Karina Ruiz

Postdoctoral Fellow

karina@cslx.org (she/her)

Karina Ruiz is an interdisciplinary researcher working in the fields of childhood studies, family science, and education. Originally from east Los Angeles County in the San Gabriel Valley, Karina is the fifth child to Mexican immigrants. Her upbringing informs her work on the cultural nature of children’s learning in family settings. Her previous work is primarily community-initiated and student-engaged research, focusing on gathering actionable data for the public good. Her research uses ethnographic approaches to understand immigrant legal status as an axis of power in mixed-status families, particularly in community settings and education and community partnerships. She has a background in early child care and worked in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties for over 10 years. She completed her BA in Human Communication with concentrations in oral histories and creative writing at California State University of Monterey Bay and holds a Ph.D. in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.