Karina Ruiz
Research Associate
Karina is a doctoral candidate in Latin American and Latino Studies at UC Santa Cruz. She is an interdisciplinary researcher accountable to immigrant families and children. Originally from east Los Angeles County in the San Gabriel Valley, Karina is the fifth child to Mexican immigrants. Her upbringing informs her research on children’s learning in family settings. Karina’s current work as a community-based ethnographer highlights the contributions of children in family spaces both at home and in their community. She has a background in childcare and has 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.
