Systems Change and Worker Voice Team Expands
BSP at State Capitol - Sacramento, California
Building Skills Partnership’s (BSP) policy framework integrates workforce development with immigrant inclusion and community advancement to advocate comprehensive methods of promoting prosperity, belonging, and wellbeing for California’s property service workers and their families.
BSP’s policy advocacy platform calls on decision makers and legislators to approach the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s racial reckoning as an opportunity to advance policies and investments that dismantle systemic barriers and reflect values of inclusion, equity, and shared prosperity.
Overseen by BSP’s Director of Systems Change & Worker Voice, Jose Mondragon, he is joined by a team committed to advocacy for marginalized communities. Jose also oversees the newly launched Immigration Legal Services team, composed of attorneys and representatives focused on advocating for immigrant rights.
Jose Mondragon is a passionate advocate for social and economic justice, with over 20 years of experience fighting for immigrant rights, labor equity, and access to education. Growing up in a low-income immigrant household in San Diego, Jose witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by marginalized communities. These experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to creating opportunities and dismantling systemic barriers for others.
Jose’s journey into advocacy began in middle school through Future Leaders of America, where he found his voice and passion for leadership. Over the years, he’s taken on roles that have brought real change—from organizing for fair wages with the Fight for $15 movement to helping communities access the tools and resources they need to thrive.
BSP’s Director of Systems Change & Worker Voice, Jose Mondragon
A first-generation college graduate, Jose earned his Master’s degree in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico and his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Latin American & Latino Studies from UC Santa Cruz. He brings expertise in direct action organizing, strategic planning, and building programs that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
BSP's Lead Supervising Attorney on the Immigration Legal Services team is Dulce Garcia
BSP's Lead Supervising Attorney on the Immigration Legal Services team is Dulce Garcia, who grew up in Logan Heights, San Diego. Dulce is a migrant and found it impossible to find financial aid after high school. So, she attended community college at night, and worked as a paralegal in a law office during the day.
She is a graduate of the University of California San Diego where she received her bachelor's degree in Political Science. She attended law school at Cleveland Marshall College of Law where she received her Jurisprudence Doctorate with a concentration in Civil Litigation.
Dulce has provided hundreds of free consultations and dozens of Know Your Rights workshops to inform community members of their rights. She has represented low-income clients in court in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and various nonprofit organizations. Dulce was in the Supreme Court on November 12, 2019 defending DACA.
She served two terms as the Chair of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, a coalition of over 50 organizations. Most recently she served as the Director, U.S.-Mexico Border Programs at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) where she provided critical leadership and oversight to attorneys working with children and families along the U.S.-Mexico border.
BSP Workforce Researcher, Michael Siciliano, PhD
BSP Workforce Researcher, Michael Siciliano, PhD, brings his research experience as a sociologist of labor, labor movements, and organizations (PhD, UCLA; MA, University of Chicago). Previously, Michael held research and teaching positions at Queen’s University, USC, UCSD, and Heartland Alliance’s Social Impact Research Center.
Michael’s published research received funding from the National Science Foundation to understand how precarious workers in “creative” industries navigate economic precarity as well as the uncertainties of working through digital platforms.
This includes an award-winning book published in 2021 by Columbia University Press as well as peer-reviewed studies published in sociology and policy journals. Before all that, he grew up near Pittsburgh, PA where he played bass in punk bands and held a leadership role at a cooperatively run music venue dedicated to anti-racism, anti-sexism, and LGBTQ allyship.
BSP’s Worker Voice Coordinator, Diego Morales (right) pictured with a BSP program participant
BSP's Worker Voice Coordinator, Diego Morales has worked in public school settings for over seven years. Throughout his time, he has worked with diverse groups of students with different learning and socioemotional needs in various communities. Diego has extensive experience developing, implementing, and refining curriculum. He has a passion for developing curriculum that promotes safe and enjoyable learning experiences.