Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project
Aiding and empowering Indigenous Oaxacan immigrants in Ventura County.
Who We Are
Mixteco/Indigena
Community Organizing Project (MICOP) was founded in 2001 to
address the pressing concerns of Ventura County's most vulnerable
and marginalized residents: indigenous farm workers from the southern
Mexican state of Oaxaca. Speaking only the Mixteco language,
Mixtecs are subject to discrimination and exploitation at work, in the
marketplace, and in housing.
MICOP is
comprised of English-, Spanish-, and Mixteco-speaking people who have
come together to empower and help improve the health and well being of
indigenous Oaxacans in Ventura County. We mentor leaders, train promotores de salud,
or healthcare outreach workers, and work to organize local Mixtecs to
develop a collective voice for advocacy and action. Members of the
Mixtec community serve on our Board of Directors and take an active
role in all of our activities.
Donate Today!
What We Do
MICOP offers a range of programs to mentor, train, support and empower Ventura County's Mixtec population, including:
Community organizing:
Promotor/a training and mentoring Spanish-Mixteco interpreter training
Linguistically accessible parenting classes
Cultural competency training and consulting
Cultural events including celebrations of Dia de los Ninos, Dia de los Muertos and Fiesta Navidena
and much more The focal point of MICOP's work is monthly community meetings designed to build a sense of community and self-sufficiency among Ventura County's Mixtec population, while helping Mixtecs access healthcare and educational and social services.
Each meeting features an educational presentation, in addition to families receiving food, clothing, disposable diapers, healthcare items and other necessities free of charge. Approximately 250 families attend the monthly meetings in South Oxnard. If you're interested in learning how you can get involved please see our Get Involved and Calendar of Events pages.
