Lok Darjee: Preserving American Democracy Takes All of Us

Episode 47 April 09, 2025 00:41:36
Lok Darjee: Preserving American Democracy Takes All of Us
Mosaics
Lok Darjee: Preserving American Democracy Takes All of Us

Apr 09 2025 | 00:41:36

/

Show Notes

Lok Darjee works to empower others from refugee and immigrant backgrounds to use their vote and their voices to help shape and preserve the American democracy that he cares deeply about. His family is originally from Bhutan, but they were among the more than 100,000 Nepali-speaking people who were displaced in the early 1990s due to government persecution and attacks on their language, culture, religion, and citizenship. Lok resettled in Twin Falls, Idaho, as a teenager. While in Twin Falls, he founded a program to pair refugee students with American-born mentors.
 
He now runs Refugee Civic Action in Pennsylvania ‎and is a fellow at Foreign Policy for America. Lok holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia ‎University and has written extensively on immigration, policy, and identity.‎
 
 
Lok said pausing the refugee resettlement program goes against who we are as Americans. The program “gives a lot of hope to kids like me who are refugees, gives a second chance to people like ‎my family to come to this nation and build up again,” he said.
 
Check out his recent powerful op-ed in the Inquirer.

Other Episodes

Episode 35

July 31, 2024 00:30:26
Episode Cover

Thara Rita: How It Feels to Rebuild - Twice

Today we share in a powerful conversation with Rita Thara, who owns Thara Fashions with her mother, Veronique. They import fabrics from Africa to...

Listen

Episode

May 24, 2023 00:00:29
Episode Cover

Trailer - Mosaics

Idaho has a heritage of refugee resettlement that’s enriched our culture, economy, and communities. On the Mosaics podcast, we’ll hear from Idahoans with lived...

Listen

Episode 40

October 30, 2024 00:32:26
Episode Cover

Global Gardens Research: A Connection to the Land

  A research team from Boise State University is studying the ecological knowledge of Boise farmers from refugee backgrounds and learning how they adapted to...

Listen