Zamarripa, JoCasta b. 1976 | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

Zamarripa, JoCasta b. 1976

First Latina Wisconsin Legislator

Zamarripa, JoCasta b. 1976 | Wisconsin Historical Society
Dictionary of Wisconsin History.

Activist, legislator; born in Milwaukee, March 08, 1976. JoCasta Zamarripa was the first Latina to serve in the Wisconsin state legislature. She was elected a State Assembly Representative from the 8th District in 2010.  Zamarripa began her role as an activist and a part-time organizer and office manager for the Southside Organizing Committee in 2005. She joined Fair Wisconsin in 2005 and in 2006 worked against the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. She then joined Planned Parenthood as a community and outreach coordinator in 2007. In 2008, she worked with 9 to 5 to win paid sick days in the city of Milwaukee. She is also a former member of 9 to 5 National Association of Working Women and former Secretary of the Board of Directors of 9 to 5 Milwaukee. Rep. Zamarripa received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2005 and is a graduate of Emerge Wisconsin 2010.

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[Source: Submitted by Elizabeth Flores Bustamante of Alverno College. Milw. Journal Sentinel Sept. 14, 2010; www.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/126983; http://saintjoanantida.org/current-students-families/alumnae/jocasta/; www.emergeamerica.org/node/380]