Xochitl Castañeda
Quick Facts
Biography
Xóchitl Castañeda has been the Director of Health Initiative of the Americas, at the School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, since 2001. A medical anthropologist by training, Xóchitl was educated in Guatemala and Mexico. She did a post-doctoral fellowship in reproductive health at the University of California, San Francisco. She also received training in social science and medicine at Harvard University and at Amsterdam University.
For over seven years, she was a Professor of Public Health Sciences and a P.I. Researcher at Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health, where she directed the Department of Reproductive Health. In 1999, she received the National Research Award on Social Science and Medicine. In 2010, the California Latino Legislative Caucus awarded her with the National Sprit Award for her leadership in initiatives to improve the quality of life of Latino immigrants in the U.S. Xóchitl has published over 150 manuscripts and has served as a consultant for more than 30 national and international institutions.
Her vision and commitment has led the creation of binational health programs. Under her direction HIA has coordinated for 12 consecutive years the Binational Health Week, one of the largest mobilization efforts in the Americas to improve the well-being of Latin American immigrants. Through these strategies, hundreds of thousands of Latinos have received medical attention and are referred to public and private agencies to obtain services. She has been twice elected to be an advisor to the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), for which she has served as the National Coordinator of the Health Commission in the U.S. In September 2015, Xóchitl Castañeda was elected to The California Wellness Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Programmatic Achievements
- 2014–Present
- Academic Coordinator. UC-Mexico Health Initiative, Health Working Group. Led by UCOP, UNAM, and CONACYT to advance scientific binational collaborations
- 2013–Present
- Agricultural Workers Occupational Health and Safety Resource Center. Collaboration between HIA and Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, UCD http://migranthealth.ucdavis.edu
- 2013–Present
- Funder, Migration and Health Resource Repository. Collaboration with UCB-SPH, UCGHI-COEMH and MAHRC http://agcenter.ucdavis.edu/migration/migration.php
- 2011–Present
- Founding Director. Zacatecan Binational Health Initiative (IBIZA). Collaboration between HIA and the Government of the State of Zacatecas http://hiaibiza.wordpress.com/
- 2010–Present
- Funder and Co-Director "Athenea Network" . World Organization for Mental Health and Mobile Populations. International Mental Migrant Health Congress. http://laredatenea.com/english/index.html
- 2006–Present
- Executive Administrator. Summer Institute on Migration and Health and Research Training Workshop. SPH-UCB, UCGHI/COEMH.
- 2005–Present
- Director. Research Program on Migration and Health (PIMSA). The largest US-Mexico leading academic network of researchers and doctoral students. Partnership with University of Arizona, Texas A & M University, CONACYT, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of New Mexico, University of Minnesota, and State University of New York.
- 2001–Present
- Lead Person. Signing Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with over 46 national and international institutions and programs to improve the health of immigrant populations http://hia.berkeley.edu/index.php?page=agreements
- 2001–Present
- Founding and National Coordinator. Annual Binational Health Week. 16 consecutive years grass-roots movement reaching over 400,000 underserved Latinos annually in 46 California counties, operating in 40 other states and in 3 provinces of Canada, with the participation of over 10,000 agencies and 20,000 volunteers.
Board Member and Honorable Positions
- 2016–Present
- Advisory Board Member. MEX I AM
- 2015–Present
- Board of Directors, The California Wellness Foundation
- 2014–Present
- Advisory Member. University of California HIV/AIDS Research Program
- 2014–Present
- Leadership Committee Member. California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC)
- 2014–Present
- Advisor. UCSF Pregnancy Exposures to Environmental Chemicals Children's Center
- 2013–Present
- Board of Directors. Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)
- 2013–Present
- Board of Directors. Médica Sur Hospital, Mexico
- 2007–Present
- Board of Directors. National Council of Mexican Federations in North America (COFEM)
- 2005–Present
- Advisory Board. Texas Center for Health Disparities, UT Health Science Center
Public Service Assignments and Honorable Memberships
- 2016–Present
- Strategic Planning Coordinator. Western Center for Agricultural Health & Safety, UCD
- 2013 - 2016
- Co- Director. Center of Expertise on Migration and Health, UC Global Health Institute (COEMH-UCGHI)
- 2015
- Advisory Board member. UC Davis, Center of Excellence for Refugee Health
- 2006 - 2014
- Member of the Hispanic/Latino workgroup of the National Diabetes Education Program
- 2005 - 2014
- Selection Committee Judge. Binational Health Week Visual Image Competition
- 2006 - 2013
- Policy Leadership Council Member. California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
Publications
Articles in International Journals
- 2015
- Achótegui J, Amutio A, Castañeda X, Martinez-Taboada C, Mera M. Migratory Mourning during Adolescence: Planning Processes of Acculturation and Self-esteem. Running Head: Migratory Mourning.
- 2013
- Castañeda X, Leite P, Angoa M, Felt E, Schenker M, Ramirez T. Health Outcomes of Mexican Immigrant Women in the United States. Migration Information Source. Online Journal of the Migration Policy Institute
- 2012
- Sanchez M, Hernández M, Hanson J, Vera A, Magis C, Ruiz J, Garza A, Castañeda X, Aoki B, Lemp G. The Effect of Migration on HIV High-Risk Behaviors among Mexican Migrants. J Acquire Immune Defic Syndr 2012: (61) 610–617
- 2012
- Castañeda X, Castañeda N, Ruiz M. Mexican Immigrants in the US. Specific Groups and Addiction. In Actualidades en Adicciones, 2012: (5) 15-34
- 2012
- Cassady D, Castañeda X, Ruiz M, Miller M, Andrews T, Osorio L. Pandemics and Vaccines: Perceptions, Reactions, and Lessons Learned from hard-to-reach Latinos and the H1N1 Campaign. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2012: (23)1106–1122
- 2011
- Parrini R, Castañeda X, Magis-Rodríguez C, Ruiz J, Lemp G. Identity, Desire and Truth: Construction of a Homoerotic Social Scene among Mexican Migrant Communities in the USA. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 2011:13 (4) 415-425
Book Chapters
- 2014
- Castaneda X, Rodriguez-Lainz A. Studying Migrant Populations, General Considerations and Approaches: Migration and Health, a Research Methods Handbook. University of California Press. (ISBN 978-0-520-27795-3)
- 2013
- Castañeda X, Felt E, Martinez-Taboada C, Castañeda N, Ramirez T. Migratory Stress and Mental Health in Adolescent Young Adult Mexican Immigrants Living in the United States: Contextualizing Acculturation. In Immigrants: Acculturation, Socioeconomic Challenges and Cultural Psychology. Judy Ho (Ed), Nova Science Publishers. (ISBN 978-1-62808-617-1)
- 2013
- Castañeda X, Zavella P. Las fronteras y los espacios del cuerpo: sexualidad, riesgo y vulnerabilidad en mujeres migrantes mexicanas en California. Ellas se van: Mujeres migrantes en Estados Unidos y España. México: Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, UNAM Press. (ISBN 978-607-02-4355-4)
- 2011
- Castañeda X, Ruiz M, Felt E, Schenker M. Health of Migrants: Working Towards a Better Future. In Global Health, Global Health Education, and Infectious Disease: The New Millennium, Part 1. Veljil A. Moellering R. (Eds.) Elsevier Press
- 2010
- Castañeda X, Schenker M, Felt E. Binational Innovation in Latino Immigrant Health: the Health Initiative of the Americas. In Reflections about Mexican Migration and Public Policy. Leite P and Giorguli S. (Eds) CONAPO Press, 99-110
Books
- 2016
- Castaneda X, Bermúdez J, Reyes A, Wallace S. Migration and Health Perspectives on the immigrant population. Mexican Secretariat of the Interior Press (ISBN 978-607-427-278-9)
- 2015
- Bermúdez J, Reyes A, Schenker M, Castaneda X, Felt E, Wallace S. Migration and Health. Profile of Latin Americans in the United States. Mexican Secretariat of the Interior Press (ISBN 978-607-427-265-9)
- 2014
- Schenker M, Castaneda X, Rodriguez A. (Editors) Migration and Health Research Methodologies: a handbook for the study of migrant populations in the 21st Century. UC Press (ISBN 978-0-520-27794-6)
- 2013
- Leite P, Castañeda X, Ramirez T, Wallace S. Migration and Health: Mexican Immigrants in the U.S. Mexican Secretariat of the Interior Press (ISBN 978-607-427-208-6)
- 2012
- Castañeda X, Leiva M, Osorio L. English-Spanish Dictionary of Health Related Terms 4th Edition. HIA-SPH-UCB, COBBH, CDPH, BIDS, and Health Net. 2012, by the Regents of the University of California (ISBN 978-1-4675-0807-0)
- 2012
- Ramirez T, Castañeda X, et al. Migration and Health: Young Mexican Immigrants in the US. CONAPO Press (ISBN 978-607-427-135-5)
- 2010
- Castañeda X, Leite P, Wallace S, Schenker M, Et al. Migration and Health: Mexican Immigrant Women in the U.S. CONAPO Press (ISBN 970-628-959-3)