Dr. Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours immigrated from the Philippines to Long Beach, California as a child. Her transnational upbringing has greatly influenced her faith practices, teaching and pedagogy, research interests, and community engagement. For example, her article “Mobility, Embodiment, and Scales: Filipino Immigrant Perspectives on Local Food” (2012) argues that local food scholars and activists need to consider the standpoints of communities who define “local” and “local food” differently, to expand their work toward social justice matters around food. For her involvement in the community, she has tutored refugees in City Heights, cooked for and ate meals alongside housing-insecure folks in Santa Cruz, broke bread with women in the Santa Cruz county jail, and is now working with the Restorative Justice Mediation Program as a facilitator at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility. Her passion for teaching is grounded by her commitment to Freirean pedagogy for social change and fostering spaces where students can discuss difficult topics with courage and respect, while developing empathetic understanding and the sociological imagination.
Education
- Ph.D., Sociology, University of California, Santa Cruz
- M.A., Sociology, University of California, Santa Cruz
- B.A, Ethnic Studies, University of California, San Diego
- B.A., Literature/Writing, University of California, San Diego
Courses Taught
- Introduction to Sociology – SOC 101
- Race and Ethnicity – SOC 360
- Medical Sociology – SOC 470
Experience in Field
- Professor (since Aug. 2023), Dept of Sociology, Social Work, and Family Sciences (SSWFS)
- Associate Professor (Aug. 2019-July 2023), SSWFS
- Assistant Professor (Aug. 2016-July 2019), SSWFS
- Adjunct Faculty (Spring 2016), Dept of Sociology
- Adjunct Faculty (2015-2016), Dept of Sociology
- Instructor of Record (September 2013-June 2015), Dept of Sociology
Professional and Community Involvement
- California Sociological Association, President (Fall 2025 - Fall 2026), President-Elect (Fall 2024 - Fall 2025)
- Roots and Fruits Contemplative Group: Co-Facilitator
- Pioneer Oceanview United Church of Christ in San Diego: Member of the Board of Ministries and Christian Education (since April 2021)
- Peace United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz: Coordinator of the Sacred Conversation on Race (2014-2015)
- Peace United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz: Satellite Shelter Program Volunteer, (2012-2015)
- Peace United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz: County Jail Ministry Member, (2009-2015)
Awards and Honors
- California Arts Council Grant of $19,000 in collaboration with Blindspot Collective (2022)
- Hadley Teaching Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, PLNU (2022-2023)
- MAP Fund Grant of $12,500 in collaboration with Blindspot Collective (2020)
- Excellence in Teaching Awards
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award, PLNU (2019)
- Civility Champion, California State University, San Marcos (2016)
- University of California President's Dissertation-Year Fellowship (2014)
- University of California Center for New Racial Studies Research Fellowship (2013)
- University of California Santa Cruz, Department of Sociology, Outstanding Teaching Award (2012)
- Rural Sociological Association, Olaf Larson Graduate Paper Award (2010)
Dissertations, Presentations, and Publications
- Dissertation: "Racialized Bodies and Phantom Limb Citizenship: The Case of the Filipino World War II Veterans"
- Valiente-Neighbours, Jimiliz M. 2015. “Beyond ‘Post-Race Paralysis’: Creating Critical Dialogue on Race in the Obama Era.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Journal 1(2): 331-335. DOI: 10.1177/2332649215569605.
- Valiente-Neighbours, Jimiliz M. 2012. "Mobility, Embodiment, and Scales: Filipino Immigrant Perspectives on Local Food.” Agriculture and Human Values Journal 29(4): 531-541. DOI 10.1007/s10460-012-9379-5.
- "Social Media in Everyday Life as a Resource for Teaching Social Theory." Pacific Sociological Association Conference. Portland, Oregon, April 2017.
- “Incarceration, Rights of the Imprisoned, and Solutions Beyond Prisons.” UC Santa Cruz Guest Lecture in Issues and Problems in American Society course. February 25, 2014.
