This research project builds off Dr. Mesinas current research on how social and emotional learning is rooted in Eurocentric values and traditions, thus, ignoring the diverse experiences of minoritized communities. She highlights the lived experiences of diasporic Indigenous communities living in present day Los Angeles to demonstrate the diverse approaches communities take in achieving social and emotional well-being. She specifically focuses on diasporic Indigenous Mexicans because there is a sizable Indigenous diaspora in the present U.S., including an estimated one million Zapotec Oaxacans and one million Maya living in our country. For this research project Melissa will visit Oaxaca and Yucatan (Mexico) to ask Indigenous community members if they are open to discussing their ways of living with her, an Indigenous Oaxacan woman who lives in diaspora. She plans to conduct observations, focus groups, and interviews across one (or two visits) to the native land of Zapotecs (Oaxaca) and Maya (Yucatan) to further understand how their elders, epistemologies, and strengths-based approaches cultivate a collective sense of emotional development, including joy, and well-being. She will also reach out to Zapotec- and Maya-heritage community members living in Los Angeles to further understand how these practices and worldviews transcend borders and are passed down to younger generations.