Description
Hot 97's Mornings With Mero sits down with incoming Congresswoman Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13, Washington Heights/Uptown) for a wide-ranging conversation about her historic election win, her plans for day one in Congress, and the movement that put her there.
They discuss:
Her response on the scene when an ICE agent shot Oscar Balgao in Uptown Manhattan — and why she says NYPD failed the community that night
Why immigration is a civil issue, not a criminal one, and what a dignified pathway to citizenship should look like
The first-generation Dominican experience and how it shaped her politics
Inspiration from Barbara Lee, the Young Lords, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin
Day-one legislation: Universal Child Care Act, Block the Bombs, Tenants Right to Organize Act, HOMES Act, and the Green New Deal for Public Housing
Building co-governance structures to bring New York to Washington
The youth political movement sweeping the country (Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed, and more)
What democratic socialism actually means — and why it's "for everybody"
The absurdity of the "do you disavow Hasan Piker" media narrative
Early voting is open now. Election Day is November 3rd.
⏱️ Chapters:
0:00 — Intro
1:17 — Meet Darializa Avila Chevalier
2:41 — "The job's not finished" — early voting & Election Day
5:48 — Inspiration: Barbara Lee's lone vote against the Iraq War
6:50 — The ICE shooting of Oscar Balgao & NYPD's failure
11:10 — Why we should abolish ICE
12:50 — Immigration should be like going to the DMV
13:55 — Growing up first-generation Dominican in New York
16:45 — How to change Congress from within
17:30 — Corporate Democrats vs. people-powered Democrats
19:35 — Getting recognized & the Knicks at Locksmith
21:03 — Championed by Zohran Mamdani & the youth movement
23:23 — Day-one priorities: what changes January 3rd
25:41 — "Sewer socialism" on the federal level
26:30 — Constituent services & community empowerment
39:30 — The "do you disavow Hasan Piker" nonsense
42:20 — Reaching audiences on every platform
44:25 — Message to Mero Jr.: get out and vote
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📅 Early voting is open now. Election Day is November 3rd.
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