Kitsap Community Voices: A Discussion with Four Latinx Perspectives

Brenda Calderon (she/they) is a Latinx first generation immigrant who has been living in Kitsap County since 2018 where she has been farming in small scale sustainable agriculture. Brenda is deeply committed to social and environmental justice work, her passion is fueled by food, community, and radical joy & vulnerability.

Octavio Bojorquez was an accountant and worked in Mexico for 10 years before emigrating to the United States.  He then became a teacher and has been working for Bremerton School District for 6 years teaching English Language Learners (ELL).

Juana is a high school student in Kitsap County.

Carlos Mejia Rodriguez was born in Honduras and graduated as Family Physician at Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala and was incorporated to practice in Honduras by the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras where he practiced for 17 years in the private and public sector as Emergency Room and Labor and Deliveries (LDR) doctor. His focus as a professional have been providing quality health services to children and families, disadvantaged groups such as indigenous, refugees and migrants, miners, farmworkers, rural, low income neighborhoods, and cultural humility. Dr. Carlos moved to USA in 2002 invited as an adviser to the board of Shelbyville Free Clinic. In Shelbyville Carlos supervised the Healthy Families program to prevent child abuse and neglect and brought Fatherhood Initiatives and prenatal Education to the Family Development Center to help families and children to thrive connecting them to resources in the community including clinical care. In 2009 Carlos working for the Washington Association of Community & Migrant Health Centers (WACMHC) to advance quality of care for more than 27 Community Health Centers with over 320 clinics, managed and developed a network of community health centers and community based organizations to work in tobacco prevention statewide focusing on policy and system change and using technology and evidence based approaches to tackle tobacco use. Carlos also worked for the Washington State Department of Health developing a hybrid training system for Community Health Workers consisting of an initial 8 weeks curriculum with in-presence and on-line trainings followed by multiple disease specific provided to the safety net across the state. Also, for Molina Healthcare in Community Engagement and Medical Officer of Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrant and Refugees providing support, education, and creating partnerships and collaborations for community health and wellness. Actually, Dr Mejia works for Choice Regional Health Network in Health Equity and COVID 19 vaccination uptake in populations of color. Additionally, Carlos brings capacity building to the community by providing his knowledge, skills, education, and experience to community based organizations and government as board member for Family Education and Support Services, City Gates Ministries, KIAC, Co-Chair of Foundations for Multicultural Solutions- El Camino, Thurston County Public Health Nurse Family Partnership Community Advisory Board, and Washington Health Benefit Exchange Health Equity Technical Advisory Committee.