Talking & Tacos Production for the People

Our guest today is California Senator, Maria Elena Durazo. Maria Elena was born the 7th of 11 children to migrant workers. It was at a young age that Maria Elena first experienced the exploitative conditions and challenges migrant laborers face. In spite of the obstacles of being born into a migrant working family, Maria Elena went on to earn her college degree from St. Mary’s College, which is where she became involved with the Chicano movement. Following her studies, she entered the labor movement as an organizer with what would later become UNITE-HERE. While working she also received her degree from the People College of Law. In 2004 Maria Elena became the Executive Vice-President of UNITE-HERE International and In 2008 she served as the vice-chair to the DNC and National Co-Chair of the Obama Presidential Campaign. What I know her best for is between 2006-2014 she was the first woman to lead the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor as Secretary-Treasurer. In 2018 Maria Elena was elected to serve public office as Senator of the 24th district of California.

Show: Talking & Tacos
Host: Chris Olivarez
Guest: Laphonza Butler is a partner at SCRB Strategies, a firm described as “a kingmaker for California's Democratic politicians.” She recently served as a senior advisor to the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. Previously, she served as President of SEIU Local 2015, the largest local union in California, and as President of the SEIU California State Council, where she led the successful fight to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour. She’s been described as “one of the national talents of a generation” and as someone who can work a political meeting as if she’s Neo in The Matrix.

Producer: Juliett Olivarez
DP & LD: Christian Castro
Sound and PA: Kurt Zierlein
Los Angeles, CA

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