EP166: Roots and Rights with Lupe Carrasco Cardona

What does “back to school” look like when your community is bracing for ICE raids?

In this episode, educator and organizer Lupe Carrasco Cardona joins us to talk about protecting students through Know Your Rights workshops, walking school buses, and community safety plans. We also explore her 2022 lawsuit over teaching ethnic studies (dismissed in 2024) and how that fight connects to resisting the criminalization of immigrant families. From mutual aid to decolonized curriculum, Lupe shows why defending truth in the classroom is inseparable from defending our communities.

Show Notes:

00:23 The Fight for Ethnic Studies

03:35 Formation of Liberated Ethnic Studies

07:55 The Impact of Ethnic Studies on Personal Identity

10:18 Community Solidarity and Defense Initiatives

13:23 Workshops and Training for ICE Raids

22:19 Empowering Communities Through Education and Solidarity

28:40 Discovering the Power of Mutual Aid

29:09 Indigenous Socialism and Community Building

29:50 The Theft of Labor and Wealth Inequality

31:11 Generational Responsibility and Environmental Concerns

32:37 The Struggle Against Racism and Capitalism

33:43 Challenges in Promoting Ethnic Studies

40:33 The Importance of Ancestral Knowledge

43:05 Legal Battles and Community Organizing

47:11 Standing Firm Against Oppression