LITA 4: Breaking Barriers and Culture at the Colorado Capitol with Rep. Yara Zokaie

In this episode of Left in the Attic, hosts Ana and Deep delve into Colorado's political landscape with Representative Yara Zokaie from House District 52 in Fort Collins to discuss the personal and professional challenges of being an immigrant and the culture at the Colorado Capital. Rep. Zokaie shares her experience as a woman of color and young mom in politics. Topics range from anti-immigrant rhetoric, personal threats, to the intricacies of Colorado legislation, including paid leave and price gouging. They close out with a call to action, encouraging listeners to support local immigrant-owned businesses during the holiday season. 

Ana shares that a Colorado non-profit, Cocina Libre, is selling cookbooks to support immigrants across CO. Check out https://cocinalibre.co/ for more information. 

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Today's Topic

00:24 Anna's Thanksgiving Trip to Mexico

01:43 Yara's Thanksgiving Experience

03:20 Deep's Thanksgiving and Birthday Traditions

05:18 Introducing Representative Yara Zokaie

06:11 Yara's Journey into Politics

10:17 Challenges and Triumphs in Office

16:51 The Controversy and Its Aftermath

24:32 Political Turmoil and Bureaucracy

26:34 Facing Adversity and Safety Concerns

27:30 Encouraging Underrepresented Voices

28:18 The Challenges of Legislative Work

29:17 The Importance of Representation

32:32 Debating Racial and Ethnic Data

35:10 Changing Capitol Culture

36:20 A Week in the Life of a Legislator

40:42 Personal Reflections and Music Preferences

44:54 Supporting Local Businesses

Meet Your Hosts

Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. According to Deep, Ana has a dating life that could probably be its own podcast segment.

Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  

Links:

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Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com

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