Claudio Ramirez Hernandez (Na Ñuu Savi/ Mixtec) was born in Santa Maria, California, a central coast farming community, where many from his family’s municipality of San Juan Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, have migrated. Claudio first became active in community work as a youth organizer alongside the working class community of Santa Maria, through the nonprofit People United for Economic Justice Building Leadership Through Organizing (PUEBLO). He went on to co-found People Respecting Others United by Diversity (PROUD) at the Pacific Pride Foundation, Santa Maria’s local 2SLGBTQ+ nonprofit. PROUD was a safe space for 2SLGBTQ+ youth who experienced homophobic attitudes at school or at home. As a volunteer for the Pacific Pride Foundation, he participated in their food pantry program and co-presented 2SLGBTQ+ history awareness workshops to local high schools and juvenile detention center.