Radio Cachimbona

Yvette Borja interviews Javier Zamora, author of "Solito." They discuss how Javier found the strength as a shy person to write a memoir about one of the hardest times of his life, his journey to becoming "ultra Salvi," and the power of seeing Salvadoran Spanish in a published book.  To support the podcast, become a patron at: https://patreon.com/radiocachimbona Follow @radiocachimbona on Inst...

Yvette Borja interviews University of Arizona Law School Professor Shefali Milczarek-Desai to discuss two of her recent/upcoming papers about the intersection of immigrants' rights and workers' rights. They discuss the ineffectiveness of Arizona's 2017 paid sick leave law, especially amongst im/migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tension between immigration enforcement and workers' r...

Yvette Borja entrevista a Juan Pablo Garnham del Laboratorio de Desalojos en la universidad de Princeton sobre cómo los desalojos impactan a la comunidad indocumentada. Discutieron cómo la gente indocumentada no ésta representada en los datos de cortes de desalojo y cómo varía transparencia de datos sobre desalojo en diferentes áreas regionales de EEUU. Escuchen mi resumen sobre el libro "Evicted"...

Yvette Borja interviews Juan Pablo Garnham of Princeton's Eviction Lab. They discussed how eviction impacts undocumented people, the ways that current eviction court data erases the real impact of eviction on migrant communities, and the regional variation in transparency around eviction court data. Listen to the #litreview unpacking Matthew Desmond's book "Eviction" here: https://podcasts.apple.c...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Henry Martinez, brother of Eyvin Hernandez, a Salvadoran-American deputy public defender in Los Angeles who has been wrongfully detained in Venezuelan military camps and prisons for over 16 months. They discuss Biden's lackluster response to Eyvin's situation and how Latinxs are often treated as second-class citizens. To support the podcast, become a patron at: h...

Yvette interviews author and DJ Emilly Prado about her book of essays "Funeral For Flaca." They commiserate about growing up in predominantly white towns in the Bay Area, discuss how the book, which also has an accompanying playlist, is both a mixtape and collection of essays, and Prado shares the complexities of writing truth as a memoirist. Support the podcast by becoming a patron at: https://ww...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Jess Findley and Janis Gallego of the University of Arizona's "lawtina" program, a one-of-a-kind effort to create a pipeline for Latina women to enter the legal profession. They share what makes the U of A an ideal place for this pilot program, why such a mentoring program is needed, and why they became involved in the effort.  To support that podcast, becom...

This special episode is a recording of Yvette's lecture on "How To Be a Movement Lawyer," for the National Lawyers Guild and Immigration Law Students Association chapters at the University of Arizona law school. Yvette critiques mainstream impact litigation techniques, shares how she became a movement lawyer, and explains the critical role that the Radio Cachimbona plays in her movement lawyering....

On this episode, Yvette interviews NYU professor of anthropology and American Studies Arlene Dávila about her book "Latinx Art." They discuss what defines an 'artivist,' how Latinx art challenges the field's status quo, and why it's important to honor and recognize Latinx artists and the work they create. To support the podcast and get access to exclusive interviews, become a patron at: https://ww...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Christopher Soto about their new book of poetry Diaries of a Terrorist. They discuss how the literary establishment ignores Salvadoran poetry; Soto shares why they use the "we" pronoun and their journey to abolition. 

On this collaboration interview, Yvette and Israel and Sunem Tovar of the Money Chismes podcast discuss the importance of financial literacy for first-gen professionals, debate whether investing in the stock market is buying into capitalism, and share how getting your money right can be liberating.  Support Radio Cachimbona by becoming a patron for $5 a month and get early access to episodes...

On this episode, Yvette interviews professor and poet Cynthia Guardado about her new book of poems "Cenizas." They discuss how the Salvadoran civil war continues to haunt Guardado, the necessity of humanizing a group of people whose trauma defines them in public discourse, and all the ways that inter-generational trauma shows up in Salvadoran families. 

WE'RE BACK! On this collaboration interview, Yvette and Carlos Guadron, creator and host of the Salvis Unidos podcast, discuss their experiences as Salvadoran-Americans hosting Cent-Am-focused podcasts. Carlos shares how rare it is to find fellow Salvis in New York, explains how his podcast came about, and shares why creating both political and social spaces for Salvis is important.  To suppo...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Carolina Escamilla Rivera about her book of short stories "After" about an adolescent coming of age during the Salvadoran Civil War. They discuss how Rivera "composted memory" to communicate what has happening in El Salvador in the 70s and 80s, the role that theatre plays in the fight for a better world, and balancing the climate of disinformation while accuratel...

On this episode, Yvette Borja brings her partner Joseph on to discuss gaming the credit card rewards system. They share their favorite experiences they've shared with credit card rewards points, compare the Marriott rewards program to the Hyatt rewards program, and breakdown the dollar: credit card point ratio and how tom maximize it.  Chase Sapphire Preferred Referral Link: https://www.refer...

On this episode, Yvette Borja interviews poet and writer Aline Mello about her new book of poems "More Salt Than Diamond." Mello shares why her love poems are "reluctant," what it means to be "more salt than diamond" and what "country" means for a Brazilian immigrant in the U.S.  Support the podcast by becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/radiocachimbona?fan_landing=true&view_as=pub...

On this episode, criminal defense lawyer Laura Barrera and law professors Paulina Vera, Valeria Gomez and Arlene Amarante join Yvette Borja to discuss "procedural subjugation" and how it shows up in immigration law. They share why immigration lawyers are more likely to critique the system they work within, how procedure is utilized as justification for cruelty to migrants and their journeys into (...

On this episode, Yvette brings back friend of the podcast Eloisa Lopez about the state of abortion care in Arizona post-Dobbs. Eloisa breaks down the fetal personhood law that caused immediate confusion among abortion providers statewide after the Supreme Court released its Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the complications around publicizing abortion care amidst fear over its criminalizati...

On this episode, Yvette interviews lawyer, author and legal ethics professor Richard Zitrin about his book "Trial Lawyer: A Life Representing People Against Power." Zitrin shares the most difficult legal ethical dilemmas he faced as a trial lawyer, whether a lawyer should act as a "mouthpiece" for a client or their "savior," and how he navigated being a mouthpiece for clients who were minors while...

Yvette interviews the editors, Reyna Grande and Sonia Guiñansaca, and two contributing authors, Aline Mello and Yosimar Reyes, of the anthology "Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings." They share what the dandelion symbolizes for them, push back against the "good immigrant" narrative, and how the anthology is "a love letter for people who weren't cared...

On this episode, Yvette interviews architects Siboney Díaz Sánchez of Design as Protest and Raphael Sperry of Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility about the role that designers can play in de-carceration work.  They discuss what being an anti-racist designer looks like, how designers can play a role in ensuring that building affordable housing redistributes wealth within co...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Jennifer Friedman, the Deputy Public Defender in the Immigration Defense Unit of the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and a member of the Public Defender Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Jennifer explains why immigration defense is public defense, breaks down the "good immigrant" and "bad immigrant" false dichotomy and shares how that narrative impacts the...

*TW discussion of incarceration and sexual assault beginning around timestamp 5:50* On this episode, Yvette interviews Jorge Renaud, the National Criminal Justice Director for LatinoJustice. He shares about his experiences living in Brownsville Texas and facing criminalization as a Chicano man, the trauma of incarceration and his resilience within that, and the importance of poetry.  To suppo...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Kat Jutras of Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona about the organization's advocacy efforts to end the death penalty in Arizona, the case of Clarence Dixon, who Arizona executed last month, and the faith-based groups who are calling for an end to the death penalty.  Read more about Clarence Dixon's case here: https://ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/clarence-di...

On this episode, Yvette interviews Doralina Luna, a Tucson-based lawtina who owns her own law firm and practices immigration law. Doralina shares what made her decide to venture into solo legal practice, what inspired her to hire people directly impacted by the immigration system, and gives tips for lawyers thinking about opening up a private practice.