Bringing tequio, sencilles, and humilidad to silicon valley: Acting globally and thinking locally for health

The best international health programs incorporate local values and priorities with commitments of the public health profession. This presentation will discuss the evolution and impact of a unique and thriving international program that brings core Mexican cultural concepts, particularly Zapotec values, to a community-based program in Silicon Valley. This domestic application of international health lessons provides a rich foundation for work with struggling immigrant communities in one of the wealthiest but most stratified regions of the United States. Our collaboration begins with the Intercambio - a partnership between the Ecolalebrijes Association of Arrazola, Oaxaca, Mexico and a public health program of a public university in San José, California. For 8 years, artisan families and US students have been engaged in an ongoing exchange ("intercambio") that annually brings the students to Oaxaca and artisans to California. These deeply engaged relationships introduced the U.S. partners to concepts deeply rooted in Mexican culture that expand our approach to public health practice in Mexico, but also at home. Of particular impact have been the values of confianza, humilidad, sencilles, and the Zapotec value of tequio. This expanded conceptual framework is the foundation of our long-standing communty-based program Salud Familiar en McKinley, a multi-layered intervention designed to co-create the cultures, confidence, environments, and resources for health. Salud Familiar priorities are drawn from local health needs and value commitments we learn in Mexico. The impact of this expanded conceptual framework on local community health, leadership development, community capacity, and college health promotion curriculum will be discussed