JoCasta Zamarripa Is the First Latina to Serve
in Wisconsin’s Legislature
A Latina First
in Wisconsin’s Legislature
A Latina First
JoCasta Zamarripa worked with Planned Parenthood of
Wisconsin before successfully running for the Wisconsin
Assembly in 2010.
Wisconsin before successfully running for the Wisconsin
Assembly in 2010.
years is allowing the children of undocumented workers pay in-state tuition when attending Wisconsin public universities.
“I think a lot of our tea partiers may have tried to express it in such a way that in-state tuition is a free ride,” Zamarripa said. “We’re
giving in-state tuition to undocumenteds. That wasn’t the case at all. This law allowed uindocumented students, young people brought
here through no fault of their own, to pay us in-state tuition rates at our UW schools and technical colleges. They certainly had to meet
criteria upon graduating from Wisconsin high schools. They had to prove they resided here for three years. They had to sign an affidavit
saying they would become a legal, permanent resident as soon as they were eligible to do so. So there were criteria to be met and
there was no free ride. They were simply being allowed to pay in-state tuition rates. The difference between in-state and out-of-state
tuition rates is substantial, but they are still paying their way through school. That was a huge loss that Walker decided to repeal that
law, which saved no money. When you looked at the line item, there were no savings there. It was simply to appease the tea party
Republicans that Walker is trying to retain.”
Zamarripa is the product of Catholic schools in Milwaukee, noting that Catholicism is very much a part of the culture for many Latinos.
But the school voucher program — she went to school before the voucher system was implemented — is an issue that has opponents
and defenders in her district.
“We saw a lot of voucher bills come through this session,” Zamarripa said. “That is another difficult issue for me because I consider
myself a progressive, but I consider myself to be a pragmatic progressive. I have a lot of kids in my district who are going to these
voucher schools. That is a debate that is definitely a tough one for me because I certainly don’t condone making the largest cuts to
public education in the history of the state and meanwhile, continuing to fund the private school voucher program. But at the same
time, I have children from my community in those schools and I’m not going to hang them out to dry because of a political argument. It’s
a difficult balance. I strive for more accountability from those voucher schools, but definitely fight against cutting into my public
schools as well because I represent a lot of kids who attend public schools.”
One of those issues that cut across ethnic and age lines is the voter ID bill, which Zamarripa feels negatively impacts everyone in her
district.
“The voter ID bill negatively impacts the Latino community,” Zamarripa emphasized. “It’s a bill that impacts all of my constituents: my
Latinos who are here, Puerto Ricans who have been here for generations, Chicanos or Mexican Americans who are fifth generation
and my naturalized citizens who just got here whom I think it intimidates and my Polish senior citizens who have been here also their
whole lives. They are disenfranchised and disempowered with the voter ID law, which thankfully has been permanently blocked for
now, although who knows what will happen by the fall and November elections. You are intimidating people by having them show a
voter ID and having them sign the poll book and you are making it harder for folks who don’t have the adequate identification they need
to vote this election year.”
One of the biggest factors in this year’s presidential election will be the Latino vote. Although recent polls show President Obama
ahead of the likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney 68 to 23 percent in the Latino community despite general dissatisfaction with
Obama’s immigration policies. The swing rightward by the Republicans on the immigration issue during the Republican primary may
have offset any vulnerability that Obama might have had.
“One thing I hate to say that I was almost happy about, but to hear Romney’s ridiculous, unrealistic, anti-immigrant stance just gives
me reassurance that my Latino community will stick with President Obama because I know that people were critical of him because he
hasn’t done the work on immigration that we had hoped he would do,” Zamarripa said. “I again know how difficult of an issue it is
politically to deal with, even for me. It is a responsibility of mine that I take very, very seriously. But I can imagine how hard it is for
President Obama. And I believe absolutely that in his second term, he is going to address this issue. Now that said, I know that the
Latino community has criticized and been upset with him for not taking enough of a stand on immigration. So when Romney came out
and was so absolutely anti-immigrant, it just reassured me that they are going to give President Obama that chance. They are going to
realize that he was being pragmatic and strategic and he is going to address it in his second term. I believe that wholeheartedly. With
Romney, U.S. Senator Rubio from Florida endorsed Romney. I was just appalled. In Wisconsin I know a number of Latino Republicans
and I have enjoyed getting to know them. I realize the value that they offer around my strategy around immigration because they are
almost always with me. While we may not agree on things like the budget repair bill completely — their stance on labor might be
different than mine and my stance on sexual reproductive health care and access to that might be different from my Latino Republicans
— we almost always have a commonality, a common denominator in our stance on immigration. They stand with me in opposing the
Arizona copycat bill and supporting in-state tuition rights. That is what I appreciate about my Latino Republicans. That is why I was so
appalled by Rubio. He comes from an immigrant family. And he is going to support this candidate who offers a ridiculous plan on
immigration, essentially mass deportation? Honestly, I don’t think he would take the time to find out if I was a citizen or permanent
resident. I think he would just put us on the bus if he thought we looked immigrant. I know that is controversial, but when someone has
that unrealistic plan around the immigration system in the U.S., which is completely broken, it’s ridiculous.”
If Zamarripa wins the Democratic primary in August for her seat, she will spend the fall helping out her colleagues because winning the
Democratic primary would virtually assure her of a general election win in November.
“We already have shared leadership in the Senate and I believe that we can get the majority back in the Senate,” Zamarripa said. “I
have every faith that we can do the same in the Assembly. That’s going to be more of a challenge. But I am looking forward to hitting
the road and helping out as many of my colleagues as possible so that we can take the majority back come 2013.”
JoCasta Zamarripa has the smarts and political savvy to make her mark on Wisconsin politics. Who knows, she could just become
Wisconsin’s first Latino senator.
“I think a lot of our tea partiers may have tried to express it in such a way that in-state tuition is a free ride,” Zamarripa said. “We’re
giving in-state tuition to undocumenteds. That wasn’t the case at all. This law allowed uindocumented students, young people brought
here through no fault of their own, to pay us in-state tuition rates at our UW schools and technical colleges. They certainly had to meet
criteria upon graduating from Wisconsin high schools. They had to prove they resided here for three years. They had to sign an affidavit
saying they would become a legal, permanent resident as soon as they were eligible to do so. So there were criteria to be met and
there was no free ride. They were simply being allowed to pay in-state tuition rates. The difference between in-state and out-of-state
tuition rates is substantial, but they are still paying their way through school. That was a huge loss that Walker decided to repeal that
law, which saved no money. When you looked at the line item, there were no savings there. It was simply to appease the tea party
Republicans that Walker is trying to retain.”
Zamarripa is the product of Catholic schools in Milwaukee, noting that Catholicism is very much a part of the culture for many Latinos.
But the school voucher program — she went to school before the voucher system was implemented — is an issue that has opponents
and defenders in her district.
“We saw a lot of voucher bills come through this session,” Zamarripa said. “That is another difficult issue for me because I consider
myself a progressive, but I consider myself to be a pragmatic progressive. I have a lot of kids in my district who are going to these
voucher schools. That is a debate that is definitely a tough one for me because I certainly don’t condone making the largest cuts to
public education in the history of the state and meanwhile, continuing to fund the private school voucher program. But at the same
time, I have children from my community in those schools and I’m not going to hang them out to dry because of a political argument. It’s
a difficult balance. I strive for more accountability from those voucher schools, but definitely fight against cutting into my public
schools as well because I represent a lot of kids who attend public schools.”
One of those issues that cut across ethnic and age lines is the voter ID bill, which Zamarripa feels negatively impacts everyone in her
district.
“The voter ID bill negatively impacts the Latino community,” Zamarripa emphasized. “It’s a bill that impacts all of my constituents: my
Latinos who are here, Puerto Ricans who have been here for generations, Chicanos or Mexican Americans who are fifth generation
and my naturalized citizens who just got here whom I think it intimidates and my Polish senior citizens who have been here also their
whole lives. They are disenfranchised and disempowered with the voter ID law, which thankfully has been permanently blocked for
now, although who knows what will happen by the fall and November elections. You are intimidating people by having them show a
voter ID and having them sign the poll book and you are making it harder for folks who don’t have the adequate identification they need
to vote this election year.”
One of the biggest factors in this year’s presidential election will be the Latino vote. Although recent polls show President Obama
ahead of the likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney 68 to 23 percent in the Latino community despite general dissatisfaction with
Obama’s immigration policies. The swing rightward by the Republicans on the immigration issue during the Republican primary may
have offset any vulnerability that Obama might have had.
“One thing I hate to say that I was almost happy about, but to hear Romney’s ridiculous, unrealistic, anti-immigrant stance just gives
me reassurance that my Latino community will stick with President Obama because I know that people were critical of him because he
hasn’t done the work on immigration that we had hoped he would do,” Zamarripa said. “I again know how difficult of an issue it is
politically to deal with, even for me. It is a responsibility of mine that I take very, very seriously. But I can imagine how hard it is for
President Obama. And I believe absolutely that in his second term, he is going to address this issue. Now that said, I know that the
Latino community has criticized and been upset with him for not taking enough of a stand on immigration. So when Romney came out
and was so absolutely anti-immigrant, it just reassured me that they are going to give President Obama that chance. They are going to
realize that he was being pragmatic and strategic and he is going to address it in his second term. I believe that wholeheartedly. With
Romney, U.S. Senator Rubio from Florida endorsed Romney. I was just appalled. In Wisconsin I know a number of Latino Republicans
and I have enjoyed getting to know them. I realize the value that they offer around my strategy around immigration because they are
almost always with me. While we may not agree on things like the budget repair bill completely — their stance on labor might be
different than mine and my stance on sexual reproductive health care and access to that might be different from my Latino Republicans
— we almost always have a commonality, a common denominator in our stance on immigration. They stand with me in opposing the
Arizona copycat bill and supporting in-state tuition rights. That is what I appreciate about my Latino Republicans. That is why I was so
appalled by Rubio. He comes from an immigrant family. And he is going to support this candidate who offers a ridiculous plan on
immigration, essentially mass deportation? Honestly, I don’t think he would take the time to find out if I was a citizen or permanent
resident. I think he would just put us on the bus if he thought we looked immigrant. I know that is controversial, but when someone has
that unrealistic plan around the immigration system in the U.S., which is completely broken, it’s ridiculous.”
If Zamarripa wins the Democratic primary in August for her seat, she will spend the fall helping out her colleagues because winning the
Democratic primary would virtually assure her of a general election win in November.
“We already have shared leadership in the Senate and I believe that we can get the majority back in the Senate,” Zamarripa said. “I
have every faith that we can do the same in the Assembly. That’s going to be more of a challenge. But I am looking forward to hitting
the road and helping out as many of my colleagues as possible so that we can take the majority back come 2013.”
JoCasta Zamarripa has the smarts and political savvy to make her mark on Wisconsin politics. Who knows, she could just become
Wisconsin’s first Latino senator.
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 2 of 2
In 2010 when she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly to
represent Milwaukee’s near south side, JoCasta Zamarripa became the
first Latina to serve in the Wisconsin legislature. While her district is
home to the largest Latino community in Wisconsin, it is also home to a
sizable LGBT community in Walker’s Point as well as remaining members
of Milwaukee’s Polish community and other recent immigrants including
Russians and the Hmong.
As the only Latino in the legislature, Zamarripa is the point person for
many issues directly affecting the Latino community while also making
sure that the needs of all of her constituents are being met. It is a
balancing act that Zamarripa is very adept at. She is an engaging
individual who is comfortable wearing several hats at the same time
while she relishes engaging people on the issues of the day.
One of the biggest issues that Zamarripa has dealt with during her first two
Part 2 of 2
In 2010 when she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly to
represent Milwaukee’s near south side, JoCasta Zamarripa became the
first Latina to serve in the Wisconsin legislature. While her district is
home to the largest Latino community in Wisconsin, it is also home to a
sizable LGBT community in Walker’s Point as well as remaining members
of Milwaukee’s Polish community and other recent immigrants including
Russians and the Hmong.
As the only Latino in the legislature, Zamarripa is the point person for
many issues directly affecting the Latino community while also making
sure that the needs of all of her constituents are being met. It is a
balancing act that Zamarripa is very adept at. She is an engaging
individual who is comfortable wearing several hats at the same time
while she relishes engaging people on the issues of the day.
One of the biggest issues that Zamarripa has dealt with during her first two
