PODCAST · news
WiseUp TX
by WiseUp TX
Tune in to learn about politics/policies impacting Texas South Asians and hear from South Asians making an impact in America.
Episodes
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WiseUp with Roland Gutierrez, Candidate for US Senate
Roland Gutierrez is a Texas State Senator running for US Senate to defeat Ted Cruz. Roland will be on the ballot for the TX Democratic primary. On this podcast, hear his position on guns, healthcare, and a ceasefire in Gaza. March 1 - Last day to Vote Early March 5 - Election Day You can visit…
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WiseUp with Judge Juli Mathew of Fort Bend County
In this interview, host Areeba Amer interviews Judge Juli Mathew Fort Bend County Court at Law #3. Judge Juli Mathew is up for re-election on November 8 and was first elected to this position in 2018. She has been a lawyer for decades, and a resident of Fort Bend County. She describes herself as…
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WiseUp with Texas State Rep. Gene Wu
Host Alishba Javaid interviews Texas State Rep. Gene Wu. Gene represents Texas State District 137 - he has been in the state legislature for ten years. In this episode he shares what he's learned over the years about how to be effective politician and get things done, he talks about why...
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WiseUp with Austin ISD Trustee, Arati Singh
Host Alishba Javaid interviews Arati Singh who is running for reelection on the Austin Independent School District Board. Arati was first elected to the board in December 2018 and is the first Indian-American to serve on the Austin ISD school board. They discuss her path from teacher to elected...
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Bonus Episode: Replay of 2019 Interview with Rabia Chaudry, Advocate for Adnan Syed
In 2019, WiseUp TX Founder and President, Azra Siddiqi interviewed Adnan Syed's criminal justice advocate, Rabia Chaudry. Rabia took Adnan's story to the Serial podcast. It went viral and showed the public the failures of the criminal justice system in his case, including how Islamophobia played…
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Welcome Back to the WiseUp TX Podcast!
In this episode, your host Punam Kaji, gets Back to the Basics, covering why this 2022 Midterm is so important! Many seats are up for election - The Governor of Texas, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Texas State Senators and House members, AND U.S. House Reps are up for election, just to...
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WiseUp with Candidate for U.S. Congress, Jan McDowell
In this episode, Alishba Javaid talks to Jan McDowell, running for the United States House of Representatives. She hopes to defeat incumbent Republican Beth Van Duyne, but first, she has to win a Primary Runoff Election coming up on May 24. She is running in District 24, which covers parts of...
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WiseUp with Candidate for Texas Land Commissioner, Jay Kleberg
Punam Kaji talks to Jay Kleberg, a candidate in the Primary Runoff for Texas Land Commissioner. This is a state-wide office heading to a Primary runoff on both the democratic side, and the republican side. Jay is running in the Democratic Primary Runoff, which takes place on May 24, and early...
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WiseUp with Candidate for U.S. House, Derrik Gay
Punam Kaji talks to Derrik Gay, running for the United States House of Representatives. He hopes to defeat incumbent Republican Beth Van Duyne, but first, he has to win a Primary Runoff Election coming up on May 24. He is running in District 24, which covers parts of Dallas, suburbs of North...
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WiseUp with candidate for Sugar Land City Council, Farha Ahmed
In this episode, host Areeba Amer talks to Farha Ahmed, running for City Council At-Large Position 2 in Sugar Land, Texas. Sugar Land is a suburb in Houston area with a large South Asian population. Farha talks about the power of running as an immigrant and a South Asian and how that allows her…
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WiseUp with State Board of Education Candidate, Alex Cornwallis
In this episode, hear from Alex Cornwallis, running for State Board of Education, Place 12. This seat is up for election in November 2022 and helps shape our Texas schools. Place 12 includes a number of North Texas counties, including all of Collin county. Hear Alex's perspective about running as…
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WiseUp with Varun Nikore from AAPI Victory Alliance
In this episode, host Punam Kaji talks to Executive Director of AAPI Victory Alliance, Varun Nikore. AAPI Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are receiving national attention with a rapidly growing population and an activated electorate. Hear how AAPI voters in Texas have become a focus…
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WiseUp with Candidate for Birdville ISD Board of Trustee, Jared Ross
Host Punam Kaji talks to Jared Ross about upcoming the local election on May 7, 2022 and what is at stake for Texans! Jared is a candidate for Birdville ISD Board of Trustee, and he asked to join the podcast to spread the word to our South Asian followers about the importance of local elections -...
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WiseUp with Austin City Council Candidate Zohaib "Zo" Qadri
Alishba Javaid talks to Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, a progressive leader running for Austin City Council District 9. If he wins he would be the first South Asian and first Muslim in the Austin City Council. Zohaib talks about housing insecurity and the unhoused population in Austin. He talks about...
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WiseUp with Punam & Azra on the Texas Primary Results
WiseUp TX leaders Punam Kaji and Azra Siddiqi talk about that Texas Primary Results! The BIG Masala Midterm being this November, but over the last few weeks, Texans went out to vote in the primary to decide who will be on the ballot in November. Only about 1 out of 5 registered voters voted in…
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WiseUp with Travis County District Judge Candidate Jessica Huynh
Punam Kaji talks to Jessica Huynh, running for District Court Judge (331st) in Travis County. Have you studied your full ballot? In addition to Governor and state wide offices, there are many Judges on the ballot! Jessica talks about the importance of having understanding and empathy for the…
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WiseUp with Candidate for TX Governor, Joy Diaz
Punam Kaji talks to Joy Diaz running for Governor of Texas as a Democrat. She talks about the importance of being pragmatic and unifying. She reminds our listeners that it is so important to come out and vote in this Primary! Learn more about Joy by visiting her website here. Learn more about...
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WiseUp with Texas State Candidate Dr. Suleman Lalani
Punam Kaji talks to Dr. Suleman Lalani, a candidate for Texas State House in Fort Bend area (suburbs of Houston). This is an Asian Opportunity district, meaning census data showed a substantial Asian population in this area! Dr. Lalani talks about much needed reforms to healthcare and education,...
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WiseUp with U.S. House Candidate Donna Imam
Punam Kaji talks to Donna Imam, running for the United States House of Representatives. She is running as a democrat in the 37th District, which covers a good portion of Austin, Texas. Among other things, Donna talks about how she would tackle the increasing cost of living in Texas, including...
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WiseUp with Harris County Civil Court Judge Candidate, Monica Singh
Punam Kaji talks to Manpreet (Monica) Singh, running for Judge of the Harris County Civil Court at Law #4. Monica shares her journey as a court room lawyer, an activist for organizations like Sikh Coalition and ACLU Texas, and now as a candidate for Judge. She talks about her roots as a…
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WiseUp with Texas House Candidate Charlie Gearing
Punam Kaji talks to Charlie Gearing, a democratic candidate running for Texas State House District 114 (East Dallas). Charlie is an attorney who has dedicated much of his time to volunteerism and service work. Charlie talks about why Texans need medicaid expansion, the importance of education…
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WiseUp with TX Land Commissioner Candidate Jinny Suh
Punam Kaji talks to Jinny Suh, a democratic candidate for Land Commissioner. She explains what the Land Commissioner does - including its role in education and the environment. She is a community organizer, parent, attorney and small business owner. She founded Immunize Texas, a grassroots…
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WiseUp with Texas House Candidate Salman Bhojani
Areeba Amer talks to Salman Bhojani, a democratic candidate running for Texas State House District 92 (Mid-Cities of DFW). Salman is a former City Councilman of Euless, a South Asian American and a small business owner. In this episode, he shares his passion for local government and more! Learn...
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WiseUp on Why 2022 Is a BIG Election Year
WiseUp TX Podcast Host Punam Kaji recaps everything we covered in 2021! It was quite a year, kicking off with the inauguration of the first woman, Black, and South Asian person to be Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Then, we focused on local elections before taking a summer...
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WiseUp on the New District Maps & the Growing Asian Population with Prerna Bhat
Hear from Prerna Bhat, a member of the TX AAPI Redistricting Coalition, who testified six times in front of the Texas Legislature to advocate for voting maps that will keep the growing Asian community together and not dilute the power of the APA constituency. During a special legislative session,...
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WiseUp on Domestic Violence Awareness with Pam Otal from Daya
October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but organizations like Daya (Houston) provide resources to domestic violence survivors in the South Asian community year-round. Pam Otal is a WiseUp TX board member and the Outreach & Volunteer coordinator for Daya (Houston). On this episode, Pam…
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WiseUp on the Ballot for the Nov 2, 2021 Election
Hey friends! Early voting is happening right now thru October 29, and election day is Nov 2nd. What are we voting on? Amendments to the Texas Constitution, plus there could be some local elections and local propositions on your ballot. Tune into this short episode and learn about the 8…
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Interview with Louis Bedford, Voting Rights Attorney
This summer, Texas lawmakers passed new voting laws. In this episode, WiseUp TX podcast host Punam Kaji interviews Louis Bedford, a voting rights attorney. He explains the impact of the changes in voting laws. Also learn about redistricting (the drawing of maps), a process that only happens every...
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Interview with DFW Attorney Fawaz Bham on Community Service
Hear Fawaz Bham talk about his work with the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program assisting people in need during the Covid-19 Crisis and DFWROS mentoring a refugee family from Afghanistan. Fawaz is a real-estate and capital finance attorney focusing on commercial real-estate transactions at Hunton...
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We're Back with Updates on New Texas Laws
WiseUp TX Board Members Punam Kaji, Azra Siddiqi, and Areeba Amer discuss the key events of the Texas Legislative Session (and special sessions) including Texas laws on Critical Race Theory in education, changes in election law that limit drive-thru voting and more, the expansion of gun rights in...
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Interview with Cydnei Drake, Candidate for School Board in DFW (CFBISD)
Cydnei Drake is running for school board in Carrolton Farmers Branch Independent School District. This School District covers a number of DFW suburbs, including Carrolton, Farmers Branch and some of Addison, Coppell, Dallas, and Irving. In this episode, Cydnei talks about the need for equity and...
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Interview with Alexander Cornwallis, Candidate for School Board (Prosper ISD)
Alexander Cornwallis is running to be on the school board of Prosper Independent School Board. Prosper is a suburb in North Dallas, and Alexander decided to run to represent the South Asian community on the board and also bring attention to the need for a greater focus on technology in education...
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Interview with Diana Saleh, Candidate for City Council (Arlington, TX)
Diana Saleh wants to bring a fresh perspective to Arlington City Council as a young professional, a Palestinian American, and a Muslim woman. Diana discusses the rich diversity of the populous city of Arlington, TX. She shares her desire to make the city more equitable, starting with creating an...
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Interview with Rafat Jilani, Candidate for School Board Trustee in Houston Area (FBISD)
Rafat Jilani has worked with children for 30 years in schools as a special education teacher and a school psychologist. Now she is running for Fort Bend Independent School District, Trustee Position 6. Fort Bend’s population is widely diverse, including a significant South Asian population.…
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Interview with Brody Mulligan, Candidate for School Board Trustee in DFW (HEB ISD)
Brody Mulligan is running for School Board Trustee in the Hurst Euless Bedford School District (HEB ISD). This area in the mid-cities of DFW has a substantial South Asian community, and Brody reached out to the WiseUp TX Podcast to talk to our followers. He has experience as an educator and a...
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Interview with Dr. Sana Syed, Candidate for Dallas City Council
Dr. Sana Syed is running for Dallas City Council District 2. She talks about her desire to tackle challenging issues like homelessness and her love for the city of Dallas and the district she is running to represent. She is a South Asian American and Muslim woman excited to engage in the…
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WiseUp TX Team Discusses VP Kamala Devi Harris
Kamala Devi Harris will be the first woman Vice President in American History. She is also a woman of color - the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant (father) and Indian immigrant (mother). This historic moment marks many firsts, and the WiseUp TX Podcast Team shares their thoughts and feelings…
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WiseUp TX Team Discusses 2020 Election Outcomes Pt. 2 (Texas)
WiseUp TX podcast team members discuss the results from key races in Texas, including the U.S. Congressional Races, the U.S. Senate Race, and the critical Texas State Legislature races! Election day proved that Republicans maintain a stronghold in Texas politics, particularly on the state level...
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WiseUp TX Team Discusses 2020 Election Outcomes Pt. 1
Hear the WiseUp TX podcast team discuss the outcome of the 2020 Elections, and answer the following questions: What motivated the record-breaking turnout nationally and here in Texas? What have we learned about various minority populations and how they vote? What can we do to keep voters engaged…
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WiseUp TX Podcast Team Discusses 2020 Election Predictions
The WiseUp TX Podcast Team (Punam Kaji, Azra Siddiqi, Zohaib Qadri, Sana Meghani, and Areeba Amer) discuss the upcoming 2020 election! The team makes predictions on when we will have a clear outcome for the Presidential election in light of potential delays with mail in ballots. The team predicts...
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Interview with Sima Ladjevardian, Candidate for U.S. Congress (TX 2)
Sima Ladjevardian is running for United States Congress! The 2nd Congressional district covers the west part of Houston, and then extends around the north side of the city, including some suburbs. Sima talks about her background as an Iranian immigrant, and what she envisions for our country from...
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WiseUp, MaskUp, and VoteUp and Down the Ballot--2020 Election Information
WiseUp TX founder and board member, Azra Siddiqi, returns to the podcast to talk about the upcoming 2020 Election. It's a podcast jam-packed with important information such as who is on the ballot, how to participate in mail-in voting (if you qualify), utilizing safe practices to vote during a...
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Interview with Sri Preston Kulkarni, Candidate for U.S. Congress (TX 22)
Sri Preston Kulkarni is a South Asian candidate running for U.S. Congress in Texas' 22nd Congressional district (Suburbs of Houston such as Sugarland, Pearland, Katy, and Clearlake). If he wins he will be the first person of color to represent this majority minority district. He ran in 2018 and...
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Interview with Candace Valenzuela, Candidate for U.S. Congress (TX 24)
Candace Valenzuela is running to represent a diverse district of suburbs between Dallas and Fort Worth (such as Addison, Irving, Grapevine, Southlake, Carrolton, Euless, etc). This district includes parts of Dallas County, Denton County, and Tarrant County. She talks about the South Asian...
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Interview with State Rep. Ed Thompson (District 29)
State Representative Ed Thompson currently represents District 29, which includes Pearland and other suburbs south of Houston. He talks about his service in this district as the State Rep. since 2012 and his current run as the Republican candidate. He talks about the Covid-19 pandemic and its…
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Interview with Mubasher Warraich, Candidate for Euless City Council
Mubasher Warraich is running for city council in the suburb of Euless (DFW metroplex). He talks about bringing more of the technology industry to the city and his passion and focus on affordable childcare for working parents. He talks about how South Asians could get much more involved in the...
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Interview with MJ Hegar, Candidate for U.S. Senate
MJ Hegar is running for the United States Senate as the Democratic candidate against longtime incumbent, John Cornyn. She has served our country as a combat veteran, she has worked in the healthcare industry, and she is a working mom. She talks about how all these experiences led her to run for...
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Interview with Judge Staci Williams, Candidate for Texas Supreme Court
Judge Staci Williams is running for TX Supreme Court as a democratic candidate. This is a statewide race that will be on every ballot this November. Judge Williams currently serves as Judge of the 101st District Court in Dallas County. Judge Williams talks about the important decisions the Texas...
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Interview with Chris Hollins, Harris County Clerk About Voting in a Pandemic and More
Current Harris County Clerk, Chris Hollins, talks about safe and accessible voting this election seasons. Harris County is the 3rd largest county in the nation, and in his role, Hollins manages the election and protects voting rights, a role he does not take lightly. Listen to hear about unique...
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Interview with Travis Boldt - Candidate for Texas State Rep. (Dist. 29)
Travis Boldt is the Democratic candidate for Texas House of Representative for House District 29. He is challenging Republican incumbent Ed Thomson. House District 29 covers Pearland and suburbs southeast of Houston. A small business owner, husband to a public school educator, and father, Travis...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does WiseUp TX have?
WiseUp TX currently has 144 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is WiseUp TX about?
Tune in to learn about politics/policies impacting Texas South Asians and hear from South Asians making an impact in America.
How often does WiseUp TX release new episodes?
WiseUp TX publishes regularly with 144 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to WiseUp TX?
You can listen to WiseUp TX on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts WiseUp TX?
WiseUp TX is created and hosted by WiseUp TX.
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