Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist
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Immigration courts are frequently in the headlines, with stories about massive backlogs, judicial turnover, and widely varying asylum approval rates. But how does the immigration court system actually work, and why has it become one of the biggest bottlenecks in immigration enforcement?In the latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, Fellow in Law and Policy Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge, provides a comprehensive tutorial on the immigration court system, explaining its history, structure, and the challenges it faces.Arthur discusses:Why immigration judges are Department of Justice attorneys—not life-tenured Article III judges—and how the immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals are organized.How removal proceedings work and why a final removal order is required before most aliens in the interior can be deported.How the surge in immigration cases during the Biden administration drove the court backlog to historic levels.Why the Biden-driven backlog is beginning to decline as the border and ports become more secure and immigration court case completions reach record levels.Whether hiring more immigration judges alone can solve the problem.Why asylum grant rates differ among judges and courts, and what those statistics do—and do not—show.Pending Supreme Court cases that could reshape immigration detention and court procedures.In closing, Mark Krikorian acknowledges the contributions to immigration policy of two recently deceased: Senator Lindsey Graham and Norm Matloff, professor at the University of California, Davis.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestAndrew Arthur is the Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksSen. Lindsey Graham's Unique Immigration LegacyDOJ: Immigration Court Asylum Grants PlummetFederal Judge Vacates Biden Administration ‘Quiet Amnesty' RuleDOJ Tweets About Decline in Immigration Court Backlog — but Where Are the Stats? Norm Matloff's Publications for CISIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
APEX Express is a weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. This Thursday APEX Express proudly presents “South Asians and The Labor Justice Movement.” This episode highlights Sandhya Jha, a pastor, founder and former Executive Director of the Oakland Peace Center, and racial, housing, and labor justice activist. In the first half of the episode, we discuss Sandhya's life, their path into organizing, and what they're up to now. The second half is dedicated to their recent project with the South Asian American Digital Archive's Archival Creators Fellowship Program. This episode was interviewed, produced, and edited by Swati Rayasam Follow @Sandhya Jha on Facebook and check out Sandhya's website https://sandhyajha.com/ APEX Express is a weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Listen to the episode live on KPFA 94.1 in San Francisco, 89.3 in Berkeley, and online at KPFA.org. References throughout the Show and Links: Without Fear Consulting Interfaith Alliance Oakland Peace Center Book – Blueprint for a Revolution Book – The Selected Writings of Eqbal Ahmad Podcast – Bending Toward Justice: Avatar the Last Airbender for the Global Majority The Alliance of South Asians Taking Action – ASATA Bay Area Solidarity Summer South Asian American Digital Archive Archival Creators Fellowship Program Sandhya Jha's project, you can listen to all of the oral histories here. Solidarity Forever Online Exhibit Arab Resource and Organizing Center Block the Boat No Tech for Apartheid University of California Labor Center Equality Labs California Trade Justice Coalition NAFCON – National Alliance for Filipino Concerns Filipino Community Center Madhvi Trivedi Patak Transcript [00:00:00] Miata Tan: Hello and welcome! You are tuning in to APEX Express—a weekly radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. Tonight we're revisiting an episode from our archives, first aired January 5th, 2023. We're bringing it back this week in honor of South Asian American Heritage Month. This one centers Sandhya Jha — a pastor, organizer, and founder of the Oakland Peace Center — in conversation with APEX producer Swati Rayasam. The first half traces Sandhya's path into organizing, from a labor campaign at Johns Hopkins to two decades of interfaith and racial justice work. The second half digs into Sandhya's project with the South Asian American Digital Archive, where she spent a year interviewing South Asian workers inside the labor movement — collecting stories that don't usually make it into the archive. Here's Swati Rayasam in conversation with Sandhya Jha. [00:01:00] Swati Rayasam: I'm really excited actually today to talk to Sandhya Jha, who is a really close friend of mine. Hi Sandhya. Hi there. Sandhya is, a Pastor is a consultant and has been working on this really amazing project with the South Asian American Digital Archive that will get into later in the episode. But yeah, Sandhya I'm just really excited to learn more about you and to hear more of your story and, let's just dive in. [00:01:26] Swati Rayasam: Absolutely. [00:01:27] Swati Rayasam: We should first talk a little bit about how we know each other, you have this long organizing background. I've been in the Bay Area for the past seven years and I would be totally lying if I said I have not historically been, or I'm not even currently an active fangirl of yours. You are literally a pastor. You are a movement worker, how did you get involved in organizing? [00:01:53] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. So I am the product of my parents who were generous, compassionate [00:02:00] people who thought about the world beyond themselves, but were never involved in organizing or activism or anything like that. I think for anybody who comes from immigrant backgrounds, it's hard to tell our stories without naming who we come from. Right. And so my father was Sunil Kumar Jha from the village of Tildanga in West Bengal. My mother, who is still alive is Jeanette Campbell Jha. She is from Glasgow. So I come from a mixed religion and mixed race home. My parents chose not to name me Sandhya Campbell Jha not to give me that kind of grounding, but I was called Sandhya Rani Jha, which is a lot to live up to, well, yes, Rani does mean Queen. But it was actually handed down to me, part of the reason they wanted that middle name was it was my aunt's name, Durga Rani Upadhyay and she was the one who really [00:03:00] brokered my mother's acceptance into the Indian family and I think that there was something about being accepted on the Indian side of the family and not for many, many years on the Scottish side. That caused my parents and particularly my mother to double down on making sure I knew who I came from and who I came from was my people in the village of Tildanga. [00:03:23] Sandhya Jha: I grew up in Akron, Ohio, so we immigrated to this country when I was a toddler, in the late 1970s, which was a complicated time for Asian immigrants to be in the Midwest because it was a time that the rust belt was rusting and there was a growing sense that we were the reason. But also I grew up alongside folks who were trying to figure out how to put food on the table. So I think that landscape shaped me in a lot of ways. And I also come from people who grew up in poor working communities. And[00:04:00] when I went off to college, there was an organizing campaign. The board of directors of the university had created a for-profit corporation with the exact same board. [00:04:15] Swati Rayasam: Oh wow. [00:04:16] Sandhya Jha: So that the universities could subcontract all of their catering, all of their custodial work to this… basically Shell corporation. [00:04:28] Swati Rayasam: Are we telling on the university? [00:04:29] Sandhya Jha: Mm, Yeah. Why not? It was Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and I think that's relevant because the tension between Black communities next to Johns Hopkins Medical School and the school itself were very real because this was part of a very long history of exploiting community members. So the workers were organizing, and you know, I had read about activism, I cared about it. I paid as much attention as I could for a high school student. But when I got to college, this organizing [00:05:00] campaign was going, and the workers were really clear, Hey, college kids who are excited about this, we do have a role for you. It's to fill the crowd. It's to cheer us on. It's to when we ask you communicate to the university that our well-being matters to you because they will listen to you in different ways. But the campaign centered the workers and was really clear with us about what our role was because we were the folks with all the privilege by getting to be there, right? We had tons of privilege and it was a really good lesson for me. I am so grateful. The first organizing campaign I was a part of was a labor campaign that understood what it meant to center the people who were the most impacted by injustice and I think that shaped the rest of my career. [00:05:46] Swati Rayasam: And that's so special too because I think for many people who come into organizing, and I will definitely cop to this myself, like coming up and organizing through high school and college level organizing. When you are a student, nobody ever [00:06:00] tells you that actually you are the least useful kind of organizer that exists. Right. You are in this incredibly enclaved community. Your oppressor, the university, all they have to do is wait for you to graduate institutional memory will not keep you. Yeah. Right. And I think that it is, it's this perfect storm of, you have actually sometimes cool ideas, sometimes very rudimentary ideas, but you also have this turnover issue and you have this sense of self import, which often comes with your teens, early twenties. Yep. As you're just figuring all of that out. So Yeah, self differentiation, right? It's a narcissistic phase in our development. . [00:06:46] Swati Rayasam: It absolutely is and I think that's so important, and I can't imagine how my life would be shaped if I didn't have to spend a lot of time unlearning the self import and narcissism that I had gained through student [00:07:00] organizing. [00:07:00] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. No, I am really, really grateful for it. [00:07:02] Sandhya Jha: My first job outta college was working for a member of Congress, which sounds super fancy and pretentious, but, a member of congress from Akron, Ohio. So put that all in perspective. His name, believe it or not, was Tom Sawyer. Oh, wow. What I loved about Tom was back in those days, he believed very strongly that 80% of legislation was nonpartisan and that was the part that he spent most of his time on. He would weigh in with his party, when they were dealing with that 20% pretty consistently. But he was more interested in the stuff that everybody could agree on and I remember for about 15 years after I worked for him, I looked back and found myself thinking that was so naive. How did he not understand where we were about to head with the divisions between the political parties? But at this point in my life, I realize the people I respect most in organizing work keep pointing out that the binary of [00:08:00] left and right actually doesn't serve us very well. One of my biggest heroes in the movement right now is the Reverend Dr. William Barber, [00:08:07] Swati Rayasam: Hometown hero of mine. Yes. [00:08:09] Sandhya Jha: Poor People's campaign from North Carolina. And he always talks about how it's not about right and left. It's about right and wrong. And it turns out that when we engage in organizing with the awareness that there are huge swaths of things that most of us are well served by, we can do better organizing. And that was actually how Tom was legislating. And at a certain point I realized that my deep passion was around racial justice, but the distinct experience I had in a multi religious household was an awareness of how religion was being used as a weapon. I had an obsession. Every paper in college I wrote was about the Christian coalition, this right wing, organizing body in the nineties. So a friend of mine [00:09:00] said, You know, there's an interfaith organization working against the Christian Coalition. And it was called the Interfaith Alliance. Her mom had been a superintendent in Washington state in eastern Washington and was a pretty conservative person by my standards. [00:09:18] Sandhya Jha: But, Dr. Chow believed in multiculturalism and believed in teaching evolution. And the Christian coalition had organized to push her out of her position as superintendent and the Interfaith Alliance of Washington State had supported her in that time. [00:09:38] Sandhya Jha: And so Liz said, you know, they've got a national chapter, a national office. And that's where I ended up, cutting my adult organizing teeth which was great because talk about learning lessons for our current moment where religion is being weaponized in ways that are anti-trans, that are anti-queer, that are anti-women, that [00:10:00] are anti reproductive rights, that are anti-immigrant and refugee. I am really grateful to have experienced the power of multi-faith organizing, around a lot of those same issues. So that was what I did in the early two thousands and then I went to seminary and public policy school, and then I ended up out here pastoring a congregation of 10 people in a building of 40,000 square feet. [00:10:29] Sandhya Jha: And long story short, that's how the Oakland Peace Center was born, was out of this dream of cultivating deeper collaboration among nonprofits who were dedicated to a shared cause. The Oakland Peace Center, which is a collective of 40 different nonprofits committed to dismantling the root causes of violence in our community. I was the founder of that organization and it was when I was pastoring First Christian Church of Oakland that I asked the handful of folks who were members of that church, what they wanted to [00:11:00] contribute to the community, and they said they wanted to contribute peace in the midst of violence. And for a dozen folks to have given birth to a space that in non pandemic years, saw over a hundred thousand people do things like the Lawyers for Black Lives Conference and to do Kingian non-violence training and to be a part of food and clothing distribution, to participate in all the very diverse ways that we can create peace is pretty impressive. [00:11:30] Sandhya Jha: And a couple of years ago, I left the Oakland Peace Center because a colleague of mine said, Anybody can run a non-profit. We need you to do what you're actually good at, and what she meant by that was we need more people of color doing diversity, equity, and inclusion work that is actually grounded in power analysis. That isn't just how do we be nicer to each other in the workplace, but how do we recognize the ways that systems of white supremacy [00:12:00] unconsciously often shape the culture of our workplaces? And what do we do to dismantle that white supremacy culture so that we can be building nonprofits and institutions of higher education and faith organizations, and even corporations that are dedicated to our full liberation, our liberation, the lands liberation. [00:12:23] Swati Rayasam: I mean coming, especially from the place that you come in grassroots organizing and in faith based organizing, what is it actually to transition into this kind of consulting space around racial justice and really interface with a lot of people that I feel like as organizers, we don't really talk to? [00:12:42] Sandhya Jha: One of my favorite things about this shift in my work is I love getting to work with folks who don't think of themselves as organizers, who, it turns out are organizers, Right. I think we sometimes create a cult of here's what an organizer looks like, you [00:13:00] have to be a Martin Luther King or a Cesar Chavez and what I love is getting to work with moms and with teenagers and with folks who think of themselves as caring, compassionate, individuals, and when I go into an organization and work with their handful of folks who care about this issue, the DEI team, I get to teach them how to strategically organize. I get to teach them how do you create culture shift over time? I get to teach them how do you figure out who your allies are? How do you figure out how to move people who are neutral? It turns out that there are a lot more organizers out there than we realize if we don't create one definition of what an organizer needs to look like. [00:13:45] Swati Rayasam: I have been reading this political scholar Eqbal Ahmed, who really talks about the way the burden is on those of us who are deeply committed to movement work, narrow definition people, the burden is really on us to try and [00:14:00] create a liberatory future that feels both achievable. Mm-hmm. and safe for everybody. Because when people engage in mass struggle and in revolution, there are people who are a hundred percent willing to put their lives on the line. People who are willing to die for the cause. And we absolutely need those people. And there are many people along the spectrum who, if you can create a future that feels like it's within their grasp, they will come with you. [00:14:30] Sandhya Jha: Yep. I teach a lot of organizing classes and have gotten a chance to teach alongside my beloved colleague BK Woodson at Allen Temple Baptist Church, they have a leadership institute there. And one of the books we use is Blueprint for a Revolution by Srđa Popović. And I feel like I learned a lot as we read that book together and thought about how to apply it to the work we're doing in Oakland. They talked about how by engaging in nonviolent direct action, [00:15:00] they created space for elders to be a part of their work and youth to be a part of their work and families to be a part of their work. By making the movement playful. They gave people hope and gave people courage because dictators are terrified of being mocked. [00:15:17] Swati Rayasam: Yeah, exactly. And I think by being really restrictive or narrow about who we view as actually valuable organizers. And I think labor movements teach us this a lot, right? We really cut ourselves off at the knees on our ability to build a network or to be in touch with the general population, many of whom are more connected than we ever give them credit for. [00:15:41] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. Yep. it's part of why I love labor organizing. I talk with a lot of people who are disenchanted with organizing who ask me how I can have stayed involved for the past 25 years. And why I've been able to stay in it is cuz I'm organizing alongside workers and they have [00:16:00] full lives. And the work that they're doing in the movement is so that they can live their full lives. And there's something about having that perspective and recognizing the why all the time instead of getting lost in the weeds of the what. Is so important in this work. I think that has been a big theme of my organizing life is how do we build to the greatest common denominator? As my friend BK often says how do we build towards those shared values that often get erased when we are engaged in the right versus left debate. [00:16:39] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. I think that it is so important and I also think that it's really hard in this moment of what feels like constant trauma and re trauma. [00:16:51] Swati Rayasam: And to some extent especially when we're talking about the left right dichotomy there are real concerns [00:17:00] about safety. Yep. And there are real concerns about security and who you are in community with and who you can find even the smallest level of acceptance from to ensure that you won't have violence visited upon you. And I think that these conversations of united front organizing, Right. trying to bridge across difference mm-hmm. for a shared goal, for a shared liberatory future Yep. Are really important. And they feel kind of impossible to achieve right now. [00:17:31] Sandhya Jha: It's interesting cuz I think that in many ways that is true. There are a lot of conversations that I think people with privilege expect, people who are marginalized to engage in. And those expectations are unfair, what I found very frustrating was the number of people with a lot of privilege who would be like, Ugh, I just can't talk to those people. And I'm like, Then who's going to? Exactly. and so I do think that some of this is about being willing to have [00:18:00] hard conversations in the places where we have privilege and recognizing who's at actual risk and showing up in ways that are protective of who is at risk. But that doesn't mean walking away from people who aren't where we are. Right. Because the fact of the matter is everybody's on a journey. And I have watched at the same time some of the disposability culture in movements write off people without giving them any way to address harm, repair harm, and find a pathway back into community. [00:18:41] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. And I think that's why, at least I am feeling really hopeful about, what I've seen over the past couple of years, this really important track into transformative justice and restorative justice, to acknowledge that there is harm that has happened, there are harms that happen every day between people. [00:19:00] And also we are all on our own journey to unlearn the things that we have been taught either directly or indirectly by our upbringing, by our environment and that you cannot easily dispose of people and that people are able to come back into community. Now that comes with a very important caveat that like they recognize the harm. Mm-hmm. that. They have done or how they've been party to it, that they acknowledge that there is healing work that needs to be done both with the person that they harmed and also probably in internally. [00:19:35] Sandhya Jha: Well, and the community, folks who don't do RJ on a regular basis tend to skip the community aspect. Yeah. That there is actually repair that needs to be done with community and there's work community needs to do to figure out how to re-embrace reabsorb people who have done harm in ways that still protect the person who's been harmed. [00:19:55] Swati Rayasam: Exactly. In ways that do not erase the harm that has happened, but [00:20:00] acknowledge, contextualize it and say, Okay, we are patching this and we are working to move forward in step with each other. Absolutely. [00:20:09] Sandhya Jha: Can I just say that one of the other things that I think you and I have in common is a real passion for bringing joy back into the work of Justice I quote Fabiana Rodriguez a lot on this particular thing, because I was at an event she was doing eons ago, and she looked out at us and most of us were activists and she said, Listen, y ‘all you keep inviting people to a struggle. I'm on your side and I don't wanna join a struggle. I want to join a party. And that was like a call to arms for me when I heard her say that. I was like, Oh my gosh, you're right. We are so much more fun. Like, I've hung out with people who are anti-trans and anti queer and anti-immigrant and anti refugee. They are not fun people. No, no. We have all of the best parties. So I don't know why we don't [00:21:00] capitalize on that more. So I think the role of joy and justice is so important. And this is why I was so excited to have you on the podcast that I launched recently. [00:21:11] Sandhya Jha: Right. Bending Towards Justice Avatar the last Airbender for the Global Majority. [00:21:15] Swati Rayasam: So literally like bringing it together. Two of my favorite things right, is like TV shows, wholesome TV shows like Avatar, The Last Airbender that I deeply love and organizing. Yes. All the work that I love. And I think it's true You know, what is actually really the important work is to work to build toward a future that is desirable Yep. That people want to be a part of. Yeah. That people can see happen. Yeah. And I think that is a lot of the difficulty that I have seen in some organizing circles. We are so well versed in what we are against and all of the things that are bad that so many people have a really hard time seeing or visioning or communicating [00:22:00] what it is that we are fighting for. Yeah. Right. And it's not enough to say, I'm fighting for a world where we can all be safe. Right. Yeah. I'm not, I'm fighting for a world where we can all take long naps in the middle of the day if we'd like to do that. Right. Yeah. But like really building and visioning that future of like, in this world in which we are all safe, there will be harm that happens. How do we deal with that? Yeah. What do we do with that? How do we make sure that it is able to keep everybody safe and also able to account for the times in which it is not able to keep everybody safe. [00:22:38] Sandhya Jha: Visionary does not have to mean naive. And we need it to be visionary. And sometimes I forget to do the visionary stuff. I've got a colleague, Dave Bell, he's a farmer who is also an anti-racism trainer and we do a lot of work together. He's a white guy who lives in White Swan, Washington, on the reservation and I remember being at a training with him and I [00:23:00] was all fired up and I was so excited about the conversations we were having and the people were really ready to do the hard work and roll up their sleeves. And Dave says to them, I would like to not have to do this work. And I'm like, What is he talking about? This is amazing. We're doing such good work. And he says, I would like for us not to have to talk about racism all the time. I would rather be farming. I would rather be, taking care of the cows in my field. [00:23:26] Sandhya Jha: I would rather be talking about my pottery work that I'm doing badly but learning how to do, I would rather be doing anything than have this conversation. But I don't get to be on the farm with the wheat, with the cows, with my bad pottery until we figured out how to do this anti-racism work. And it was a really humbling moment for me because I also get into that like I'm an organizer, that's my identity space. And it was this reminder of Dave's doing this. So he gets to live in a world where he gets to hang out in the fields and he [00:24:00] gets to, love on the cows. There's something about being reminded that we're doing this so that eventually we don't have to do it. That I think is actually visionary in its own way and it's important. [00:24:12] Swati Rayasam: Moving into a little bit more of the grit of like why I asked you to be on the show today. I met you originally when I moved to the Bay Area when you were the executive director of the Oakland Peace Center because At that time I was doing organizing work with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, which is a 20 year old bay area based organization, that was really founded around the Laki Reddy Bali Reddy sex trafficking. Yep. Caste and labor exploitation case that happened in Berkeley in 1999. And I was just so thrilled to be around and have in community so many rad desis. And you also did work with ASATA, right. Historically and are actively doing work with us. [00:24:56] Sandhya Jha: Absolutely. One of the places I think I invested the most [00:25:00] energy in where we got to spend a lot of quality time in the kitchen was one of the projects, Bay Area Solidarity Summer, an organizing institute, camp, however you wanna refer to it. [00:25:10] Swati Rayasam: Political education, Summer camp. [00:25:12] Swati Rayasam: Yeah, exactly. For young South Asian Americans who are committed to activism. What I think was the most beautiful part of that program when I was involved in it, and it's still the case today, is for young South Asians who think that they're the only ones who care about justice issues, who haven't met other people, who are South Asian, and identify as justice seekers first to meet each other and realize that there are people just like them. Then to look around and realize that those of us who are usually 10, 15, 20 years older than them are also committed to the work and have been doing it for decades. And then for them to get exposed to the long history of radical visionary organizing and activism of South [00:26:00] Asians here in the US and also in the homelands of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and diasporic countries all over the world. [00:26:13] Sandhya Jha: There's something about realizing, Oh, you have contemporaries, oh, you have elders, oh, you have ancestors. Mm-hmm. Especially in the face of the model minority lie that so many of us have had imposed on us, this lie that all we are all we're supposed to be is cogs in this larger capitalist machine that are non disruptive, which is why we're allowed to survive. And if we are non disruptive enough, we might even be able to be comfortable. And to discover that there's more to our story than that is so exciting and I love, love, love being a part of that. [00:26:52] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. I think that is like fundamentally one of the most important kind of activities that [00:27:00] happens in the ASATA universe, I was a kid who also grew up thinking that there were no other South Asians like me, or there were no other folks who were interested in justice. I spent a lot of time doing, reproductive and queer justice in the south; I always think about what would it have meant if I came in, BASS for 18 to 24 year olds. Yep. what would it have meant if I had come in at a fresh 18 and been able to basically be apprised of the fact that I have this history Yeah. That it's not just me. And that actually, immigration and white supremacy and neo-colonial culture has created this project of assimilation that all of our parents have been in on, in a way to survive Yeah. And to be safe. And I tell my, I tell my mom that a lot because she's always a little surprised about the organizing work that I do. And I was just like, Your job was to survive. My job is to liberate. Yeah. [00:28:00] You know? Yeah. And I could not do that if you were not so focused on creating that environment for me. [00:28:07] Swati Rayasam: I love that. [00:28:07] Swati Rayasam: we'll drop in the show notes, but, BASS – Bay Area Solidarity Summer is solidaritysummer.org. So we'll put that in the show notes as well as ASATA, the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action is ASATA.org. And yeah, I think that is a really good segue into how we got involved in this amazing project. [00:28:31] Swati Rayasam: You're tuned in to APEX express at 94.1 KPFA and 89.3, KPFB in Berkeley. And online@kpfa.org. [00:28:43] Swati Rayasam: I think it was Fall 2021 that you and I were talking. Yep. And you were telling me that you were involved in this amazing archival fellowship project. Is run by the South Asian American Digital Archive and [00:29:00] that you were going to do your project about labor. Mm-hmm. and South Asians. Yep. And my immediate, incredibly naive response was, how many South Asians are there in labor? [00:29:12] Sandhya Jha: Exactly. And it's not naive. It's interesting cuz I think that this project actually emerged out of my favorite part of BASS, which was when the young adults would ask what their opportunities were in the world of justice. And I would say, you know, there's a place for us in labor justice. It had never crossed most of their minds. Right. We don't think of ourselves as having a role especially in formalized unions. And so SAADA, the South Asian American Digital Archives has an archival fellows project. And the whole purpose of it is to diversify their archives and collect the stories that are usually overlooked in the telling of South Asian American stories. [00:29:56] Sandhya Jha: And they have done a great job over the years of collecting the [00:30:00] stories of informal organizing, like the Punjabi Taxi Drivers campaign, the Bangladeshi Nail Workers Campaign. Those were informal labor organizing campaigns. That have been really well archived and they're amazing stories. I wanted to make sure that the next generation of South Asian activists knew about the South Asians who were actually part of the formal organized labor movement. [00:30:30] Sandhya Jha: And so I spent this past year interviewing, maybe a half a dozen or so South Asian American workers. Generally, not always, but mostly what would be classified as low wage workers who found a pathway into formal organizing bodies, unite here or the building trades or any number of the formal unions that keep [00:31:00] the labor movement alive across the country today. And I'm really proud of the fact that we do have South Asian workers who have moved up the ranks to be official organizers or to be at negotiating tables. And so that's part of the story I thought it was worth us telling. [00:31:19] Swati Rayasam: And I am, I'm so excited that we get to dive deeper into this project and I really love your framing too, around the three large bins that you have, solidarity, spirit and struggle. [00:31:34] Swati Rayasam: Right? Yeah. Yeah. [00:31:35] Sandhya Jha: I started out with certain assumptions about what I was going to learn, partly because I've been doing labor solidarity work for 25 years at this point. I really thought I knew what I was gonna hear. And what I discovered was there were these consistent themes across, the interviews. that there were these notions of, Oh, what's meaningful to me is [00:32:00] getting to organize across cultures, getting to organize with people who, on the surface and even deep down are very different than me, but we share this vision of what our lives can be. And so that solidarity message I found really powerful. Also, and admittedly because I come out of a spiritual background, was probably looking for it. I was really struck by how many of the interviews ended up talking about the role of spirituality and shaping people's values. And in a couple of instances, organizers said, what my religion taught me was that religion needs to be challenged. And building up that muscle was what helped me challenge systems of injustice in other places. But others said that their journey with their faith tradition was what guided them into the work of labor organizing. [00:32:52] Sandhya Jha: And then that third bucket of struggle, I think is the lived experience of how [00:33:00] hard it is to take on oppressive systems of capitalism, how hard it is to take on decks that are stacked against us and what it means to have somewhere to turn in the midst of those struggles. I will say there were also a couple of lessons I was surprised by because my South Asian identity is so central to my organizing work, I was expecting to collect stories of people who were proud South Asians, who were also proud to be involved in the labor movement. And I assumed that they would see connections between those things because I certainly do. But what I discovered is for the most part, they were like, Yeah, I'm South Asian. I'm not saying that doesn't matter, but it's not super relevant to my organizing work. My organizing work is about [00:34:00] our cross-cultural solidarity. And that was something I hadn't been expecting that emerged as I did those interviews. Interesting. And I'm really grateful that the South Asian American Digital Archives likes telling all of the stories because I think I promised them that what they were going to get was, we're proud to be South Asian organizers. And what I got was, yeah, we're South Asian, we're proud to be organizers. And the that SAADA is like, yeah, that's part of our story too. [00:34:28] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. And I think that's, that I think is incredibly important. We have this really, amazing series of audio clips from your SAADA interviews that really represent a lot of the themes that you were highlighting about solidarity, spirit, and struggle. And I'm just really excited to play them as we talk through these larger themes in your larger project and the experience of South Asian labor organizers. [00:34:55] Swati Rayasam: This clip is from somebody that you and I both know, which [00:35:00] is Prem Pariyar. I was so thrilled that Prem was a part of your project. I think Prem is an incredible organizer, so yeah tell our listeners a little bit about Prem. Prem [00:35:09] Sandhya Jha: It was pretty exciting to get to work with him you know, he moved here from Nepal and in Nepal he had been a Dalit activist and he came to the United States and had this notion that in the United States there is no caste and he was disabused of that notion very quickly as a restaurant worker dealing with anti Nepali bias in Indian restaurants, dealing with caste bias in Nepali restaurants, well dealing with Caste bias in all the restaurants. [00:35:35] Swati Rayasam: Hey, everyone, Narrator Swati here, I just wanted to put in an explanatory comma, a la W Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu to talk about some terms you just heard. Sandhya referenced that Prem was a Dalit activist and also talked about Caste bias. For those of you who don't know, Caste is a violent system of oppression and exclusion, which governs social status in many south Asian countries, although it is [00:36:00] most commonly associated with India. It works on an axis of purity and pollution, and it's hereditary. At the top of the caste system are Brahmins, by the way Sandhya and I are both Brahmin, and not even at the bottom, but completely outside of the system are Dalits who were previously referred to by the slur untouchable and Adivasis who are indigenous to South Asia. [00:36:25] Swati Rayasam: Despite being “illegal” Caste bias, Caste Oppression, Caste apartheid, are still prevalent, both in South Asia and as Sandhya references, in the United States. It manifests in many ways that people experience racial injustice, via socioeconomic inequality, systemic and interpersonal violence, occupation, and through the determination of marriage and other relationships. You can learn more at EqualityLabs.org and APEX currently has a show in the works that delves into this more deeply. Now. Back to Sandhya [00:36:58] Sandhya Jha: What is [00:37:00] delightful to me is Prem went on to get an MSW and is building out amazing mental health resources for Dalit communities for the Nepali community. Seeking to build out a program where there are more and more people in Nepal who are trained with MSW skills. [00:37:21] Sandhya Jha: I met with one of his professors from CSU East Bay where he got his degree and she said, You know, that the entire Cal State system is adding caste to its anti-discrimination policies thanks to the work he started at CSU East Bay. And it was really beautiful to hear that because the focus of my conversations with him were more around how his experiences in the restaurants led him into the solidarity work with nail salon workers. [00:37:53] Swati Rayasam: To just, kick back to the caste abolition work that Prem has been doing, that caste abolition work [00:38:00] at CSU East Bay has been such critical work in these ongoing conversations around caste that have been in the South Asian community primarily, but have been percolating elsewhere. [00:38:13] Swati Rayasam: You know, the state of California filed a lawsuit against Cisco systems Yep. For caste discrimination in their workplace and there have been all these conversations around caste and tech work and interplay that with the no tech for apartheid work. Right. That has been happening in Palestinian liberation circles. Yeah. And really building that solidarity movement. So I think that Prem is an absolute powerhouse Yeah. In that regard. But yeah, let's listen to this clip. [00:38:42] Prem: During that time, I got connected with other community organizer, like workers group. I got connected and so I was connected with nail salon workers, who were exploited at their workplace and with them, [00:39:00] I got to go to the capital in Sacramento. And so I thought I need to advocate for the restaurant workers. that was my first experience, like working with other workers and with the assembly members and like other other policy makers I shared what is happening what kinds of discrimination happening at the workplace. So I advocated for the restaurant workers at that time. I shared my stories and I supported the rights of nail salon workers. I was there to support them and they supported me as well, and it was wonderful. And finally that advocacy worked. And the bill was drafted and it was passed finally. And so it was huge achievement at that time. [00:39:49] Swati Rayasam: I love that. I think that is such a perfect story of when you win, we all win. [00:39:56] Sandhya Jha: And what I also love about it is he goes on [00:40:00] to talk about how he has remained in relationship with those nail salon workers. That they show up for each other, that they take each other food, that they show up to each other's baby showers and birthday parties, and there's this sense of community that emerges out of this shared struggle. And so that's a cross-cultural campaign. They were mostly Vietnamese. There were some Bangladeshi nail salon workers, but it was mostly people from a different culture than his. [00:40:27] Sandhya Jha: But somebody at the Asian Health Services program that he was at, saw his gifts, saw his passion, and he really responded to that in exactly, the most powerful way. I can imagine. [00:40:38] Swati Rayasam: And I think one of the nice things as well about that is that person at Asian Health Services connected Prem in and the Nail Salon Worker group, California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, Prem came from Nepal, I'm not sure, but the extent to which his organizing background and how comfortable he was in the US organizing space around labor [00:41:00] issues was probably significantly less that worker group took it upon themselves when they saw Prem come in to say, Oh, you are advocating on behalf of restaurant workers. Great. Why don't you join us? Let's help support and so the nail salon workers saw Prem, saw solidarity with Prem and said, It is our responsibility mm-hmm to bring you into this space to connect you in and to move in, struggle together. Yeah. Toward our shared goals of safety, of health, of rights. Yep. [00:41:35] Sandhya Jha: Exactly. [00:41:36] Swati Rayasam: So, we have this clip from Daljit, tell me a little bit about Daljit. Daljit [00:41:42] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. Daljit was an attorney who now reads tarot for people because she needed a break from the toxicity of that career and how it was taking her away from her family. Daljit is a deeply spiritual person and, [00:42:00] as I mentioned before, this theme of spirit showed up in some really beautiful ways in some of the interviews. I loved the way she understood her Sikh tradition as foundationally being connected with the land and foundationally connected with the people who work the land. [00:42:15] Daljit: Agriculture is our culture and the religion that I was born into, Siki, the founder of that faith was a farmer. And so a lot of the scripture, the analogies, the metaphors, the poetry, the music, the songs, the boon, the traditional folk songs, that can be taunting and teasing banter, all that stuff the land is the framework for that. And my most favorite line from the Guru Granth Sahib, our holy book, is, [speaks Punjabi] and that basically means that, the waters our guru, the airs our father, but our mother is Earth. And that's the greatest of all , and that's adherence to ecosystem. That's the [00:43:00] indigenous Cosmo vision that should be paramount. And that's what I try to teach my children. And so I think that's what I was taught as a kid without necessarily being able to pinpoint it, but it was just infused throughout our songs, our music, our food, the Harvest, there's two times a year that our celebrations, whether it Baisakhi or Lohri. It's so connected to the harvest and what is coming out of the soil or not. And you're connected to the cycles of nature. [00:43:28] Swati Rayasam: The connection between nature land, spirituality the way that it shows up in so many faith backgrounds and so many faith organizers, I think is really, really beautiful. [00:43:41] Sandhya Jha: And I love that Daljit Kaursoni who was raised in this tradition, has found her way to Buddhism and is raising her kids with those connections, but without ever losing this grounding in the liberation of the land, the liberation of the [00:44:00] people. [00:44:00] Sandhya Jha: And for that to be a key element of her spirituality, even as her spirituality evolves, I think it's pretty powerful. Tafadar [00:44:08] Sandhya Jha: One of the other people I got to interview ,Tafadar, he's a Bangladeshi American in the building trades and is a deeply committed Marxist. For me, this was a particularly exciting interview because I'm Bengali, so from West Bengal, before partition, Bangladesh and what's now West Bengal, were one state. And so it was fun to get to talk with him and to say, Hey, this is our legacy as Bengalis is radical worker organizing. [00:44:40] Sandhya Jha: And I remember saying to him, Some people in the building trades are not super excited to be working with brown people. And some people in the building trades are a little biased against women. And as a very, very progressive South Asian? How do you navigate that [00:45:00] space? [00:45:00] Sandhya Jha: And he said, Here's the thing is, yeah, I organize alongside some moderate to conservative white folks from New Jersey and he said, but in the building trades, if that moderate to conservative white guy from New Jersey decides he doesn't like my feminist politics, or he doesn't like my brown skin, if he decides that's a reason not to train me, he might die. And it was really interesting because even though I've been doing labor justice work for a long time, it was one of those moments I was like, Oh, right. Your work is very dangerous and you all have to rely on each other whether you like each other or not. That is the magic of organizing that no one ever talks about. This is why we can do cross class, cross-cultural work because literally you have to trust each other with your lives. Right. That was a really clarifying moment for me. And it was one of those interesting moments where I was like, [00:46:00] Solidarity is not a romantic thing. Uh, it is very much a matter of life and death. [00:46:05] Sandhya Jha: And I think that is really important and that exact thing that you brought up, you don't even have to necessarily trust somebody. Right. But you do need them. Yep. Right. And like that really clear understanding that like your fates are intertwined and it is truly in everybody's best interest. If you are trained well, irrespective of whether or not at lunch, I'm interested in sitting anywhere near you. I think that's really great. [00:46:32] Sandhya Jha: One of the things that was really exciting about talking with Tafadar was the reminder that labor organizing and formal union organizing at its best can be in solidarity with other movements really worker justice and housing justice and racial justice are inseparable, on some level. And so, one of the most inspiring stories I got to hear across all of these interviews [00:47:00] was a campaign that brought together folks across the anti- gentrification, the immigrant rights, and the labor justice movement. [00:47:14] Tafadar: It's ironic, building affordable housing with deadly exploitation. And, um, to do this, the de blassio administration, they embark on massive major rezonings of poor areas to relax the local zoning laws to be able to bring in these developments. And a couple of years ago, my, my union in local 79's. Took a very sharp turn towards a community organizing approach because labor can't win on our own, and that's the perspective that all of labor should adopt. In order to fight against the sweatshops in our industry. We united with a lot of community organizations in the South Bronx. [00:47:53] Tafadar: We formed the South Bronx, Safe Southern Boulevard Coalition. And along with these groups, we [00:48:00] protested and did a whole lot of activism, lobbying, community organizing to stop the rezoning of Southern Boulevard, which is a massive stretch in the South Bronx, while the De Blassio administration had succeeded in another part of the Bronx where there's like massive displacement still underway right now. And we were determined to stop it there. And it was a beautiful thing that we can unite because on our end as labor, we had to prevent all these trash companies from coming in and exploiting workers. And we were working with these tenants who are afraid of being displaced. And people generally, we do need revitalization of our neighborhoods. We do need investment. We do need things to be changed and made better. For us. If it's not for us, if it's done without us, then eventually we're not even gonna be here anymore. So we had that alliance going on and not only did we manage to stop that rezoning, we also educated the local city councilman on why his position was wrong and supporting the rezoning. And he eventually completely flipped this [00:49:00] position. And now chairs the land use committee of the city council from the perspective that we educated him on, which it's just been a very interesting dynamic. But, there's a lot of rezoning battles all over the city that's like the main front of anti gentrification struggles. And I've been watching those kinds of campaigns go on since I began organizing about 15, 16. I've seen very different approaches to them, but I've never seen any model really work until that one kicked in where Labor and the community came together. So that was one of my favorite campaigns because of that lesson that we were able to concretely put into practice and set as an example for not only for community movements all over New York City, but also for Labor. [00:49:43] Sandhya Jha: I think this hit me in particular because I've done so much work around antis displacement in Oakland, and my experience has been. [00:49:53] Sandhya Jha: That while for most of us on the ground, the connection between housing justice and labor justice is really clear. When you [00:50:00] start getting into the technical policy issues and the funding issues, the folks who are running labor and housing justice or affordable housing, struggle to find ways to collaborate. And it's been one of my consistent heartbreaks for at least a decade at this point because I work at the intersection of those things and sometimes I despair of us being able to find ways to move forward together. And so to hear a story like this one and to be reminded at core, those justice issues can and must be we already knew, must be, but actually can function together to build a better community. That was actually really life giving for me to hear. [00:50:45] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. I a hundred percent agree. And I think the point that Tafadar as well brings in the clip of just saying we knew that we could do this, but we knew we couldn't do this without community organizing. Right? Yeah. That labor couldn't do this alone. Yeah. [00:51:00] And I think that is a lot of what, when we talk about solidarity politics, it's not just a backdoor way of inclusion for inclusion's sake, we have to all do this. Actually, it is integral that all of us are involved in any of these campaigns because it impacts all of us. And because we are not going to win with only a single constituency and in the very same way that, Tafadar was identifying that labor couldn't do that alone. in community organizing spaces that you and I have been in mm-hmm. , like we are constantly talking about how we cannot do any of this without labor. Yep. And I think a beautiful example of that is the Block the Boat campaign yeah that the Arab Resource Organizing Center, started back in 2014 and then again during 2021 to block the Zim ship from the port of Oakland. And like this community organization [00:52:00] AROC could not do that without working with the longshoreman to collaborate with the port workers. And I think that when we see the marriage of community organizing and labor organizing, that is when we get the power of grassroots organizing. [00:52:16] Sandhya Jha: Something I wanna mention about the SAADA Fellowship that I was really grateful for: two things. First off, they did a really good job of making sure we got trained in grassroots oral history. So they took really seriously what it meant for this to be justice work. And they made sure we had exposure to methodology that was gonna lift up and honor and foster the voices of people whose stories don't get heard often enough. And that was a really big deal to me. The other thing is they made sure that we had an advisory board, people who are in this [00:53:00] work who could help us, figure out who to talk with, who could help us build out an event strategy. And you helped me build out my advisory committee. Anibel Ferris-Comelo who is with the University of California Labor Center, [00:53:14] Swati Rayasam: Prem Pariyar, a Nepali Dalit restaurant worker, organizer pushing for Caste as a protected category with Equality Labs, a Dalit feminist organization, and a social worker supporting the mental health needs of his and many other South Asian communities in Alameda county. [00:53:31] Swati Rayasam: Will Jamil Wiltchko with the California Trade Justice Coalition, Terry Valen who I did a lot of organizing with at the beginning of the pandemic, around the struggles that seafarers were facing with the onset of COVID-19. And he's the organizational director of the Filipino Community Center in San Francisco. The president of NAFCON which is the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns and just an all in all amazing organizer [00:53:57] Sandhya Jha: the last thing I wanna mention [00:54:00] is SAADA also helped me set up a digital exhibit with Art by Madhvi Trivedi Patak and I wanted to give them a shoutout because they're an incredible artist, but also they grew up in a working class family and didn't get exposed to what it looks like to do labor justice. And so as they developed the artwork to go with the digital exhibit, they got to experience the possibilities of labor solidarity that they hadn't gotten to experience as a child. And so I really loved that Madhvi was a part of this project as well [00:54:38] Swati Rayasam: All of the clips that you shared really identifying, again, these like huge fundamental pillars of solidarity and spirit and struggle. these clips were amazing. They are so rich and so layered with all of these people's varying and different experiences. Really showing in [00:55:00] all of these different walks of life at all of these ages with all of these experiences, that all of these people have this unified and shared identity in struggle, in spirit, and in solidarity for liberation. [00:55:14] Sandhya Jha: And one of the things that I think is worth celebrating is whether they see it as part of their South Asian identity or not. People who do identify as South Asian now have this resource that says there's a home for you in the labor movement. Yes, there are. There is a value to your voice. There is a value to your wisdom, there's a value to your experience in the labor movement. [00:55:36] Swati Rayasam: I think it's a beautiful project. Sandhya, I think it has been an amazing amount of work I've watched you do over the past year. These stories are so wonderful. I really encourage people to check it out. Where can they find your project? [00:55:49] Sandhya Jha: The website's www.saada.org/acfp [00:56:00] /exhibit/solidarity-forever. We'll put that in the notes. We'll definitely put that in the show notes. [00:56:05] Swati Rayasam: I just wanna make sure that we replug your podcast Bending Toward Justice Avatar, The Last Air Bender for the Global Majority and you can find that at tinyurl.com slash ATLA podcast, Capital P (tinyurl.com/ATLAPodcast). And then the last thing that I also wanna make sure that we plug is Without Fear Consulting. [00:56:27] Sandhya Jha: I love working with folks who know that their organization could be a little more liberative, and are, just not quite sure where to start. I love working with a team of folks who want to be about the work of incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into the DNA of their organization and I love setting them up so that they can keep doing that long after I'm working with them. So please do find me withoutfearconsulting.com. If you're interested in that. [00:56:58] Swati Rayasam: Amazing. Sandhya [00:57:00] Jha, Pastor, Racial Justice consultant, podcast host, archivist, singer songwriter, amazing cook. You can do it all. I think you deserve a nap. it has been amazing talking to you. I am so glad to be able to hear about your project and also to hear a lot more about your life. [00:57:23] Sandhya Jha: Yay. Thank you so much. [00:57:25] Miata Tan: That was Swati Rayasam in conversation with Sandhya Jha. As Swati mentioned, you can learn more about her work in the show notes at kpfa.org/program/apex-express. Speaking of Swati — she's currently working on an episode marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, out in early September. It'll cover the work of the South Asian Coalition, a national network of organizations working together on South Asian American movement building. Keep an eye out for that one. This episode originally aired January 5th, 2023 — we're re-airing it this week in honor of South Asian American Heritage Month. This is APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, airing every Thursday evening at 7pm. Thank you for tuning in tonight. APEX Express is a proud member of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. A network focused on long-term movement building, capacity infrastructure, and leadership support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders committed to social justice. Learn more at AACRE.org This program produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's episode was produced by Swati Rayasam. Get some rest y'all. The post APEX Express – 7.16.26 – South Asians and The Labor Justice Movement appeared first on KPFA.
Congressional Democrats are holding ICE's feet to the fire over that shooting in Houston as the congressional Hispanic caucus will hold a hearing in Houston next week and congresswoman Sylvia Garcia says they need the public's input because the agency is not releasing details, Austin-area state rep. and Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor Vikki Goodwin is calling on governor Greg Abbott to get lawmakers back at the capitol for a special session on data centers, and Goodwin was joined at a press conference yesterday by various local elected officials from Austin, San Marcos, and Hays county, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is still planning a major expansion of Mopac south between Cesar Chavez and Slaughter lane, but the cost of the project has been jumping way up, raising questions from some people who often use toll roads in the area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the latest episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, Executive Director Mark Krikorian speaks with Jordan Knight, founder of Migration Watch Australia, about how record immigration levels are reshaping Australia's politics and public debate.After experiencing net negative migration during the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia saw housing costs stabilize and pressure on public services ease. But in 2023, the government admitted an unprecedented 737,000 migrants into a nation of just 27 million people. Knight explains how the resulting strain on housing affordability, homelessness, infrastructure, and public services has transformed immigration into one of Australia's defining political issues.The discussion explores the rapid rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, which has gained momentum by advocating for significantly lower immigration levels and questioning Australia's decades-long embrace of multiculturalism over assimilation. Knight also examines the changing positions of Australia's major political parties, growing public skepticism toward historically high legal immigration (skilled and unskilled), the expansion of foreign student programs, and the cultural impact of high immigration levels.As Australia prepares for its next federal election in two years, Knight discusses whether mounting public concern over immigration will translate into electoral gains for One Nation and reshape the country's political landscape.In closing, Krikorian discusses the Trump administration's expanding interior enforcement efforts. As Border Czar Tom Homan has noted in recent media appearances, ICE is now making more than 2,000 arrests a day. While large numbers of those arrested have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, increasing numbers of ordinary illegal aliens are also being taken into custody. Krikorian argues that sustained worksite enforcement will be essential if the president's promise of dramatic reduction of the illegal population is to be met.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestJordan Knight is the founder of Migration Watch Australia.LinksJordan Knight's Sky News ArticlesSenator Pauline Hanson Addresses the National Press Club of AustraliaJordan Knight X AccountIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
State senator Charles Perry is vowing to introduce another bill next legislative session to fully ban THC in Texas, and that's leaving a lot of business owners feeling even more uncertain about their future as Estella Castro owns Austinite Cannabis Co on Cesar Chavez and she tells cbs austin she opened her store soon after state lawmakers approved new hemp laws back in 2019 and she says there have been ongoing concerns since last year when lawmakers first began targeting the THC industry, another protest was held yesterday demanding that city and county officials do everything they can to keep immigration officials out of Austin neighborhoods, protesters rallied outside of the Travis County commissioners court building urging elected officials to protect illegal immigrants in areas where they say there has been an uptick in ice activity, and Austin police are investigating the discovery of a dead body at an east Austin park as officer Austin Zarling says 911 got a call just before 5:45 p.m. from a person who found the body at bolm district park.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Check us out at https://www.rfemedia.com/Imperialism is a primary contradiction, so let's talk about it because no one is addressing the veteran angle in a critical way . Platner's defenders have been using his self-celebrated service record and the combat PTSD excuse in order to explain away bad behavior, alcohol abuse, and a failure to come to terms with the true cost of the Global War on Terror. I think if some of us were more politically disciplined a bunch of people would not have been side-swiped by this recent credible allegations.It's just me today for this episode, everyone else is on summer break so I'm stuck having to talk about Platner, about what military service truly means in all its violence and why I currently do not trust a single veteran in office or a single one who is running, and why placing your faith in singular movement leaders to usher in the revolution and turn the electoral college and this whole franchise around is never going to cut it. We might talk about Cesar Chavez, since it's somewhat apropos.
In the latest episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, Fellow in Law and Policy Andrew Arthur and Senior Legal Fellow George Fishman examine three landmark Supreme Court immigration decisions issued over the past two weeks and discuss their implications."Two of these decisions went in the administration's favor, but the birthright citizenship was a big loss. Anyone who calls this a politicized Court should review all three and see for themselves."Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Why the Court ruled that Congress meant what it put into statute—no judicial review of TPS designations—and what the decision means for the Trump administration, and why Congress—not the courts—must ultimately reform a program that has evolved beyond its original "temporary" purpose.Asylum at the Border: How the Court confirmed that a foreign national only becomes an "alien" eligible to apply for asylum once they have entered the United States. The Court found that one has not arrived in the United States while still on foreign soil, regardless of whether they want to make an asylum claim.Birthright Citizenship: Why the Court rejected President Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, why Justice Kavanaugh's opinion leaves open the possibility of congressional action, and what policy options remain to address birth tourism and other incentives created by current law.The discussion also explores how these rulings could shape future litigation, immigration enforcement, and legislative action.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsGeorge Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration StudiesAndrew Arthur is a Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesLinksThe ‘Birthright Opinion' Is In — and Trump Won't Like ItDOJ Vows to Crack Down on Birth Tourism in Response to ‘Birthright' OpinionCitizenship FolliesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features Dan Vara, a veteran of both the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), discussing how immigration enforcement evolved into a critical component of national security, counterterrorism, and criminal investigations and enforcement.Drawing on more than two decades of service as a lawyer with INS and ICE, Vara, a Center board member, recounts pivotal cases that demonstrated the growing value of immigration authorities in combating drug trafficking, organized crime, espionage, terrorism, and human rights violators. The conversation highlights numerous real-world examples in which immigration authorities proved essential to broader public safety and national security missions, illustrating how the role of immigration enforcement expanded dramatically over the course of Vara's career.Through first-hand accounts spanning the Cold War, the drug wars of the 1980s and 1990s, and the post-9/11 era, Vara illustrates how immigration authorities often provided investigative and enforcement tools unavailable to other agencies – making immigration enforcement a true force-multiplier for law enforcement.Among the topics discussed:How immigration authorities became integrated into major drug-trafficking and organized crime investigations.The role immigration law played in dismantling terrorist networks after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.The use of immigration enforcement to pursue criminals and national security threats when other charges were unavailable.The role immigration enforcement played in seizing boats during the Cuban migrant crisis in 1993.How immigration law became an increasingly important tool in counterintelligence, counterespionage, and national security investigations.The evolution of INS into ICE following the September 11 attacks.Commentary from Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host, highlights recent high-profile welfare fraud investigations. While arguing that aggressive enforcement and prosecution are essential, he cautions against allowing headline-grabbing fraud cases to distract policymakers from the larger issue. Lasting reform requires changes to immigration statutes and regulations that reduce overall immigration levels and eliminate the environment that allows fraud to grow.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestDaniel N. Vara, Jr. is a Board Member of the Center for Immigration StudiesLinksImmigration — Rules and RealityIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with Frank Morris Sr., who recently retired from the Center's Board of Directors after 38 years of service.Morris – a former Foreign Service officer, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and Dean of Graduate Studies at Morgan State University – joined CIS Executive Director Mark Krikorian to discuss how immigration policy has evolved over the decades and why its impact on American workers, particularly African Americans, first drew him to the Center.Morris was invited to join the CIS board after publishing research examining immigration's effects on black workers, an issue he believes remains relevant today.Among the topics discussed:Why tight labor markets have historically provided the greatest economic opportunities for African Americans.How immigration policy affects wages, employment, and labor market competition.The changing relationship between the Democratic Party and working-class voters.Why concerns about immigration's impact on black workers have largely disappeared from mainstream political debate.The divide between political leadership and grassroots opinion on immigration.The role of institutions such as churches, civil rights organizations, fraternities, and historically black colleges in advancing economic opportunity.Why Morris believes understanding immigration requires a deeper appreciation of American history, particularly labor markets, immigration, and economic opportunity.Reflecting on nearly four decades with CIS, Morris discusses the personal and professional costs of taking unpopular positions, the future of the immigration debate, and why he believes policymakers must pay closer attention to the interests of American workers.In his closing commentary, Krikorian drew attention to the recent federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a group which libeled CIS as a “hate group” in an attempt to police the immigration debate, drawing particular attention to New York Post reporting on Heidi Beirich, who was responsible for the “hate group” designation.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestFrank Morris, Sr. is an Emeritus Board Member of the Center for Immigration StudiesLinksA 2013 interview with Frank MorrisSPLC boss funneled $1.2 million to lover in neo-Nazi group — pair even had joint bank accountHow labeling my organization a hate group shuts down public debateIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
An 8-foot-tall statue of Cesar Chavez has been taken down in Phoenix following allegations of his sexual misconduct. We'll hear what one Arizona artist wants to put in its place. Plus, how safe are AI chatbots for adolescents looking for mental health guidance?
This is a preview of a premium episode from our Patreon feed, Paid Costly For Me! Head over to Patreon.com/PodCastyForMe to hear more for just $5 a month. Originally written for Clint Eastwood by friend of the show Elmore Leonard, Richard Fleischer's 1974 Charles Bronson vehicle MR. MAJESTYK is that classic action film setup: a melon farmer accidentally ends up in the middle of a mob hitman's prison transport escape and teams up with a beautiful migrant labor organizer to save his crop. It's a hell of a lot of fun, and probably should have been Patreon episode 3, but here we are. We talk Bronson, small grower economics, and a whole lot about the United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and Cesar Chavez. Good ep! Roger Ebert's profile of Bronson: https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/charles-bronson-its-just-that-i-dont-like-to-talk-very-much Paul Koslo interview: https://iamlegendarchive.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_10.html Review of Christian Paiz's Strikers of Coachella: https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/coachella-united-farm-workers/ Trampling Out the Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers by Frank Bardacke: https://www.versobooks.com/products/2213-trampling-out-the-vintage As always, thanks to Jetski for our theme music and Jeremy Allison for our artwork. Additional production by Ryan Torgeson.
At a recent Immigration Newsmaker hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, Rodney Scott, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, joined Center Executive Director Mark Krikorian for an in-depth conversation on the challenges facing CBP and the administration's broader enforcement strategy. The discussion examined current efforts to secure both the southern and northern borders, combat human smuggling and cartel activity, expand border wall system construction, strengthen coordination with ICE, and facilitate lawful trade and travel while protecting national security.Commissioner Scott oversees the front lines of America's border and national security operations. Under the leadership of DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, CBP has taken on an increasingly central role in implementing the administration's immigration and border security agenda, making Commissioner Scott one of the most consequential voices in immigration policy today.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestRodney Scott is the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.LinksPress ReleaseVideoTranscriptIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast examines a recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo emphasizing that adjustment of status - the process allowing certain aliens, either temporary visa holders or unlawfully present, who are eligible for permanent residence to obtain it without leaving the United States - is a discretionary benefit and not a guaranteed alternative to consular processing abroad.The discussion between Senior Legal Fellow George Fishman and Director of Policy Studies Jessica Vaughan is accompanied by a new report and a policy blog on the subject.Among the key findings:Congress created adjustment of status under section 245 of the new Immigration and Nationality Act in 1952 largely to eliminate the need for temporary visa holders already in the United States to travel outside the U.S. for immigrant visa processing to permanent status.In FY2023, which is the most recent year for which statistics on adjustment of status admissions are available, the number of adjustments was 608,260 out of 1,172,910 total immigrant admissions, or 52 percent. Of these adjustments, by far the largest share were in the category of Immediate Relatives (315,830). In contrast, in 2023 only 146,880 people adjusted in all the employment categories combined, although this represented 75 percent of all employment LPR admissions.The policy change is expected to have its greatest impact on certain family-based applicants, including some who overstayed visas, violated the terms of admission, or entered illegally and received parole.While USCIS has broad discretion in adjustment decisions, courts have held that such discretion is not unlimited and may be reviewed for abuse of discretion.Existing legal precedent does not clearly support treating the mere act of seeking adjustment of status as a negative factor weighing against an applicant.USCIS has indicated that it may exercise discretion and offer some applicants the opportunity to adjust if it is in the national interest, such as in the case of applicants with meaningful employment or for humanitarian considerations.Fishman's report concludes that the legal significance of the directive will depend on how USCIS implements it in practice. If denial rates rise substantially or applications are denied absent meaningful adverse factors, litigation challenging those decisions is likely to follow (if federal courts allow legal challenges to adjustment denials outside of removal proceedings).Vaughan argues that the policy could strengthen the integrity of the immigration system as overstayers and parolees will no longer apply for fear of being caught for extended unlawful presence.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.George Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksUSCIS Upends the Status Quo for Adjustment of StatusUSCIS Blocks Green Card Shortcut for Overstayers and ParoleesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
David Cunningham joins John to speak about his pathbreaking article about visiting each of the 113 communities that removed or relocated Confederate symbols between 2015 and 2023. After discussing his co-authored Social Problems article, “Contesting Commemorative Landscapes” which first got him thinking about monument removal, he posits that “expungement, amplification, and repositioning” are three ways contemporary communities contest the monuments of the past.. The conversation from there ranges onward through various kinds of contested removal, ending with Cesar Chavez and his ongoing de-monumentalization. David is author of There's Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence and the award-winning Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era KKK,, a member of the City of St. Louis Reparations Commission and recently has been engaged in exploring political signalling in public art and monuments, including a forthcoming article on the political and cultural work of murals in Protestant and Catholic communities and in the interface areas that connect them in Belfast. His earlier Recall This Book episodes include on racialized policing in the US, on January 6th , and also on the 2024 presidential election–and a conversation with Glenn Patterson, author of Lapsed Protestant about the mural culture and politicized spaces of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Read the episode here. Mentioned in the episode By David Cunmningham himself: “What Richmond got Right about taking down Confederate Monuments” and a 2023 article coauthored with Christina Simko, “Montgomery's Monumental Truths” On place vs space there is wonderful work by Pierre Nora and Henri Lefebvre. Interface zones and the strategic cul de sacs that continue to divide Belfast neighborhoods have been brilliantly detailed and studied by various historians; eg this tour by Neil Jarman. The lucid John Guillory article (mentioned but not discussed) is “Monuments and Documents: On the Object of Study in the Humanities.” Confederate generals whose statues were erected essentially to glorify the KKK famously include Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. Private parks built up to collect Confederate monuments (with an underlying anti-government bias) include North Carolina's Valor Memorial Park, and in Texas the SS American Memorial Foundation's military retreat space now adorned with removed Confederate statues. In Bentonville, this park glorifies a Confederate statue that has now been (dubiously) linked to Governor James H. Berry. The MOCA/Brick reimagined MONUMENTS Exhibition includes work by Kara Walker and Bethany Collins. https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm Sylva North Carolina Confederate plaque debate. Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant and the Nietzschean problem of “creative forgetting.” The idea of Productive creative cognitive dissonance is drawn from MLK's idea of “creative tension.” Hajar Yazdiha, Struggle for the People's King How long will the Chavez National Monument last? The statue at UC Fresno is already gone…” Is The Trail of Tears a historical site the same way Confederate statues are? Denmark Vescey's Garden by Ethan J. Kytle and, Blain RobertsZore Neale Hurston Their Eyes were Watching God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies
David Cunningham joins John to speak about his pathbreaking article about visiting each of the 113 communities that removed or relocated Confederate symbols between 2015 and 2023. After discussing his co-authored Social Problems article, “Contesting Commemorative Landscapes” which first got him thinking about monument removal, he posits that “expungement, amplification, and repositioning” are three ways contemporary communities contest the monuments of the past.. The conversation from there ranges onward through various kinds of contested removal, ending with Cesar Chavez and his ongoing de-monumentalization. David is author of There's Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence and the award-winning Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era KKK,, a member of the City of St. Louis Reparations Commission and recently has been engaged in exploring political signalling in public art and monuments, including a forthcoming article on the political and cultural work of murals in Protestant and Catholic communities and in the interface areas that connect them in Belfast. His earlier Recall This Book episodes include on racialized policing in the US, on January 6th , and also on the 2024 presidential election–and a conversation with Glenn Patterson, author of Lapsed Protestant about the mural culture and politicized spaces of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Read the episode here. Mentioned in the episode By David Cunmningham himself: “What Richmond got Right about taking down Confederate Monuments” and a 2023 article coauthored with Christina Simko, “Montgomery's Monumental Truths” On place vs space there is wonderful work by Pierre Nora and Henri Lefebvre. Interface zones and the strategic cul de sacs that continue to divide Belfast neighborhoods have been brilliantly detailed and studied by various historians; eg this tour by Neil Jarman. The lucid John Guillory article (mentioned but not discussed) is “Monuments and Documents: On the Object of Study in the Humanities.” Confederate generals whose statues were erected essentially to glorify the KKK famously include Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. Private parks built up to collect Confederate monuments (with an underlying anti-government bias) include North Carolina's Valor Memorial Park, and in Texas the SS American Memorial Foundation's military retreat space now adorned with removed Confederate statues. In Bentonville, this park glorifies a Confederate statue that has now been (dubiously) linked to Governor James H. Berry. The MOCA/Brick reimagined MONUMENTS Exhibition includes work by Kara Walker and Bethany Collins. https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm Sylva North Carolina Confederate plaque debate. Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant and the Nietzschean problem of “creative forgetting.” The idea of Productive creative cognitive dissonance is drawn from MLK's idea of “creative tension.” Hajar Yazdiha, Struggle for the People's King How long will the Chavez National Monument last? The statue at UC Fresno is already gone…” Is The Trail of Tears a historical site the same way Confederate statues are? Denmark Vescey's Garden by Ethan J. Kytle and, Blain RobertsZore Neale Hurston Their Eyes were Watching God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
David Cunningham joins John to speak about his pathbreaking article about visiting each of the 113 communities that removed or relocated Confederate symbols between 2015 and 2023. After discussing his co-authored Social Problems article, “Contesting Commemorative Landscapes” which first got him thinking about monument removal, he posits that “expungement, amplification, and repositioning” are three ways contemporary communities contest the monuments of the past.. The conversation from there ranges onward through various kinds of contested removal, ending with Cesar Chavez and his ongoing de-monumentalization. David is author of There's Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence and the award-winning Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era KKK,, a member of the City of St. Louis Reparations Commission and recently has been engaged in exploring political signalling in public art and monuments, including a forthcoming article on the political and cultural work of murals in Protestant and Catholic communities and in the interface areas that connect them in Belfast. His earlier Recall This Book episodes include on racialized policing in the US, on January 6th , and also on the 2024 presidential election–and a conversation with Glenn Patterson, author of Lapsed Protestant about the mural culture and politicized spaces of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Read the episode here. Mentioned in the episode By David Cunmningham himself: “What Richmond got Right about taking down Confederate Monuments” and a 2023 article coauthored with Christina Simko, “Montgomery's Monumental Truths” On place vs space there is wonderful work by Pierre Nora and Henri Lefebvre. Interface zones and the strategic cul de sacs that continue to divide Belfast neighborhoods have been brilliantly detailed and studied by various historians; eg this tour by Neil Jarman. The lucid John Guillory article (mentioned but not discussed) is “Monuments and Documents: On the Object of Study in the Humanities.” Confederate generals whose statues were erected essentially to glorify the KKK famously include Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. Private parks built up to collect Confederate monuments (with an underlying anti-government bias) include North Carolina's Valor Memorial Park, and in Texas the SS American Memorial Foundation's military retreat space now adorned with removed Confederate statues. In Bentonville, this park glorifies a Confederate statue that has now been (dubiously) linked to Governor James H. Berry. The MOCA/Brick reimagined MONUMENTS Exhibition includes work by Kara Walker and Bethany Collins. https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm Sylva North Carolina Confederate plaque debate. Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant and the Nietzschean problem of “creative forgetting.” The idea of Productive creative cognitive dissonance is drawn from MLK's idea of “creative tension.” Hajar Yazdiha, Struggle for the People's King How long will the Chavez National Monument last? The statue at UC Fresno is already gone…” Is The Trail of Tears a historical site the same way Confederate statues are? Denmark Vescey's Garden by Ethan J. Kytle and, Blain RobertsZore Neale Hurston Their Eyes were Watching God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
David Cunningham joins John to speak about his pathbreaking article about visiting each of the 113 communities that removed or relocated Confederate symbols between 2015 and 2023. After discussing his co-authored Social Problems article, “Contesting Commemorative Landscapes” which first got him thinking about monument removal, he posits that “expungement, amplification, and repositioning” are three ways contemporary communities contest the monuments of the past.. The conversation from there ranges onward through various kinds of contested removal, ending with Cesar Chavez and his ongoing de-monumentalization. David is author of There's Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence and the award-winning Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era KKK,, a member of the City of St. Louis Reparations Commission and recently has been engaged in exploring political signalling in public art and monuments, including a forthcoming article on the political and cultural work of murals in Protestant and Catholic communities and in the interface areas that connect them in Belfast. His earlier Recall This Book episodes include on racialized policing in the US, on January 6th , and also on the 2024 presidential election–and a conversation with Glenn Patterson, author of Lapsed Protestant about the mural culture and politicized spaces of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Read the episode here. Mentioned in the episode By David Cunmningham himself: “What Richmond got Right about taking down Confederate Monuments” and a 2023 article coauthored with Christina Simko, “Montgomery's Monumental Truths” On place vs space there is wonderful work by Pierre Nora and Henri Lefebvre. Interface zones and the strategic cul de sacs that continue to divide Belfast neighborhoods have been brilliantly detailed and studied by various historians; eg this tour by Neil Jarman. The lucid John Guillory article (mentioned but not discussed) is “Monuments and Documents: On the Object of Study in the Humanities.” Confederate generals whose statues were erected essentially to glorify the KKK famously include Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. Private parks built up to collect Confederate monuments (with an underlying anti-government bias) include North Carolina's Valor Memorial Park, and in Texas the SS American Memorial Foundation's military retreat space now adorned with removed Confederate statues. In Bentonville, this park glorifies a Confederate statue that has now been (dubiously) linked to Governor James H. Berry. The MOCA/Brick reimagined MONUMENTS Exhibition includes work by Kara Walker and Bethany Collins. https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm Sylva North Carolina Confederate plaque debate. Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant and the Nietzschean problem of “creative forgetting.” The idea of Productive creative cognitive dissonance is drawn from MLK's idea of “creative tension.” Hajar Yazdiha, Struggle for the People's King How long will the Chavez National Monument last? The statue at UC Fresno is already gone…” Is The Trail of Tears a historical site the same way Confederate statues are? Denmark Vescey's Garden by Ethan J. Kytle and, Blain RobertsZore Neale Hurston Their Eyes were Watching God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
David Cunningham joins John to speak about his pathbreaking article about visiting each of the 113 communities that removed or relocated Confederate symbols between 2015 and 2023. After discussing his co-authored Social Problems article, “Contesting Commemorative Landscapes” which first got him thinking about monument removal, he posits that “expungement, amplification, and repositioning” are three ways contemporary communities contest the monuments of the past.. The conversation from there ranges onward through various kinds of contested removal, ending with Cesar Chavez and his ongoing de-monumentalization. David is author of There's Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence and the award-winning Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era KKK,, a member of the City of St. Louis Reparations Commission and recently has been engaged in exploring political signalling in public art and monuments, including a forthcoming article on the political and cultural work of murals in Protestant and Catholic communities and in the interface areas that connect them in Belfast. His earlier Recall This Book episodes include on racialized policing in the US, on January 6th , and also on the 2024 presidential election–and a conversation with Glenn Patterson, author of Lapsed Protestant about the mural culture and politicized spaces of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Read the episode here. Mentioned in the episode By David Cunmningham himself: “What Richmond got Right about taking down Confederate Monuments” and a 2023 article coauthored with Christina Simko, “Montgomery's Monumental Truths” On place vs space there is wonderful work by Pierre Nora and Henri Lefebvre. Interface zones and the strategic cul de sacs that continue to divide Belfast neighborhoods have been brilliantly detailed and studied by various historians; eg this tour by Neil Jarman. The lucid John Guillory article (mentioned but not discussed) is “Monuments and Documents: On the Object of Study in the Humanities.” Confederate generals whose statues were erected essentially to glorify the KKK famously include Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. Private parks built up to collect Confederate monuments (with an underlying anti-government bias) include North Carolina's Valor Memorial Park, and in Texas the SS American Memorial Foundation's military retreat space now adorned with removed Confederate statues. In Bentonville, this park glorifies a Confederate statue that has now been (dubiously) linked to Governor James H. Berry. The MOCA/Brick reimagined MONUMENTS Exhibition includes work by Kara Walker and Bethany Collins. https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm Sylva North Carolina Confederate plaque debate. Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant and the Nietzschean problem of “creative forgetting.” The idea of Productive creative cognitive dissonance is drawn from MLK's idea of “creative tension.” Hajar Yazdiha, Struggle for the People's King How long will the Chavez National Monument last? The statue at UC Fresno is already gone…” Is The Trail of Tears a historical site the same way Confederate statues are? Denmark Vescey's Garden by Ethan J. Kytle and, Blain RobertsZore Neale Hurston Their Eyes were Watching God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south
David Cunningham joins John to speak about his pathbreaking article about visiting each of the 113 communities that removed or relocated Confederate symbols between 2015 and 2023. After discussing his co-authored Social Problems article, “Contesting Commemorative Landscapes” which first got him thinking about monument removal, he posits that “expungement, amplification, and repositioning” are three ways contemporary communities contest the monuments of the past.. The conversation from there ranges onward through various kinds of contested removal, ending with Cesar Chavez and his ongoing de-monumentalization. David is author of There's Something Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence and the award-winning Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era KKK,, a member of the City of St. Louis Reparations Commission and recently has been engaged in exploring political signalling in public art and monuments, including a forthcoming article on the political and cultural work of murals in Protestant and Catholic communities and in the interface areas that connect them in Belfast. His earlier Recall This Book episodes include on racialized policing in the US, on January 6th , and also on the 2024 presidential election–and a conversation with Glenn Patterson, author of Lapsed Protestant about the mural culture and politicized spaces of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Read the episode here. Mentioned in the episode By David Cunmningham himself: “What Richmond got Right about taking down Confederate Monuments” and a 2023 article coauthored with Christina Simko, “Montgomery's Monumental Truths” On place vs space there is wonderful work by Pierre Nora and Henri Lefebvre. Interface zones and the strategic cul de sacs that continue to divide Belfast neighborhoods have been brilliantly detailed and studied by various historians; eg this tour by Neil Jarman. The lucid John Guillory article (mentioned but not discussed) is “Monuments and Documents: On the Object of Study in the Humanities.” Confederate generals whose statues were erected essentially to glorify the KKK famously include Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. Private parks built up to collect Confederate monuments (with an underlying anti-government bias) include North Carolina's Valor Memorial Park, and in Texas the SS American Memorial Foundation's military retreat space now adorned with removed Confederate statues. In Bentonville, this park glorifies a Confederate statue that has now been (dubiously) linked to Governor James H. Berry. The MOCA/Brick reimagined MONUMENTS Exhibition includes work by Kara Walker and Bethany Collins. https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm Sylva North Carolina Confederate plaque debate. Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant and the Nietzschean problem of “creative forgetting.” The idea of Productive creative cognitive dissonance is drawn from MLK's idea of “creative tension.” Hajar Yazdiha, Struggle for the People's King How long will the Chavez National Monument last? The statue at UC Fresno is already gone…” Is The Trail of Tears a historical site the same way Confederate statues are? Denmark Vescey's Garden by Ethan J. Kytle and, Blain RobertsZore Neale Hurston Their Eyes were Watching God Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the UA campus, Cesar Chavez is out, and Economics is back; We hear from an opponent of voucher reform plans; We examine the fallout from losing Iran's soccer team; and more...
We're talking about the new name being considered to replace Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard as well as the ballot initiative aiming to ban hunting and fishing in Oregon. We're also diving into our mailbag to hear from you, our listeners. Joining City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza are Willamette Week reporter and author Brianna Wheeler and our very own executive producer, John Notarianni. Discussed in today's episode: 3 years after joining the Greater Idaho cause, Wallowa County votes to stop talking about it [OPB] Portland leaders will consider renaming Cesar Chavez Blvd [OPB] Oregon initiative that would criminalize hunting, fishing moves a step closer to November ballot [Oregonian] Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter and be sure to follow us on Instagram. Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 28th episode: ODOT PaintCare
The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast examines how the federal government can reduce illegal immigration through administrative, financial, and workplace enforcement measures designed to encourage self-deportation rather than relying primarily on large-scale arrest operations.Andrew Arthur, the Center's fellow in law and policy, joins George Fishman, the Center's senior legal fellow, to discuss what they describe as “briefcase immigration enforcement” — the wide range of legal and regulatory tools available to federal agencies that can make it more difficult for illegal aliens to remain and work in the United States indefinitely.The discussion follows recent Center blogs analyzing President Trump's Executive Order, “Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System,” which directs federal agencies to examine how banking regulations, lending practices, and identification requirements may facilitate illegal immigration and unlawful employment.The podcast examines measures such as requiring proof of legal status to send remittances abroad, restricting access to the U.S. banking system for those here unlawfully, and imposing criminal and civil penalties on aliens who fail to depart within 90 days of receiving final removal orders. The discussion covers proposals to send Social Security “no-match” letters to employers, make more it difficult for illegal aliens to obtain identification documents and driver's licenses, revoke commercial driver's licenses issued improperly, and expand employers' access to photo-matching verification to confirm worker identity and employment eligibility.In the final commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host, discusses a recent Center report arguing that Congress should consider increasing the waiting period for naturalization to give applicants more time to demonstrate their character and commitment to the principles of the Constitution. The “1798 Solution”, so named because from 1798 to 1802 the wait was 14 years, may be one of the most effective tools available to prevent individuals who pose national security threats from obtaining U.S. citizenship.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsAndrew Arthur is a Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.George Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksBig Banks and U.S. Treasury Have Been Enabling Illegal Immigration for Two DecadesTrump to Banks: Illegal Aliens are Bad Credit RisksDHS and DOJ Begin Imposing Massive Fines on Aliens Who Refuse to LeavePreventing Naturalization National Security Threats: The 1789 SolutionIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
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As the nation awaits a potentially landmark Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship, the latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features renowned legal scholar Richard Epstein for an in-depth discussion of the constitutional, historical, and legal arguments surrounding the issue.Epstein, emeritus professor at the New York University School of Law and the University of Chicago Law School, senior fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and author of the new book The Myth of Birthright Citizenship, recently filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case Trump v. Barbara. In the brief, Epstein argues that the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not automatically confer citizenship on children born in the United States to illegal aliens.During the conversation, Epstein explains that understanding the issue requires careful textual and historical analysis of the Fourteenth Amendment, particularly the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”According to Epstein, the clause requires more than mere physical presence or birth within the United States. He argues that individuals born owing allegiance to a foreign sovereign, or whose parents are not under the complete jurisdiction of the United States, are excluded from automatic citizenship.The episode also explores Epstein's critique of the Supreme Court's 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which is widely understood as establishing birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. Epstein contends the ruling was wrongly decided and should not be extended to cases involving children born to illegal immigrants.Drawing on centuries of legal history, Epstein discusses the overlooked Naturalization Acts from 1790 to 1870, the writings of influential thinkers including William Blackstone and Emer de Vattel, and American legal practices before and after the Civil War. He argues that citizenship historically required allegiance and mutual obligations between citizen and sovereign - not simply birth within territorial boundaries.In his closing commentary, podcast host Mark Krikorian discusses the ongoing legislative battle over funding for CBP and ICE through 2029. Republicans are advancing a budget reconciliation package that could reach the House floor as early as this week or next. Because reconciliation bills can pass with a simple majority, the legislation would bypass the Senate's traditional 60-vote filibuster threshold. Krikorian highlights that the Democratic Party has embraced positions hostile to the existence of immigration enforcement agencies, creating potential political consequences in upcoming debates and elections.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestRichard Epstein is Emeritus Professor at the New York University School of Law and the University of Chicago Law School and Senior Fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.LinksThe Myth of Birthright CitizenshipThe Case Against Birthright CitizenshipBrief of Amicus Curiae: Professor A. Epstein in Support of the Petitioners and ReversalIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
BALCONY SOLAR! SAVING 2026! DOLORES & CESAR CBS BECOMES FOX 2 GREEP ZOOM #261 Begins with solar panels on our balconies brought by the great RON LEONARD. We then work to save our elections for 2026 with JOHN BRAKEY of Arizona. The great CHRISIAN NUNEZ introduces the a new foundation to protect the rights of women. Atlanta's RAY MCCLENDON tells about election protection for the coming mid-terms. From NY we get more from Mickey Leader. With a deep personal dive TATANKA BRICCA tells us of the tragedy and triumphs of DOLORES HUERTA and CESAR CHAVEZ. We mourn the deaths and chaos at LaGuardia and throughout the US airline system. Longtime network heavy hitter DAVID SALTMAN gives us the inside scoop on the fall of the Columbia Broadcast System. Co-host MYLA RESON, San Francisco's BRYAN FOSTER and many more chime in on Iran, authoritarianism and the truly devastating state of American life today. . Join us for more next week!!!
A new episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' podcast, Parsing Immigration Policy, examines the issuing of employment authorization documents (EADs), the use of executive discretion in granting work permits, and a proposed regulation affecting asylum applicants.The episode features CIS Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy Elizabeth Jacobs and Senior Legal Fellow George Fishman discussing how millions of immigrants, including illegal aliens, parole recipients, TPS beneficiaries, DACA recipients, asylum applicants, and temporary visa holders, have received work permits without Congress's authorization.According to CIS estimates, roughly 15 million individuals currently possess work authorization and 4.3 million illegal aliens may be eligible for work permits. As a result, USCIS reports that it faces more than 1.7 million pending EAD applications.The discussion also focuses on a recent DHS regulation that would tighten eligibility for asylum-based work permits by increasing the waiting period from 180 to 365 days and barring applicants who are prima facie ineligible for asylum from receiving employment authorization and requiring the agency to pause acceptance of asylum-based EAD applications when affirmative asylum processing times exceed 180 days. Currently, processing times average over 1,200 days, while a new affirmative asylum applicant could expect to wait decades, according to DHS, before receiving a final decision on their claim.The episode explains that lengthy asylum processing times have created strong incentives for individuals to file asylum claims primarily to obtain work authorization and remain in the United States for extended periods while cases are pending. USCIS currently faces massive asylum and EAD backlogs, contributing to longer processing times across the immigration system.The conversation also examines broader legal questions surrounding executive authority to issue work permits under the Immigration and Nationality Act and whether decades of expanding administrative interpretation have effectively allowed the executive branch to operate an immigration system outside the numerical and statutory limits established by Congress.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host highlights Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons' recent announcement that ICE identified more than 10,000 foreign students in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program who claimed employment with “highly suspect employers” and that this represents “only the tip of the iceberg.” OPT, which allows foreign graduates to work in the United States for up to 12 months, or up to 36 months for STEM graduates, was created through executive action rather than congressional authorization. The Center has called for the elimination of the program many times in the past.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsElizabeth Jacobs is the Director of Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies. George Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksDHS Proposes to Amend Asylum Work-Permit Rules to Reduce Fraud and AbuseDOJ: Asylum Applicants Are Skipping Immigration Court at Record Levels; Their goal all along was work permits, not protectionDHS Issues New Regulation to Automatically Extend the Validity Period of Many Work PermitsWork Authorization Expansion Attracts and Embeds Illegal ImmigrantsGovernment Data Reveal Millions of New Work Permits Issued in 2009OPT Needs to EndIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joins Mike Madrid and Chuck for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the California Governor's race, the Democratic Party's broken relationship with Latino working-class voters, and what it will take to win them back.Villaraigosa doesn't just take on Trump, he challenges his own party. From ICE raids tearing families apart, to gas prices crushing Latino workers, to Democrats protecting sacred cows instead of their own constituents — this candidate for California Governor pulls no punches.Topics covered:Why Villaraigosa is running for California Governor in 2026How the Democratic Party is losing Latino and working-class voteHis plan to push back on ICE raids and protect immigrant communitiesGrowing up in Boyle Heights and the birth of the Chicano civil rights movementMarching with César Chávez and Dolores Huerta — and his thoughts on the controversy Why being pro-worker AND pro-business is the only path forwardCalifornia's affordability crisis and how it affects Latinos.-Referenced in the episode:Bay Area Council Economic Institute - THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MASS DEPORTATION IN CALIFORNIA: https://www.bayareaeconomy.org/files/pdf/Economic%20Impact%20of%20Mass%20Deportation_June%202025.pdfPublic Policy Institute of California - Business Regulation and Business Starts in California: https://www.ppic.org/publication/business-regulation-and-business-starts-in-california/UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute - Gasoline Costs and Affordability Pressures in California: Impacts on Latino Households: https://latino.ucla.edu/research/gas-costs-affordability-impacts-on-latino-households-ca/-Recorded, April 24, 2026-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Americans have had to remove the late Cesar Chavez from the pedestals we've put him on amidst a recent torrent of credible allegations aimed at him of sexual abuse, rape and pedophilia. This has resulted in a newfound interest in Larry Itliong, a Filipino American labor organizer who's often called the "Father of the West Coast Labor Movement." Until now, he's been unfairly overshadowed by the iconic Chavez, but Larry's son Johnny is relieved that more of the unabridged history of that movement is now finding an audience.
It's been a month of devastating violence against women and children—from femicide cases making headlines to the mass killing in Shreveport, Louisiana. To understand it, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa for a powerful conversation about the shocking allegations against farmworkers leader César Chávez, and Maria's interview with Chávez's co-leader (and victim) Dolores Huerta. Plus, they get into covering politics in the age of Trump, and how Maria got her Mexican passport back. And at the top of the show, group chat fave Dr. Brittney Cooper joins our UNtrending news segment on understanding all this violence—and, also, Beyoncé's Lemonade turning 10! To subscribe to The Meteor: wearethemeteor.com/newsletters Episode website: https://www.stayundistracted.com Follow The Meteor on Instagram and TikTok: @themeteor Follow Brittany on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @mspackyetti https://collective.media
Dr Kirk Honda and Humberto Castaneda examine how emotional charisma shapes influence, through examples like Cesar Chavez, cults such as Synanon, self-help programs like Landmark, and Kirk's own classroom techniques. April 17, 2026This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/KIRK to get 10% off your first month.00:00 How do cults form from emotional experience? 30:22 How did Synanon operate?58:33 How was Cesar Chavez involved?Support us by... Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUZWV1DRtHtpP2H48S7iiw/joinBecome a patron: https://www.patreon.com/PsychologyInSeattleContact us/more info... Email: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/contactAbout Dr. Kirk: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/about-dr-kirk-hondaWebsite: https://www.psychologyinseattle.comGet stuff... Merch: https://psychologyinseattle-shop.fourthwall.com/KIRKgram (like Cameo): https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/kirkgramThe Psychology In Seattle Podcast ®Trigger Warning: This episode may include topics such as assault, trauma, and discrimination. If necessary, listeners are encouraged to refrain from listening and care for their safety and well-being. Disclaimer: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, therapy, diagnosis, or creates a counselor-client relationship. Topics discussed may generate differing points of view. If you participate (by being a guest, submitting a question, or commenting) you must do so with the knowledge that we cannot control reactions or responses from others, which may not agree with you or feel unfair. Your participation on this site is at your own risk, accepting full responsibility for any liability or harm that may result. Anything you write here may be used for discussion or endorsement of the podcast. Opinions and views expressed by the host and guest hosts are personal views. Although we take precautions and fact check, they should not be considered facts and the opinions may change. Opinions posted by participants (such as comments) are not those of the hosts. Readers should not rely on any information found here and should perform due diligence before taking any action. For a more extensive description of factors for you to consider, please see www.psychologyinseattle.com
Dr Kirk Honda and Humberto Castaneda examine how emotional charisma shapes influence, through examples like Cesar Chavez, cults such as Synanon, self-help programs like Landmark, and Kirk's own classroom techniques. April 15, 2026This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/KIRK to get 10% off your first month.Support us by... Become a member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUZWV1DRtHtpP2H48S7iiw/joinBecome a patron: https://www.patreon.com/PsychologyInSeattleContact us/more info... Email: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/contactAbout Dr. Kirk: https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/about-dr-kirk-hondaWebsite: https://www.psychologyinseattle.comGet stuff... Merch: https://psychologyinseattle-shop.fourthwall.com/KIRKgram (like Cameo): https://www.psychologyinseattle.com/kirkgramThe Psychology In Seattle Podcast ®Trigger Warning: This episode may include topics such as assault, trauma, and discrimination. If necessary, listeners are encouraged to refrain from listening and care for their safety and well-being. Disclaimer: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, therapy, diagnosis, or creates a counselor-client relationship. Topics discussed may generate differing points of view. If you participate (by being a guest, submitting a question, or commenting) you must do so with the knowledge that we cannot control reactions or responses from others, which may not agree with you or feel unfair. Your participation on this site is at your own risk, accepting full responsibility for any liability or harm that may result. Anything you write here may be used for discussion or endorsement of the podcast. Opinions and views expressed by the host and guest hosts are personal views. Although we take precautions and fact check, they should not be considered facts and the opinions may change. Opinions posted by participants (such as comments) are not those of the hosts. Readers should not rely on any information found here and should perform due diligence before taking any action. For a more extensive description of factors for you to consider, please see www.psychologyinseattle.com
As his career prospects evaporate, disgraced former Representative Eric Swalwell now begs exemption from the “believe women” standard he applied to his conservative political opponents. An Easter Egg hunt in Long Beach leads to a human skull, Mayor Karen Bass celebrates the return of Baywatch but says nothing about the return of typhus to L.A., Kamala Korner is back, and the Wiener Watch never left! David offers an explainer on a clash of the tech titans in Musk vs. Altman. Bonus: Kenneth Schrupp discusses Manhattan Institute's investigation into allegations of fraud in the state's $30 billion annual In-Home Supportive Services Program. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Eric Swalwell Reaps What He Sows An Easter Egg Hunt in a California Park Leads to a Human Skull Mayor Bass welcomes Baywatch and major productions back to Los Angeles Typhus from fleas hits record level in L.A.: Where the hot spots are and how to protect yourself World Cup: 2 Months Out, FIFA and Host Cities Sideline Rights ‘Thinking About It': Kamala Harris Teases 2028 Presidential Run Newsom administration won't say how much Kamala Harris' CHP security detail is costing California taxpayers Senator Wiener Announces Bill To Protect Survivors Of Conversion Therapy Lawmaker backing transgender treatments for kids squirms as man says puberty blockers destroyed him Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff Elon Musk Lawsuit Claims OpenAI Used a Fake Charity to Build an $800 Billion Empire California tries to criminalize journalism — to protect fraud California unveils hospice fraud arrests, pushing back on ‘kingdom of fraud' claim by Trump official Kenneth Shrupp, Manhattan Institute Gavin Newsom's $30 Billion Fraud Magnet Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
We're thrilled to be nominated for a Webby Award — vote now: https://theviewabc.visitlink.me/PSXUua Ana Navarro doesn't hold back as she reacts to the confirmation hearings for Markwayne Mullin, President Trump's pick to replace Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security. She also calls Vice President Vance's comments on rising oil prices amid the war in Iran “flippant” and weighs in on the chaos unfolding at airports as TSA operations are strained during the ongoing government shutdown. Ana shares her reaction to a bombshell investigation by The New York Times detailing allegations that civil rights leader Cesar Chavez groomed and sexually abused girls who worked within his movement for years. “If you believe in accountability,” Ana says, “it has to be across the board.” If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, contact the Sexual Violence Hotline at 1‑800‑656‑HOPE (4673). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Warning: this episode contains mentions of suicide. The civil rights icon had a history of sexually abusing women and girls, which the Times reporters Manny Fernandez and Sarah Hurtes spent five years investigating. They spoke to “The Daily” about how they uncovered the story. Guest: Manny Fernandez, an editor at large for The New York Times. Sarah Hurtes, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. Background reading: Read the investigation by Manny and Sarah into the allegations against Ceasar Chavez. Photo: Barton Silverman/The New York Times For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.On today's edition of The Briefing, Dr. Mohler discusses the death of Leonid Radvinsky, the dark turn in Cesar Chavez's story, how history discloses the truth, and the defense of biology by Girl Guides and its lack of controversy.Part I (00:14 – 12:30)Part II (12:30 – 14:44)6 Takeaways From the Times Investigation Into Cesar Chavez by The New York Times (Sarah Hurtes and Manny Fernandez)Part III (14:44 – 20:21)Part IV (20:21 – 25:59)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.
Brian Austin Green joins the show and they kick things off by reminiscing about going to the same Highschool. Brian talks about the remedial programs he was in and getting started in the industry from a young age. They then discuss working with their hands and how difficult it is to own a home nowadays. Director Nick Leisure joins and they continue talking Dancing With the Stars and finally Adam breaks down Brian's craftsmanship. This was a fun one! GET IT ON. In The News: Push to strip Cesar Chavez's name off streets, buildings, holidays catches fire after sex abuse allegations, California's unfinished wildlife ‘bridge to nowhere' tops $100M, Four of the five civilians who oversee the LAFD step down, A salon, a modeling agency, and 89 hospices? A 3-story LA building is being called "ground zero" for fraud.FOR MORE WITH BRIAN AUSTIN GREEN & NICK LEISURE:MOVIE: GOLDENIn Theaters Now and VOD (Video on Demand)FOR MORE WITH ADAM YENSER: SHOWS: April 3rd & 4th (Kenosha Comedy Club)-Kenosha, WIMay 1st(17th Street Grill)-Tustin, CA WEBSITE: www.adamyenser.comINSTAGRAM: @adamyenser TWITTER: @cleancomedian69LIVE SHOWS: March 27 - Norfolk, NE (2 shows)March 28 - Norfork, NE (2 shows)March 29 - Lincoln, NEThank you for supporting our sponsors:BetOnlineLimited Time Offer – Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code ADAM15 at huel.com/ADAM15 New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!ForThePeople.Com/ADAMoreillyauto.com/adampluto.tvSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Thoughtcrime team hits a whole sequence of important topics, including: -Is Cesar Chavez now a dastardly villain? -Should we add a downvote button to X? -Is the murder conviction of a Utah mom a hopeful preview of the coming Tyler Robinson trial? Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1. Kathy Hochul (New York Governor) – Economic Hypocrisy Hochul previously encouraged conservatives and wealthy job creators to leave New York. After large numbers of high‑income residents relocated, she now publicly urges wealthy individuals to return. This is hypocrisy—rejecting wealth creators ideologically while depending on them financially to sustain social programs. Left‑wing governance is hostile to success yet reliant on taxing it. 2. James Talarico (Texas Democratic Senate Candidate) – Religious & Cultural Contradictions Democrats selected Talarico to appeal to Christians because of his seminary background. His theological statements (e.g., describing God as “non‑binary”) are radical reinterpretations of Christianity. Additional Points: Supports abortion access for transgender individuals. Expresses discomfort with traditional symbols like the American flag and the Christian cross. Advocates reducing meat consumption and runs a vegan campaign in barbecue‑centric Texas. 3. Joe Kent (Former Trump Administration Official) – Foreign Policy Reversal Kent resigned in protest of U.S. military action against Iran, blaming Israeli influence. His past statements strongly supported aggressive action against Iran and praised Trump’s Iran policy. He later suggests (without evidence) that Israel may be threatening President Trump. Media reports suggest he may have leaked classified information. 4. Cesar Chavez (Labor Icon) – Moral Hypocrisy and Historical Revision Chavez has long been revered by the left as a civil‑rights and labor hero. A New York Times exposé alleges Chavez sexually abused minors over many years. The Left has: Allegedly concealed or ignored these accusations because Chavez aligned with their politics. Continued honoring him with statues, street names, and official recognition. Ideology was prioritized over justice and child protection. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
U.S. allies in Europe and Asia signal support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices ride the wave of disruption from the Iran conflict, and a New York Times investigation uncovers allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually abused multiple girls and women. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2691- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.Hello Fresh - Go to https://HelloFresh.com/morningwire10fm to Get 10 free meals + a FREE Zwilling Knife (a $144.99 value) on your third box. Offer valid while supplies last.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Van and Rachel remember the life of Kiki Shepard before discussing the negotiations between the WNBA and WNPBA that led to a verbal agreement for a new CBA. Then they discuss the recent New York Times investigation into Cesar Chavez. After that, the two get into the big controversy revolving around reality star Taylor Frankie Paul, Afroman's lawsuit, and Ray J's most recent viral moment: defending his sister Brandy. Lastly, the two are joined by former Ringer colleague, poet, and author Jonathan Kermah to talk about his new book of poetry. (0:00) Intro (1:04) Midnight Boys recast (7:48) The life of Kiki Shepard (13:21) WNBA and WNPBA align on key elements of a new CBA (26:58) Cesar Chavez accused of sexual abuse (51:52) Taylor Frankie Paul under fire (1:16:34) Afroman lawsuit (1:32:00) Ray J defends Brandy (1:44:59) Jonathan Kermah Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Jade Whaley Social Producer: Bernard Moore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Van and Rachel remember the life of Kiki Shepard before discussing the negotiations between the WNBA and WNPBA that led to a verbal agreement for a new CBA. Then they discuss the recent New York Times investigation into Cesar Chavez. After that, the two get into the big controversy revolving around reality star Taylor Frankie Paul, Afroman's lawsuit, and Ray J's most recent viral moment: defending his sister Brandy. Lastly, the two are joined by former Ringer colleague, poet, and author Jonathan Kermah to talk about his new book of poetry. (0:00) Intro (1:04) Midnight Boys recast (7:48) The life of Kiki Shepard (13:21) WNBA and WNPBA align on key elements of a new CBA (26:58) Cesar Chavez accused of sexual abuse (51:52) Taylor Frankie Paul under fire (1:16:34) Afroman lawsuit (1:32:00) Ray J defends Brandy (1:44:59) Jonathan Kermah Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Jade Whaley Social Producer: Bernard Moore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In a network exclusive, Dolores Huerta tells ABC that she was raped by labor icon Cesar Chavez. As oil prices skyrocket, the Pentagon says it could need $200 billion amid the war in Iran. And Meta appears to be giving up on its plans for the “metaverse.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on The Editors, Rich, Charlie, and Andrew discuss the energy issues arising from the war in Iran, the New York Times report on Cesar Chavez, and much more. Editors' Picks: Rich: John Puri's post "There's No Easy Fix to Bring Down Gas Prices" Charlie: Rachel Lu's magazine piece "The Pro-Life Future" Andrew: Bjorn Lomborg's magazine piece “Al Gore's False Prophecy" Light Items: Rich: Making macarons Charlie: Epic Universe Andrew: Jasper L'Estrange stories on YouTube Sponsors:DonorsTrustVaerStrawberry This podcast was edited and produced by Sarah Colleen Schutte. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Iran attacked energy targets around the Persian Gulf in response to an Israeli strike as the war escalates. President Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), faced a tense confirmation hearing. Allegations that the late labor leader Cesar Chavez sexually abused girls are leading to a re-examination of his legacy.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Bloch, Kelsey Snell, Eric Whitney, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Our deputy executive producer is Kelley Dickens.(0:00) Introduction(01:58) Iran Attacks Energy Targets(06:15) DHS Confirmation Hearing(10:41) Cesar Chavez Abuse AllegationsTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
The Iran War is not very popular with Americans – and the Trump Administration seems to think it knows why: the media is being too mean about the President's war of choice. On Saturday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reposted a Trump Truth Social screed against The New York Times and Wall Street Journal on Twitter — adding, “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.” Carr has real power in his role as FCC Chairman – power he wants to use on behalf of President Trump. So to talk more about the FCC under Brendan Carr, we spoke with Matt Gertz. He's a senior fellow at the progressive media watchdog, Media Matters.And in headlines, the gloves came off during Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin's confirmation hearing, the government's top intelligence officials testify about worldwide threats before the Senate, and The New York Times publishes a multiyear investigation revealing labor activist Cesar Chavez's sexual abuse of women and girls.Show Notes: Check out Matt's work – www.mediamatters.org/author/matt-gertz Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday
Erin and Alyssa react to the bombshell reporting on civil rights activist Cesar Chavez and the allegations of a lifelong pattern of sexual abuse. They also cover the election results out of Illinois, the latest on the SAVE Act in Congress, Louis Theroux's new Netflix documentary on the Manosphere, and how the right is shaping culture from sex education to reality TV. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.More coverage on the Cesar Chavez accusations on the Hysteria YouTube channelAIPAC faces calls to reassess strategy after split results in Illinois (Politico 3/18)GOP tempers flare over how to pass SAVE America Act (The Hill 3/18)Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years (NYT 3/18)Palantir CEO Makes Shocking Confession on Disrupting Democratic Power (The New Republic 3/12)Louis Theroux on the Manosphere: ‘It's Highly Profitable to Be a Dick on the Internet' (Wired 3/11)The Fight for Facts: Defending Access to Comprehensive Sex Education from the Anti-Abortion Agenda (Guttmacher 3/16)Ex-‘Bachelor' Host Chris Harrison Sets New Dating Series on Fox Nation About ‘Traditional Marriage' (Variety 2/26)
An Israeli strike on an Iranian gas field sends oil prices skyrocketing, sparking an outcry from Middle East neighbors. Sen. Markwayne Mullin faces a surprise grilling in his confirmation hearing for Homeland Security Secretary. And labor rights icon Cesar Chavez is suddenly under scrutiny after posthumous accusations of sexual misconduct. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this edition of Hi-Diddly-Ho, Trenderino!, Jack and Miles discuss the war in Iran, Markwayne Mullin's confirmation hearing, United Farm Workers union cancelling Cesar Chavez events due to new revelations, Forbes' real estate tokenization' boner and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For decades, Cesar Chavez's name has been synonymous with workers’ rights. School buildings and streets bear his name. Alongside Chavez always stood Dolores Huerta. She’s a co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association and together they led a movement that profoundly transformed working conditions for farmworkers in the U.S. Now, Dolores speaks to Latino USA about being sexually assaulted by Cesar Chavez in her first interview after the New York Times revealed allegations of abuse of young victims, including minors, and the sacrifice she felt she had to make for the well-being of the movement. Trigger Warning: We should mention that parts of this story might be disturbing for some of our listeners. Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.