUR POPULATION IS GOING TO HAVE
FAIR ACCESS TO VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT SPECIALTY, DOCTORS
THAT RIGHT NOW THEY ARE NOT OPEN
TO, UNAM DID AN EVALUATION AND
FOUND THAT WITH INTERNAL
MEDICINE, WITH OBS FROM MEXICO
AND WITH, PEDIATRICS, THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE SEEKING SEEKING CARE
IN THOSE THREE SPECIALTIES
INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY AT ALL
OF THE FOUR CLINIC SITES THAT
ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROGRAM.
THAT SHOWS YOU THAT THERE IS A
GREATER NEED FOR OTHER
SPECIALTIES. BUT WE CAN'T, IN
ALL GOOD CONSCIENCE, CONTINUE TO
BRING MEXICAN DOCTORS TO
CALIFORNIA TO WORK THREE YEARS.
THE PRESSURE ON THEM IS MORE
THAN ANYTHING WE THOUGHT IT
WOULD BE, AND WE ARE VERY, VERY
CONCERNED THAT, THERE WILL BE A
POINT WHERE THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY WILL SAY, YA BASTA!
IT'S NOT. WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE
COMING. SO IN OUR OPINION, WE
ALSO THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE
AN EFFORT WHICH WE WOULD LOVE TO
AGAIN, WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE
, TO BEGIN TO ESTABLISH OTHER
LICENSING METHODS. WE BELIEVE
YOU MUST CREATE A FIFTH PATHWAY
WITH AT LEAST THREE UNIVERSITIES
OF SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE IN
MEXICO, WHERE STUDENTS FROM THE
UNITED STATES FROM CALIFORNIA
CAN GET THEIR MEDICAL EDUCATION
IN MEXICO, COME TO THE BACK TO
CALIFORNIA, PASS THE USMLE, AND
WE HOPE THAT WE HAVE SELECTED
THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE A
COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE
POPULATIONS MOST IN NEED.
CALIFORNIA HAS MORE HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS,
THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE
UNION. WE HAVE SOME 690
SOMETHING, WE'RE OVER 250 MORE
THAN TEXAS, THAT MEANS THAT WE
ARE PRACTICING MEDICINE IN THIRD
WORLD NUMBERS. IN OTHER WORDS,
THERE ARE 3000 PATIENTS IN AN
URBAN CENTER, IN A RURAL AREA
FOR ONE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN,
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DOCS. 3500IN
AN URBAN CENTER. SO YOU'RE
LOOKING AT NUMBERS LIKE YOU GET
IN HAITI, NUMBERS THAT YOU GET
IN VERY, VERY THIRD WORLD
COUNTRIES THAT DON'T HAVE
SUFFICIENT DOCTORS. BUT THAT'S
WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE MOST, IN
THE RICHEST STATE OF THE UNION.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER
INITIATIVES THAT DEAL WITH
IMMIGRATION THAT YOU HAVE
CARRIED IN THE PAST, WE WOULD
LIKE TO PURSUE THOSE, IN WORKING
CLOSELY WITH THIS COMMITTEE,
THAT WE THINK WOULD MAKE A
SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE TO THE
STABILITY OF THE POPULATION,
WITH ME TODAY IS DOCTOR
PERRUSQUIA, WHO IS, ONE OF THE
BEST EXAMPLES THAT WE CAN
PROVIDE. SHE IS A BOARD, SHE IS
A FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, WHICH IS,
IN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE IS A
BIG TO DO, AND WHAT'S SO
IMPRESSIVE ABOUT HER IS THAT
SHE'S FROM MEXICO, SO REGARDLESS
OF WHAT THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER
AT TIMES SEES AND THE DOCTORS OF
MEXICO, WE HAVE BEEN VERY
FORTUNATE TO BRING IN EXCELLENT
DOCTORS THAT ARE WORKING AND
SERVING THE VERY, VERY, POOR AND
THE MOST NEEDED, IN THIS STATE.
AND DOCTOR PASQUIER WOULD LIKE
TO SHARE WHAT HER EXPERIENCES
HAVE BEEN, TO DATE, DOCTOR.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR, AND THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR THAT INTRODUCTION
AND KIND OF SETTING THE STAGE,
WITH THE BACKGROUND ON THIS
PROGRAM. AND I'D BE REMISS IF WE
DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP
OF FORMER ASSEMBLY MEMBER MARCO
FIREBAUGH, WHO, HAD A VISION, TO
ADDRESSING THIS, DOCTOR SHORTAGE
, IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I THANK
YOU AGAIN FOR PUTTING THAT INTO
PERSPECTIVE. THANK DOCTOR, FOR
YOURS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.
I'M DOCTOR EVA PERRUSQUIA,
MEDICAL DOCTOR WITH A SPECIALIST
IN INTERNAL MEDICINE. THAT MEANS
THAT I WORK WITH ADULTS WITH
CHRONIC DISEASES. AFTER AFTER
THREE YEARS OF WORKING AT
CLINICA DE SALUD DEL VALLE DE
SALINAS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN
AVERAGE, I TAKE CARE FOR ABOUT
550 PATIENTS PER MONTH FROM
THIS, 60% HAVE A HYPERTENSION,
30% DIABETES, 60% OBESITY, AND
ABOUT 30% AND SOCIETY OR
DEPRESSION ONLY FOR TALKING
ABOUT THE FOUR MOST PREVALENT
DISEASES, MOST OF THESE PATIENTS
HAVE ONLY THE GOVERNMENT
INSURANCE, MEDICAL OR MEDICARE,
BUT SOME OF THEM DON'T HAVE ANY
INSURANCE AND THIS THIS
CONDITION SET THEM IN A VERY
VULNERABLE POSITION WHERE THEY
MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO PAY FOR
MEDICATIONS OR PAY FOR FOOD AND
RENT. NEVERTHELESS, THE MOST
SERIOUS PROBLEM WE HAVE FACED IS
NOT THE LACK OF INSURANCE, BUT
BUT THE POOR COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN PATIENTS AND PRIMARY
CARE PHYSICIANS, SOMETIMES DUE
TO A LOW OR NONEXISTENT
UNDERSTANDING OF THE LANGUAGE.
BUT IN OTHER CASES THEY Ã THE
CULTURAL DIFFERENCE. AND SADLY,
IN MANY OF THE OF THE CASES, DUE
TO THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THE
MEDICAL PROVIDERS, THESE ARE
PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MAIN
WORKFORCE IN THE COMMUNITY, HAVE
A HISTORY OF LOW SOCIO CULTURAL
STATUS. SOME OF THEM, THE
YOUNGER ONES, HAVE HAD ACCESS TO
HIGHER ACADEMIC DEGREES BUT NOT
IN HEALTH ISSUES. IN HEALTH
EDUCATION. AND WE HAVE TO
RECOGNIZE THAT PREVENTION AND
EDUCATION IN HEALTH ARE
ESSENTIAL TO AVOID COMPLICATIONS
THAT TERRIBLY AFFECT THE LIFE OF
THE PERSON OR THE PATIENT, BUT
ALSO THE ECONOMY OF ANY
GOVERNMENT. AND THERE IS NOT
ENOUGH MONEY TO AFFORD FOR THIS.
IT RESULTS MORE COST EFFECTIVELY
TO EDUCATE PEOPLE IN HEALTH
ISSUES THAN TO RESOLVE
COMPLICATIONS. AS A PIONEER
PHYSICIANS OF THIS PROGRAM, WE
HAVE, AS FIRST GOAL TO
DEMONSTRATE CAPABILITIES AND
ACCEPTANCE IN THE COMMUNITY,
EVEN THOUGH THIS CHALLENGE HAS
BEEN COMPLETED, IT IS STILL
PENDING TO IMPACT THE POPULATION
THROUGH EDUCATION TO GENERATE
SKILLS THAT CAN REPRESENT A
CHANGE OF MIND. BUT FOR THIS, WE
NEED MORE TIME. SADLY, A CYCLE
OF THREE YEARS HASN'T BEEN
ENOUGH TO ESTABLISH THE BASIS
FOR A PATIENT EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM, A SYSTEM IN WHICH THE
PATIENT CAN HANDLE ITS OWN
HEALTH IN ITS OWN HANDS. AND IN
THIS MATTER, OUR WORK AS
PHYSICIANS WHO SHARE LANGUAGE
AND CULTURE HAS BEEN CRITICAL. I
HAVE TO ADD HERE THAT SOME OF US
HAVE LEARNED SOME WORDS IN
DIALECTS LIKE TRIQUI OR MIXTECO,
SO THAT WE CAN GET THE
CONFIDENCE FROM THESE PEOPLE AND
ALSO CAN UNDERSTAND AND MAKE
THEM FEEL, CONFIDENCE TO TELL US
ALL THEIR PROBLEMS, THEIR ISSUES
, HEALTH Ã ALL FAMILY AND
HEALTH PROBLEMS. THIS
ACHIEVEMENT WILL OPEN PATHS FOR
THE NEW GENERATIONS OF
PHYSICIANS, MEXICANS OR NOT, TO
CONTINUE THE WORK THAT CAN MAKE
THE CHANGE NEEDED TO IMPROVE
PEOPLE'S HEALTH, NOT ONLY IN
SALINAS OR IN CALIFORNIA, BUT
ALSO IN THIS COUNTRY, TO WHOM
REALLY, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR
OPENING ITS DOORS AND ALLOW US
TO PARTICIPATE AND HELP US IN
ITS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. THANK
YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. I WANT TO CLOSE, CONGRESS
ASSEMBLYMAN, WITH THIS, SO MUCH
IS DISCUSSED ON THE SHORTAGE.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SHORTAGE
IS MUCH GREATER IN OUR
COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THE SHORTAGE
DOES NOT FACTOR IN THE CULTURAL
LINGUISTIC COMPETENCY. SO NOT
ONLY DO WE NOT HAVE ENOUGH
DOCTORS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
DOCTORS THAT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE
AND KNOW THE CULTURE OF THE
PATIENT BASE. YET THAT HAS NOT
SEEPED INTO THE INSTITUTIONS
WELL ENOUGH, I DO THINK I'M VERY
IMPORTANT NOTE OF THE BILL AB
2860 THAT WE ANTICIPATE WILL
PASS THE LEGISLATURE. IT'S
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY WITH NO
OPPOSITION AND BEEN ON THE
CONSENT CALENDAR AND SHOULD BE
HEARD ON MONDAY IN THE SENATE,
WE DO INCLUDE 30, 30
PSYCHIATRISTS, THAT IS A VERY
DESPERATE NEED THAT WE KNOW OUR
POPULATION HAS IN MENTAL HEALTH,
IN NEXT YEAR, WE PROBABLY WILL
AMEND 2860 THIS PROGRAM TO
INCLUDE PSYCHOLOGISTS WORKING
WITH UNAM. UNAM HAS RECOMMENDED
TO US THAT WE CREATE EIGHT
PSYCHIATRIST PSYCHOLOGIST TEAMS,
WE'RE GOING TO TRY THE
PSYCHIATRIST FIRST, BUT WE FEEL
VERY COMFORTABLE THAT THE
PSYCHOLOGIST, MEXICO WILL BE
ABLE TO PROVIDE US AT LEAST THE
SAME AMOUNT OF PSYCHIATRISTS
THAT WE HAVE. BUT THAT IS A GOOD
EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW DESPERATE
OUR POPULATION IS FOR ACCESS TO
CARE. THERE IS NOWHERE, WE ARE
NOWHERE CLOSE TO PROVIDING THE
ACCESS TO ALL OF THE SPECIALTIES
THAT THEY NEED. MEXICO IS Kò, WE
DID NOT DO A LOT WITH THE
GOVERNMENT THIS LAST TIME
BECAUSE THE PROGRAM WAS WORKING,
WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR
COUNTERPARTS IN MEXICO. DOCTOR
MIGUEL ANGEL FERNANDEZ FROM
UNAM, HILDA DAVILA, WHO AT ONE
TIME WORKED FOR THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION, WE HOPE THAT
UNDER THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION
THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THE
SAME, AND THAT MEXICO CAN PLAY
THE KIND OF ROLE THAT THIS
DEMONSTRATES THAT MEXICO HAS SO
MUCH TO OFFER TO THIS COUNTRY,
NOT THE IMAGE THAT IS BEING
CREATED BY CERTAIN CANDIDATES
FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, BUT RATHER
THIS PROGRAM UNDERSCORES THAT
THERE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
DON'T SPEAK SPANISH, THEY'RE
SEEING PEOPLE THAT SPEAK ENGLISH
ONLY. SO WE'RE NOT
DISCRIMINATING UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES. WE ARE TRYING TO
SIMPLY, CREATE, REASONABLE, AND
IMMEDIATE RESPONSES. THE LAST
THING I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE FOR THE RECORD, WHEN WE DID
THIS PROGRAM, WE HAD A LOT OF
OPPOSITION FROM LATINOS IN THE
UNITED STATES, IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THAT WAS A VERY SORRY MOMENT
, WE'RE GLAD TO SAY THAT THAT
HAS CHANGED SOMEWHAT, BUT WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT CHOOSING
DOCTORS FROM MEXICO OVER THE
DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTORS THAT ARE
BORN IN, IN CALIFORNIA. WE'RE
SAYING YOU'VE GOT TO DO BOTH
BECAUSE WE'RE SO FAR BEHIND. SO,
I REALLY HOPE THAT, THAT, WE'LL
BE ABLE TO MOVE, WITH YOUR
ASSISTANCE AND HOPEFULLY WITH
MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE, THERE
ISN'T ONE MEMBER HERE THAT
DOESN'T HAVE OVER 60% LATINOS IN
THEIR DISTRICT. MR. GIBSON IS A
GOOD EXAMPLE. 62.5% OF HIS
DISTRICT IS LATINO. SO I HOPE
THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH,
SOME OF THEM NOW THAT YOU WILL
BE STEPPING DOWN. BUT IT'S OUR
HOPE THAT WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO
DO THINGS WITH YOU AS TIME GOES
ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR
FLORES. YOURS FIRST OF ALL,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS DOCTOR
ELAINE SHAPIRO. I'M THE CHIEF
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT, MEDICAL
AFFAIRS OFFICER FOR ALTAMED, AND
I HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY
PARTICIPATING WITH THE COMMUNITY
FROM LOS ANGELES TO ORANGE
COUNTY FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.
I COME HERE WITH MANY HATS. THE
FIRST ONE AS, SOMEONE THAT
ACTUALLY WAS BORN AND RAISED IN
MEXICO CITY, THAT I HAVE SEEN
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
BINATIONAL, BI CULTURAL AND
LINGUISTIC IMPORTANCE OF
CREATING THAT PATH FOR OUR
COMMUNITY HERE IN THE US. ALSO
ALTAMED HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE
PAST ALMOST TWO YEARS AND A HALF
IN THE AB 1045 PROGRAM. AT THE
BEGINNING WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO
EXPLAIN TO A LOT OF THE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE WERE
ACTUALLY REALLY HAVING, BEING
MEXICAN PHYSICIANS THAT WERE
UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE AND
NOT ONLY THE LANGUAGE, BUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE ÉXITOS, LAS
CUEVAS, AND A LOT OF THE
MEMORIES THAT WE HAD FROM OUR
HOME COUNTRY AT THIS MOMENT,
THAT WE HAVE PROVEN A LOT OF THE
THINGS THAT WE ALREADY KNEW. BUT
WE HAVE THE NUMBERS, THE WERE
DOUBTS AT THE BEGINNING ON WOULD
IT BE EFFECTIVE ENOUGH? WOULD
THE QUALITY BE THE SAME? AND WE
KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT THEY ARE
EQUAL OR SOMETIMES MORE
EFFECTIVE ON THE CULTURAL AND
LINGUISTIC COMPONENT OF IT? AND
THE APPRECIATION OF THE PATIENTS
ARE JUST AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN
ANY OTHER PHYSICIAN IN THE
ENTIRE NATION. WE HAVE SEEN
AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH OUR SEVEN
PHYSICIANS THAT WE HAVE IN
ALTAMED, THAT THEY HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED THE MISSION TO
FIGHT DIABETES, WEIGHT
MANAGEMENT, AND ALL THE OTHER
THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF
US, PUTTING THEM ON THE VERGE OF
CREATING SOMETHING IMPORTANT. WE
HAVE HEARD RIGHT NOW THE
IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING THE
DOTS, CONNECTING NOT JUST THE
LANGUAGE, BUT ADDING THE
CULTURAL ASPECT OF IT. AND THE
MESSAGE CONTINUES TO RESONATE.
WHEN WE HEAR THE STORIES FROM
THE PATIENTS TO OUR TO US, AND
USUALLY, I'M NOT GOING TO LIE,
SOMETIMES IN SOCIAL MEDIA YOU
CAN HEAR A LOT OF INTERESTING
CONVERSATIONS, BUT THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE HEARD
FROM THE MEXICAN PHYSICIANS HAVE
BEEN EXTREMELY POSITIVE. PEOPLE
THAT WERE NOT REACHING OUT, THEY
WERE NOT CHANGING THEIR WAYS.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY FIGHTING
AGAINST THEIR SUGARS. HAVE
ACTUALLY CONTINUED TO GET
INVOLVED WITH SERVICES AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, IMPROVED. THEN A
COUPLE OF YEARS, IT TOOK ALMOST
TWO DECADES TO GET TO THE POINT
THAT WE ARE RIGHT NOW UNDER
STANDING, AND WE HAVE HEARD THE
NUMBERS WE'RE GOING TO BE
MISSING MORE THAN 4000
PHYSICIANS IN A MATTER OF YEARS.
WE HAVE A CHOICE. AND YES, WE
NEED TO CONTINUE DOING THE LONG
TERM PLANNING. BUT TODAY, WHERE
MY PATIENT NEEDS INSULIN, WHERE
MY PATIENT ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE
TAKEN CARE OF, WHEN MY PATIENT
ACTUALLY NEEDS A MAMMOGRAM, YOU
KNOW, A PAP SMEAR. WE NEED A
PHYSICIAN. THERE SOMEONE THAT
WILL BE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY
ARE DOING, WHAT THEY ARE
CREATING, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
THE CONNECTION OF THE THINGS
THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE OAN WITH EVERYTHING THAT
WE HAVE SAID TODAY, CREATING
THAT FIFTH PATHWAY, CREATING NOT
JUST THE PATH ON. AND WE HAVE
HEARD THIS HERE TODAY THAT THAT
THIS ACTUALLY SERVES OTHER
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THIS
ACTUALLY SERVES OTHER
UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES
BECAUSE IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE FOR
ONE DEMOGRAPHIC OR ONE LANGUAGE
OR ONE GROUP. WE ARE CREATING
ACCESS, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW
THAT WE HAVE SUCH A STRAIN WITH
ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE
IN THIS AMAZING STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. IT'S IMPORTANT TO
CREATE PATHWAYS FOR
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES.
FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ONE, TO
MAKE SURE THAT OUR PATIENTS
CONTINUE TO BE SERVED, CONTINUE
TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, AND WE ARE
HERE FOR THAT. ASSEMBLY MEMBER
GARCIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I,
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR
PRESENTATIONS. I THINK THERE'S A
EXTREME, DIRECT CONNECTION TO
THE FIRST PANEL, THE
CONVERSATION OF A FORMAL
EXCHANGE PROGRAM WHEN IT COMES
TO HIGHER EDUCATION. THÀNH WITH,
INTENTIONALITY AROUND ECONOMY,
WORKFORCE AND, OF COURSE, THE
HIGHER EDUCATION BEING THE
ANCHOR. YEAH, THE FIRST PANELIST
TALKED ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP
UP. RIGHT, BUT I WANT TO CENTER
US BACK TO THIS ISSUE, THAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND THAT'S
THE ISSUE OF ACCESS TO HEALTH
CARE, THAT SERVES AS A CATALYST
IN SOME COMMUNITIES, IF NOT ALL,
AS ALSO AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR.
THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE HEALTHY
PEOPLE, ALL RIGHT, LEAD TO
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. AND, THAT'S
NOT, YOU KNOW, A SCIENCE OR
POLITICAL SLOGAN. THAT'S JUST A
FACT. AND SO I WANT TO CENTER US
AROUND THAT DISCUSSION AND KIND
OF MAYBE GET US THINKING A BIT
ABOUT, THE TIE IN TO THE FIRST
CONVERSATION ABOUT A FORMALIZED
PROGRAM, STATE SANCTIONED, WHEN
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
EXCHANGE, THE ONE FOR ONE
SPECIFICALLY TO THE DOCTOR
PROGRAM. RIGHT. BECAUSE AND
ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T MENTIONED IN
THE FIRST PANEL, BUT, YOU KNOW,
THE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS THAT
CURRENTLY EXIST THAT ARE NOT
FORMALLY STRUCTURED, ARE
CULTURAL BY NATURE, WHICH ARE
FANTASTIC, BUT ARE NOT
INTENTIONAL, TIED INTO A
ECONOMIC WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITY
THAT HAS MUTUAL AND RECIPROCAL
BENEFIT BECAUSE THERE ARE ALSO
NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN
MEXICO FOR CERTAIN SKILL SETS
AND PROFESSIONALS FROM
CALIFORNIA THAT COULD
CONTRIBUTE. RIGHT. CASE IN POINT
, THE ENTREPRENEURS THAT COULD,
GO DOWN AND BRING CERTAIN VALUE
AND VICE VERSA. RIGHT. BUT I
WANT TO CENTER US AROUND THIS
SUBJECT OF HEALTH CARE AND HOW
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WITH THE
PARTNERSHIPS ALREADY WITH THE
EXISTING UNIVERSITIES, AS WE'RE
THINKING ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY
ARTISTS, AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT
THE TELEHEALTH MEDICINE, HOW DO
WE FORMALIZE, THE PROGRAMS WHERE
THE STATE IS PARTICIPATING WITH
THESE UNIVERSITIES? AND WE'LL GO
AROUND, STARTING WITH YOU,
ARNOLDO WELL, I, I THINK THE
FIFTH PATHWAY CAN BE DONE IN
VARIOUS AREAS, THEY CAN BE DONE
IN NURSING, THEY CAN BE DONE IN
PA AND THEY CAN BE DONE WITH
DOCTORS SO THAT WE SELECT,
JOINTLY WITH MEXICO, THE
CAMPUSES THAT THEY WANT TO BE
INVOLVED IN THAT FIFTH PATHWAY
SO THAT OUR LATINO STUDENTS OR
EVEN LÀ AND LATINO STUDENTS THAT
WANT TO SERVE THE LATINO
COMMUNITY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES
CAN GET EDUCATED WHILE IN AT
THESE UNIVERSITIES IN MEXICO,
COME BACK, GET LICENSED, AND NOW
THEY'RE WORKING IN THESE
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST IN
NEED. THAT IS NO, THERE IS NO
STRUCTURE FOR THAT. THE PROBLEM
HAS BEEN THAT THEY'VE TRIED TO
DO THIS THROUGH THE èC, BUT èC
HAS BEEN THE PROBLEM TO BEGIN
WITH. SO TO US, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD
A VERY, VERY STRONG APPREHENSION
OF WHERE THE UC SYSTEM RELIES
AND WHERE THEY'RE REALLY COMING
FROM. IT'S BEEN VERY COMPETITIVE
AND THEY'VE UNDERMINED US FOR
MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. THAT'S
WHY IT TOOK US SO LONG TO
IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM. THERE IS
SOME DISPOSITION OF CHANGE ON
THEIR PART, BUT THE IRONY IS
THIS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF
THE UC SYSTEM WAS THE MOST
ARDENT OPPONENT OF THIS
LEGISLATION WHEN IT WAS IN THE
STATE LEGISLATURE. THERE WAS NO
ONE WHO OPPOSED THIS BILL MORE
THAN DOCTOR DRAKE, MORE THAN THE
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.
SO NOW HE IS THE PRESIDENT, AND
PEOPLE EXPECT US TO WORK WITH
THE UC SYSTEM TO CREATE THIS
KIND OF A PROCESS. WE THINK THAT
WE'RE BETTER OFF WORKING WITH
PRIVATE MEDICAL SCHOOLS, AND
BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, INVEST
WITH THEM, AS OPPOSED TO GIVING
THE BUDGET TO THE UC. THAT TO US
IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT
DISTINCTION. THÀNH, IN TERMS OF
THE PSYCHIATRISTS AND
PSYCHOLOGISTS, AGAIN, IT JUST
DEPENDS ON OUR ATTITUDE IS THIS
MEMBER WE BELIEVE THAT THERE
SHOULD BE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE
GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE
GOVERNMENT OF CALIFORNIA AND THE
COUNTRY OF MEXICO. THAT'S WHERE
WE THINK THEY HAVE TO BE. THEY
HAVE TO BE AT THAT LEVEL OF
AGREEMENT. IT CANNOT BE
INSTITUTIONAL TO INSTITUTION
BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH
OVERSIGHT, AND THERE'S NOT THE
SAME MENTALITY THERE IS
VERBALLY, WHICH GOVERNOR HAS NOT
SPOKEN ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY LOVE
MEXICANS. OKAY. EVERY GOVERNOR
THAT WE'VE HAD DOESN'T MAKE ANY
DIFFERENCE WHO IT IS. EVEN PETE
WILSON LOVED MEXICANS. OKAY. BUT
WHEN IT COMES TO SUBSTANCE,
OKAY, WE DON'T GET IT. WE GET
PROTECTION OF CERTAIN
INSTITUTIONS IN THIS STATE OVER
THE WELL-BEING OF OUR POPULATION
. THAT IS NOW 40% OF THAT 40, AT
LEAST 30% OF THAT 100% SPEAK
SPANISH ONLY. THEY STILL NEED A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT THE
AGREEMENTS AND THE
UNDERSTANDINGS, THE
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THIS
RELATIONSHIP MUST BE GOVERNMENT
TO GOVERNMENT, IF THE
LEGISLATURE CAN PASS THE BILLS,
IT STILL HAS TO BE WITH THE
AGREEMENT THAT THE GOVERNOR OF
THIS STATE, WHOEVER IT MAY BE,
IS SITTING DOWN, NOT WITH
GOVERNORS, BUT WITH THE
PRESIDENT OF MEXICO, BECAUSE
EVERY STATE ALONG THE BORDER
RIGHT NOW HAS COME TO ME AND
SAID, ARNOLD, CAN YOU CREATE
DOCTORS FROM MEXICO, FOR TEXAS,
FOR NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA? SO
I'M SAYING THAT CALIFORNIA CAN
CREATE A COMPLETELY NEW ERA OF
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEXICO AND
THIS COUNTRY, NOT JUST SOUTHERN
BORDER STATES. YOU'VE GOT 22
OTHER STATES THAT ARE NOW
LOOKING TO FOREIGN DOCTORS, BUT
ENGLISH LANGUAGE DOCTORS FROM
OTHER ENGLISH SPEAKING
COUNTRIES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT
THAT'S NOT THE ONLY NEED THEY
HAVE IN THEIR IN THEIR STATES.
THEY HAVE MEXICANS IN THEIR
STATES. WHY? BECAUSE THERE ISN'T
A STATE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A
MEXICANS WORKING IN THE MAJOR
EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIES OF
THESE STATES. SO I JUST THINK
THAT CALIFORNIA CAN TRULY SET A
TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE, BY DOING
THINGS THAT HAVE YET TO BE DONE
IN TERMS OF A INSTITUTIONAL
COMMITMENT BY GOVERNMENT TO
GOVERNMENT, SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT
THAT IS THE DIRECTION, BECAUSE
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WHEN
YOU MADE THE BOTTOM LINE, THE
BOTTOM LINE IS THAT ALL OF THESE
THINGS ARE TIED. THE ECONOMIC
WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR. YOU'VE GOT
TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR WORKERS IN
THE FIELDS ARE PROTECTED, THAT
THEY HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO CARE.
BECAUSE WHY? BECAUSE THERE'S
SOME OF THE SICKEST POPULATIONS
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, BAR
NONE. AND YET WE HAVEN'T DONE
THAT, WE CERTAINLY COULD DO THAT
FOR OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKER
POPULATIONS AS WELL. EVERYONE
BENEFITS UNDER THOSE
CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE'S NO LOSERS
HERE, SO I THINK THAT THAT THIS
COMMITTEE, COULD NOT BE AT A
BETTER PLACE AT A BETTER TIME,
TO TAKE THE LEAD, AND AGAIN, I
HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE IN
THIS ROLE BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE
DILIGENCE, DISCIPLINE, FOCUS,
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE WANT
TO DO. I THINK THAT WHAT YOU
WANT TO START WITH ARE WITH
EXAMPLES THAT HAVE ALREADY
PROVEN TO BE DOING THINGS. OUR
PROGRAM DOESN'T COST THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA ONE RED CENT. WE
DON'T TAKE ANY MONEY. WE DID THE
EVALUATION BY RAISING MONEY FROM
FOUNDATIONS. WE SPENT CLINIC
MONEY TO DO THE RECRUITMENT. WE
DON'T SPEND GENERAL FUND
DOLLARS. WE MADE SURE OUR
LEGISLATION DOES NOT ALLOW ONE
PENNY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO
DO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH
UNDERWRITING THIS PROGRAM. SO
RIGHT NOW, WHAT BETTER EXAMPLE
CAN ANYONE POINT TO THAN THE
PROGRAM THAT WE'VE CREATED? AND
THE PROGRAM THAT WILL NOW BRING
OVER A THOUSAND DOCTORS BY THE
YEAR 2044? WE COULD BRING IN
MORE IF WE DO THE TELEMEDICINE
BILL. SO I JUST I THINK YOU'RE
ON YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. I
THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY TO
INTEGRATE ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS
TOGETHER, BUT I THINK YOU WILL
HAVE TO PURSUE, IMMIGRATION
LEGISLATION. FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE
GOING TO START NOW THIS YEAR
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S
GOING TO WIN IN NOVEMBER. WE ARE
GOING TO TRY TO AMEND THE NEW
NAFTA THAT THE 45TH PRESIDENT
DID, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A
SPECIAL VISA FOR DOCTORS FOR A
PROGRAM LIKE THIS OR ANY OTHER
STATE THAT PASSES LEGISLATION,
OR DOES AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, BUT
WE NEED A SPECIAL VISA BECAUSE
WE'RE CONCERNED, AS DOCTOR
PERRUSQUIA HAS SAID, THREE YEARS
IS NOT ENOUGH. WELL, WE HAVE
CONTINUITY. WE'LL GET THREE.
WE'LL GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF
DOCTORS AT THAT CLINIC EVERY
THREE YEARS. BUT HER CONCERN IS
A VERY LEGITIMATE CONCERN WHEN
IT COMES TO MEDICAL FIELD. WE'D
LIKE TO LOOK AT A FIVE YEAR
SPECIAL VISA FOR A DOCTOR, AND
WE THINK WE COULD DO THAT
BECAUSE THE CLINICS ARE GOING TO
BE EMPLOYING THEM AND JUST SO
THAT EVERYBODY WHO MAY BE
LISTENING, WE PAY THE DOCTORS
THE SAME SALARIES, THE SAME
BENEFITS, EVERYTHING'S THE SAME
THAT WE PAY OUR CURRENT
WORKFORCE AND OUR HEALTH CENTERS
. SO THERE IS NO BRACERO
EQUIVALENT. I WANT TO HEAR FROM
THE DOCTORS AS WELL. I WOULD
LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING, AS A
MEDICAL DOCTOR, I DON'T KNOW
ABOUT LAW OR ABOUT LEGISLATIONS,
BUT I FOR SURE KNOW THAT WHEN I
HAVE A PATIENT WITH SUICIDAL
IDEAS AND THE SOONER APPOINTMENT
WITH THE PSYCHIATRIST IS IN
THREE MONTHS, WE MUST THINK
ABOUT, ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES
LIKE TELEMEDICINE? AND IT'S NOT
THE LANGUAGE BECAUSE THERE ARE
MANY PROVIDERS WHO CAN SPEAK
SPANISH, BUT IT'S THE
WILLINGNESS TO WORK AND TO CARE
FOR THESE PEOPLE AND TO SHARE
THE CULTURE AND THEIR THEIR
THOUGHTS. SO THANK YOU,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER GARCIA. WE HAVE
BIOTECH IN MEXICO. WE HAVE
TELEHEALTH. WE HAVE MEDICAL
COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING THERE.
CALIFORNIA IS A TECH HUB, A
HEALTH HUB. AND ALSO WE NEED TO
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION ABOUT
THE NATIONALITY OF THIS, THERE'S
AMAZING POTENTIAL TO GO TO
YUCATAN, TO GO TO MÉRIDA,
QUERETARO, ALL THESE SPECIAL
HUBS THAT WE HAVE NOT TOUCHED
BEFORE IN CREATING THAT BY, BY,
BY NATIONALITY IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT. ALSO, THE IMPORTANCE
OF EXPANSION AND EXTENSION FOR
OUR COMMUNITIES IS SO IMPORTANT
AT THE MOMENT THAT WE ARE
LIMITING TO 1000 DOCTORS THAT
IT'S PROBABLY ONE FIFTH OF WHAT
WE NEED IN THE NEXT SIX, SEVEN
YEARS. IT'S NOT ENOUGH. YES WE
NEED TO CONTINUE CREATING OUR
OWN PATH. WE NEED TO BE
INDEPENDENT AS A STATE. WE NEED
TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE TAKING CARE OF,
BUT WE NEED TO GO ABOVE AND
BEYOND THE STUFF THAT WE ALREADY
HAVE DONE BEFORE. AND WE ALREADY
KNOW THAT SADLY HAS NOT WORKED.
WE NEED TO RECREATE WHAT WE
KNOW, TAKE AWAY THE FEARS THAT
WE HAD BEFORE, AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, WE UNDERSTAND THE
GOOD WILL AND ALSO THE LEARNINGS
THAT WE HAVE HAD FROM THIS.
AMAZING THE AB 1045 AND MAKING
SURE THAT WE CAN AMPLIFY IT
UNDER FUNDING THAT SPECIALLY
RIGHT NOW THAT MR. TORRES HAS
SAID IT, IT'S NOT COSTING THE
STATE. IT'S CREATING WELLNESS,
IT'S CREATING A SAFETY NET. AND
ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE
AMPLIFYING THE ACCESS OF HEALTH
CARE FOR MEDI-CAL TO OUR
PATIENTS, WE WANT A DOCTOR TO BE
ON THE OTHER SIDE TO TAKE CARE
OF THEM. LASTLY, IT'S A VERY
IMPORTANT POINT, AND I HATE TO
GO ON, BUT THE DOCTORS, WHEN
THEY RETURN TO MEXICO, THE
DOCTOR, THE DEAN OF THE SCHOOL
OF MEDICINE AT UNAM, TOLD US
THAT THEY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN
THE PROGRAM ON THE CONDITION
THAT HE WOULD LEND US, THE
DOCTORS FOR THREE YEARS. HE
SAID, ARNOLDO, I AM NOT GOING TO
GIVE YOU THE DOCTORS THAT WE
HAVE PAID TO EDUCATE AND TO PAY
TO SEE THE PATIENTS IN MEXICO,
BUT WE OWE SOMETHING TO THE OUR,
OUR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
CALIFORNIA. SO WE'RE GOING TO
LEND YOU THE DOCTORS FOR THREE
YEARS. WE DO NOT WANT TO TAKE
THESE DOCTORS FROM MEXICO AND
KEEP THEM IN CALIFORNIA. VÀ WE
WANT THEM TO COME DO THEIR STINT
AND THEN GO BACK, BECAUSE WHEN
THEY GO BACK, THEY'LL BE BETTER.
AND THAT WAS HIS POINT. HE SAYS,
ARNOLDO, THEY WILL BE BETTER AND
THEY CAN LEAD THE A NEW ERA IN
WHAT MEXICO CAN BENEFIT FROM. SO
BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER BENEFIT
FROM PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. AND
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT MEXICO
RECOGNIZE THAT AND UNDERSTAND
THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO DO BRAIN
DRAIN. WE DO NOT WANT TO TAKE
ANYONE FROM MEXICO PERMANENTLY
TO COME TO CALIFORNIA. WE DON'T
THINK THAT'S A POSITIVE MOVE.
NO. I THINK IT'S AN EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT POINT TO BE MADE,
BECAUSE IT REMINDS US THAT WE
STILL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY HERE
IN CALIFORNIA, TO ACCELERATE,
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR WORK IN
ENSURING THAT THOSE WHO ARE,
FROM CALIFORNIA OR ELSEWHERE IN
THE UNITED STATES COMING TO
CALIFORNIA TO GET AN EDUCATION
IN MEDICINE, THAT WE ARE DOING
EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO ENSURE
THAT THEY HAVE THE BEST QUALITY
EDUCATION AND CERTAINLY
PREPARATION WHEN IT COMES TO
CULTURAL COMPETENCY, TO GO SERVE
IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED
THEM THE MOST AND WHERE THEY
CHOOSE TO GO EDUCATE THEMSELVES
AND NOT UTILIZE THESE PROGRAMS
AS THE END ALL, BE ALL SOLUTION,
THE VISION AND THE MISSION OF
THESE PROGRAMS WERE TO HELP US
FILL GAPS IN THE INTERIM. AND
THIS IS 20 YEARS AGO, WHERE
THOSE GAPS WERE SMALLER, AND,
AND TODAY THOSE GAPS HAVE GOTTEN
MUCH LARGER. THEREFORE, OUR
EFFORTS MUST DOUBLE DOWN, IF NOT
TRIPLE DOWN. TO ENSURE THAT WE
DON'T HAVE UNHEALTHY PEOPLE,
WHICH TO MAKE MY CONNECTION
AGAIN, LEAD TO AN UNHEALTHY
COMMUNITY THAT LEADS TO AN
UNHEALTHY ECONOMY. THAT'S RIGHT,
IN ALL SECTORS OF THE FIFTH
LARGEST, ECONOMY OF THE WORLD,
WHICH IS CALIFORNIA, I WOULD
LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY IN
TOUCH WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE
FIRST PANEL WHO ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO BE WORKING ON THE
FORMALIZATION OF THIS
EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THAT THE ONLY WAY
THAT WILL WORK IS THROUGH A VERY
STRUCTURE AND INTENTIONAL,
EFFORT WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO,
AGAIN, ENHANCE PROGRAMS LIKE
THIS MEDICAL DOCTOR PROGRAM, AND
OF COURSE, OTHER SECTORS THAT
WERE TOUCHED ON, SUCH AS THE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM, AND
OTHER LABOR FORCE AND WORKFORCE
GAPS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED HERE
IN CALIFORNIA AND THOSE THAT
COULD BE OF BENEFIT TO MEXICO AS
WELL, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY
COLLEAGUE TO MY RIGHT TO SEE IF
HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, BEFORE WE
GET INTO, PUBLIC COMMENTS AND
THEN CLOSING REMARKS. THANK YOU
TO THE CHAIR. THANK YOU TO THE
PANELISTS. AND APOLOGIZE THAT I
WASN'T ABLE TO HEAR THE ENTIRE
PRESENTATION. I THINK FOR ME,
IT'D BE WORTHWHILE SPENDING SOME
TIME WITH YOU, ONE ON ONE, TO
HEAR MORE ABOUT CERTAINLY THE
HISTORY AND WHERE THE PROGRAM IS
AT NOW. I THINK MY ONLY
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, CHAIR, I
THINK, OUTLINED THIS QUITE WELL
AS IT RELATES TO THE FIRST
PANEL, BECAUSE I DO THINK
THERE'S NEED TO BE INTEGRATION
OF THIS CONCEPT, AT ALL LEVELS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT I THINK
ONE OF THE THINGS, AS WE'VE
ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS ON
HEALTH CARE NEEDS IN CALIFORNIA,
AND AGAIN, THE CHAIR REALLY
POINTED THIS OUT, THAT THIS
INITIALLY WAS TO HELP MEET SOME
OF THE SMALLER GAPS WHICH HAVE
UNFORTUNATELY BECOME MUCH MORE
SIGNIFICANT GAPS AND THEREFORE
THE NEED FOR A PROGRAM PROGRAM
LIKE THIS PERSISTS IS WHAT DO WE
NEED TO DO AS A STATE TO ENSURE
THAT WE ARE EDUCATING ENOUGH?
PRACTITIONERS, RIGHT. DOCTORS
WHO ARE GOING TO BE IN THE FIELD
BECAUSE CLEARLY THAT'S NOT
HAPPENING. AND THAT'S WHY WE
FIND OURSELVES IN THIS SITUATION
, WITH THIS, WITH THIS NEED. AND
SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
OUR MASTER PLAN OF HIGHER
EDUCATION AND HOW IN CALIFORNIA,
YOU KNOW, THE UCS FOCUS ON ONE
THING. THE CSU'S FOCUS ON
SOMETHING ELSE. AND COMMUNITY
COLLEGES HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY
THAT'S DIFFERENT. AND YET,
AGAIN, PERHAPS IT'S TIME TO
THINK ABOUT, A NEW A NEW VISION
FOR OUR MASTER PLAN SO THAT IF
OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS OUR
UC SYSTEM, IS, WHO HAS THE
AUTHORITY TO, TO OFFER MDS
MEDICAL DEGREES, IF THAT'S NOT
DOING THE JOB OF MAKING SURE WE
HAVE THE DOCTORS THAT WE NEED IN
OUR STATE, THERE'S SOMETHING
THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED THERE
. AND, AND WHAT THAT IS AND TO
WHAT EXTENT. I THINK THAT'S
STILL INFORMATION THAT I'D LIKE
TO SEE. BUT BUT THEN WITH THIS
PROGRAM AND WITH AN EXCHANGE
LIKE WE HAD IN OUR FIRST PANEL,
MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CULTURALLY
COMPETENCY BUILT INTO THOSE
PROGRAMS, WHICH, I KNOW THAT IS
PART OF CURRICULUM AND
CONVERSATIONS AND, BUT, BUT IT'S
VERY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY
HAVE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT I
THINK, CERTAINLY HAVING DOCTORS
FROM ANOTHER CULTURE COUNTRY
COME TO THIS COUNTRY CAN HELP
OTHER PROFESSIONALS UNDERSTAND
SOME OF THOSE DYNAMICS. AND
ALSO, AGAIN, REFERRING BACK TO
THE FIRST PANEL, EVEN PERHAPS
SOME EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PEOPLE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD TO
SPEND SOME TIME IN, AND I KNOW
THAT DOCTOR DE LA TOUR TALKED
ABOUT, A NURSING PROGRAM IN
PARTICULAR. I THINK IT WAS
FAMILY, FAMILY, CHILD CARE, AND
HOW YOU CAN GAIN SOME EXPERIENCE
THROUGH THE PROGRAM IN OAXACA.
SO I THINK THAT'S SORT OF THE
INTEREST THAT REMAINS FOR ME IS
CERTAINLY LEARN MORE ABOUT WHERE
THIS PROGRAM IS AT, WHAT THE
NEEDS CONTINUE TO BE AND HOW
THIS PROGRAM, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW,
CHANGES TO MEET THAT NEED THAT
CONTINUES TO EXIST. SO THAT'S
WHAT I'D APPRECIATE, OUR
CONVERSATION GOING FORWARD. AND
IF YOU HAVE ANY INITIAL THOUGHTS
TODAY, WELCOME. GLADLY. FIRST OF
ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AS A MEXICAN AMERICAN, I CAN
TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT WITHOUT
THIS PROGRAM, AT LEAST ON THE
PATIENTS THAT WE SERVE, MORE
THAN 18,000 PATIENTS WOULD NOT
BE BEING SEEN. THEN, THANKS TO
THIS PROGRAM, AT LEAST FROM
ORANGE COUNTY TO LA COUNTY, WE
KNOW THAT IT'S WORKING ON THE
CONTINUUM HERE IN CALIFORNIA OF
CREATING A DOCTOR IS MANY
THINGS. MENTORSHIP FROM HIGH
SCHOOLS, CREATING AN ESCALATOR
PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN ELEVATE
THEM TO COLLEGE, HAVING A
MENTORSHIP, SCHOLARSHIPS. AND WE
I, WE CAN TALK ABOUT A LOT OF
THESE PATHWAYS. ONE OF THE
CRUCIAL PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE
HAVING SPECIFICALLY HERE IN
CALIFORNIA IS THAT WHEN WE
CREATE A DOCTOR, WE ARE NOT
RETAINING THEM. WE'RE SHIPPING
THEM OUT TO OTHER STATES FOR
RESIDENCIES, AND THERE'S NOT A
LOT, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES IN
OUR STATE TO TRAIN THEM. BACK
THEN WHEN WE I WOULD LOVE TO
DIVIDE THE CONVERSATION INTO ONE
OF THE LONG TERM PROJECTS THAT
IT'S IMPORTANT TO CREATE THAT
RESIDENCY PART, THE MEDICAL PART
OF IT, THE MENTORSHIP, THAT
PIPELINE THAT WE NEEDED. IF NOT,
WE WILL HAVE MORE SUFFERING IN
THE NEXT TEN YEARS. AND WE'LL BE
EXPORTING MARTIANS INSTEAD OF
ANYBODY ELSE FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES. THEN IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW TO ACTUALLY
BE CRUCIAL WITH WHAT WE HAVE
RIGHT NOW WITH MEXICO,
UNDERSTANDING THE POPULATION
THAT WE'RE SERVING,
UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE
SHIPPING BACK TO MEXICO, IT
NEEDS TO BE A COMMUNION. WHY
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY
WORK HERE, AND WE SEND RESOURCES
BACK TO MEXICO. AND THAT'S THE
CASE FROM MEXICO, COLOMBIA,
VENEZUELA, GUATEMALA, EL
SALVADOR AND AN ENTIRE LIST OF
COUNTRIES THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU
RIGHT NOW HAVE SOMETHING THAT NO
OTHER STATE HAS REALLY
INFORMATION OF, MEXICAN
PHYSICIANS THAT ARE
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED
TO LEARN FROM WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW. EXPANDED IN THE MEANTIME,
THAT YES, WE NEED TO BE
INDEPENDENT. YES, WE NEED TO
CREATE OUR OWN PATHWAY. YES,
YES, YES AND MAKE SURE THAT MY
PATIENTS TODAY HAVE THEIR
INSULIN, THAT THOSE 18,000
PATIENTS THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN
ALTA MED CONTINUE TO BE SEEN
BECAUSE ONE OF THE AND I AND I
DO HAVE NIGHTMARES WITH THIS.
ONE OF THE HORRIBLE THINGS THAT
WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS THAT IN
THE FUTURE, THIS PROGRAM
DISAPPEARS. AND WE DIDN'T CLOSE
THE GAP. RIGHT? EXACTLY RIGHT.
THANK YOU. I AM, I AM 70 YEARS
OLD. SO WHEN I'M GOING TO SHARE
WITH YOU, EDUARDO WILL PROBABLY
SAY HE REMEMBERS IT, BUT HE WAS
TOO YOUNG, IN THE 1980S, COORS
BEERS CAME UP WITH THE SLOGAN
DECADE OF THE HISPANIC. THAT WAS
A COORS BEER PROMOTION CAMPAIGN.
WHY? BECAUSE IT LOOKED AT THE
CENSUS DATA. CENSUS DATA SAID
HISPANICS WERE GOING TO BALLOON.
THEY WERE JUST GOING TO BALLOON.
IN TERMS OF POPULATION, COORS
WAS A CONTROVERSIAL BEER AT THAT
TIME. THERE WAS BOYCOTTS, ETC,
BUT THEY SOLD BEER LIKE CRAZY TO
MEXICANS, TO ALL THE CHICANO YOU
COULD IMAGINE. OKAY, BUT THE
DEMOGRAPHICS WERE PROVEN
CORRECTLY. OUR POPULATION BLEW
UP IN THE DECADE OF THE 80S.
WHAT DID CALIFORNIA'S MEDICAL
SCHOOLS DO? OKAY, THEY DID
NOTHING. THEY KNEW THIS
POPULATION WOULD GROW
SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND WHAT
ANYBODY COULD HAVE ESTIMATED,
AND IT WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO
GROW. OKAY DID THEY CHANGE THEIR
APPROACH TO RECRUITING? DID THEY
CHANGE HOW THEY WERE GOING TO
PREPARE THE DOCTORS AS, AS AS AS
MR. GARCIA POINTED TO, DID HE
DID THEY PREPARE CULTURAL
LINGUISTIC COMPETENCY COURSES?
CALIFORNIA IS THE MOST DIVERSE
STATE IN THE UNION, AND YET WE
DO NOT TRAIN OR PREPARE DOCTORS
TO TREAT THE PATIENT POPULATION
THAT WE HAVE IN THIS SOCIETY,
NOT JUST OURS. BUT YOU'VE GOT A
LOT OF SMALL GROUPS. YOU ALSO
HAVE CULTURAL CHALLENGES WITH
THE BLACK COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE
LIFESTYLE ISSUES WITH LGBT
COMMUNITIES. AND YET THE MEDICAL
SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THEY'RE èC AND
YOU CAN'T TELL THEM WHAT TO DO
BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSTITUTIONALLY
INDEPENDENT. OKAY YOU HAVE AN
OPTION. YOUR OPTION IS START
PLAYING WITH THE PRIVATE
SCHOOLS. IF THE èC DOES NOT
WANT TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION,
THEN START DOING BUSINESS WITH
THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. YOU HAVE NO
OTHER CHOICES. WE CAN CONTINUE
TO BRING DOCTORS FROM MEXICO. NO
DOUBT THEY'LL STILL WANT TO
COME, BUT THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE
CAN BRING THE WHOLE
INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS WHAT WE
NEED IN THIS STATE FROM MEXICO,
WE WOULD BE ROBBING MEXICO OF
WHAT IT NEEDS. SO I THINK THAT
THAT THE TIME TO BE
CONSTITUTIONALLY RESPECTIVE AND
CORRECT IN DEALING WITH THE èC
THAT TIME WAS OVER, IN MY
OPINION, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND
MY EXPERIENCES OVER 30 YEARS
AGO, WHEN THAT SYSTEM FAILED TO
ADDRESS WHAT WAS A KNOWN FACT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR EFFORTS
TODAY, YOU DON'T SEE CULTURAL
LINGUISTIC COMPETENCY. YOU HEAR
THE WORD EQUITY. I DON'T WANT TO
HEAR THE WORD EQUITY BECAUSE
IT'S JUST A WORD THAT KIND OF
LETS THEM OFF THE HOOK. WE WANT
TO SEE TANGIBLE, MEASURABLE
RESULTS. WHAT LANGUAGES ARE YOU
TEACHING FOR THE POPULATION OF
PATIENTS THAT YOU HAVE? AND WE
DON'T HAVE THAT AS OF RIGHT NOW
ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT. I
APPRECIATE IT, JUST IN CLOSING
TO CHAIR AGAIN, APPRECIATIVE. I
KNOW THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE
IN THIS SPACE, HAS BEEN,
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, I WANT TO
NOTE THAT I CAUGHT FROM THE
TESTIMONY AND YOU AND I HAVE HAD
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
NAFTA, BEING RE RESIGNED IN
2025, I BELIEVE. AND THERE WILL
BE NEW, POTENTIALLY NEW,
MECHANISMS PUT IN PLACE, ADD TO
THE LIST OF THINGS FROM
CALIFORNIA, MEXICO PERSPECTIVE
IS THE DOCTOR VISAS I CAUGHT
THAT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT
AS WE PERHAPS ENGAGE IN THAT
CONVERSATION AS CALIFORNIANS, AS
TO WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT IN
A RENEGOTIATED AGREEMENT, SHOULD
BE PART OF THAT AGREEMENT. SO
APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANT TO GIVE
THE DOCTOR A CHANCE TO COMMENT
AND WILL BE WRAPPING THIS UP AS
WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. ONLY A
COMMENT FOR YOUR QUESTION. WHAT
TO DO? FOR THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS,
WHEN I WAS IN MEXICO, I WAS A
PROFESSOR IN THE FACULTY OF
MEDICINE IN QUERÉTARO, IN LA
UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE
QUERÉTARO. AND WHAT I REALLY
KNOW IS THAT, THE STUDENT MUST
BE IN LOVE WITH THE COMMUNITY,
AND THEY MUST FIND ALL THE
OPPORTUNITIES HERE SO THAT THEY
DON'T THINK TO GO TO OTHER
PLACES. SO THEY MUST HAVE A GOOD
RESIDENCE PROGRAMS HERE SO THAT
THEY CAN MATCH AFTER THE STEPS.
AND, AS IN THE MEANWHILE, GET BE
INVOLVED AND GET IN LOVE WITH
THE COMMUNITY, LOVE THEIR
CULTURE, LOVE THEIR THEIR PEOPLE
. AND, THE I THINK THAT THAT'S
THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN RETAIN THE
PEOPLE HERE. THANK YOU. AND
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, MR.
TORRES. AND THANK YOU, MR.
SHAPIRO, FOR, PARTICIPATING
TODAY WITH US. OF COURSE, I WANT
TO THANK THE FIRST PANEL AS WELL
, FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. AS
YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS A STRONG
TIE IN. IT WAS INTENTIONAL, FROM
OUR PART, TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF A
DISCUSSION. AND WE LOOK FORWARD
TO SOME FOLLOW UP ON MANY OF THE
THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. I
KNOW THERE'S SOME FOLKS OUT
THERE WHO HEARD, LEGISLATION,
BILLS AND THEY WERE PROBABLY
CRINGING IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER
BECAUSE THESE INFORMATION
HEARINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY TO
TALK ABOUT CURRENT BILLS, BUT,
IT'S HARD NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE
CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE, OF WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITHOUT MAKING SOME
REFERENCES, IN THE CONTEXT OF
WHAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE, OUR
INTENTION IS JUST TO REALLY
UPLIFT, WHERE THINGS ARE AT AND
THE WORK THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL
TAKING THE TIME TO BE WITH US.
I'M GOING TO NOW OPEN IT UP FOR
PUBLIC COMMENTS. ANYONE IN THE
AUDIENCE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE
COMMITTEE? YOU MAY DO SO AT THIS
TIME. YOUR NAME, AFFILIATION AND
JUST ANY COMMENT THAT YOU'D LIKE
TO MAKE. MUCHAS GRACIAS. THANK
YOU, POR ESTAR AQUI CON NOSOTROS
DOCTORA DOCTOR. AND ARNOLDO. AND
AGAIN, JUST A BIG THANK YOU TO
OUR FIRST PANELIST, REALLY
APPRECIATE, THEM FOR
PARTICIPATING. SPECIAL THANK YOU
TO ALSO, THE DEAN OF THE SAN
DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY AND HER
TEAM IN IMPERIAL COUNTY, SO
THANK YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
SEEING NO ONE COME FORWARD. THEN
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK
YOU AGAIN FOR, PARTICIPATE
TODAY. THIS, SELECT COMMITTEE
HEARING WILL ADJOURN.