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It's our first episode with Roqayah on hiatus! Before we get to the main interview, Kumars has a special guest for the show intro. He talks to writer, activist, and past guest Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura (@Rrrrnessa on twitter) about their shared experiences as stressed-out graduate students, living in the Midwest, and the shit-show that was the Oscars. Arnesa will be joining us next week as co-host for the entire episode!
For the main interview this week, past guest and fan favorite Mariame Kaba (@prisonculture on twitter) takes over hosting duties and talks to Tania Unzueta, co-founder and policy director for Mijente, a nation-wide group dedicated to providing a hub for latinx organizing around immigrant justice, policing, and other issues of importance to latinx communities. They discuss how Tania, herself undocumented, got involved with organizing, helping to found the Immigrant Youth Justice League and later Organized Communities Against Deportations in Chicago, groups that centered the leadership of undocumented immigrants in the fight for their own rights. Tania talks about the recent history of organizing for immigrant justice, beginning in 2006, and how organizers navigated difficult choices around policy proposals such as comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act. They discuss immigrant justice movement tactics, and how those tactics have changed over time and will need to change again in the Trump era. Mariame asks Tania about the Adios Arpaio campaign which successfully ousted Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona and how they were able to win this fight on the same night that the right-wing made huge gains elsewhere. Mariame also asks Tania about the Sanctuary movement, which seeks to prevent local and state law enforcement from cooperating with Federal immigration enforcement efforts, and the report that Mijente recently released called "Expanding Sanctuary" which discusses the movement going forward.
You can follow Tania on twitter at @_LaTania. You can also follow Mijente at @conmijente. Check out Mijente's website to look for ways to plug into the movement for immigrant justice locally, and also donate to support their work if you are able.