MinnesotaElectsFirstFemaleSomaliAmericanLawmaker
Historywasmadethisweekwhena34-year-oldformerrefugeewaselectedtotheMinnesotastatelegislature.
Thewoman,IlhanOmar,willbecomethecountry’sfirstSomali-Americanlawmaker.
OmarwastheMinnesotaDemocratic-Farmer-LaborPartycandidateforthelegislatureinMinnesota’s60thdistrict.SheeasilydefeatedherRepublicanopponentonTuesday.
OmartoldsupportersTuesdaynightthathervictorymeansalot."MysuccessisnotonlyformebutforeverySomali,Muslimandminority,particularlytheyounggirlsintheDadaabrefugeecampwhereIlivedbeforecomingtotheU.S.,"shesaid.
FromRefugeetoRepresentative
Asagirl,OmarfledherhomeinSomaliabecauseofthecountry’scivilwar.ShespentfouryearsattheDadaabCampinKenya,beforemovingtotheUnitedStateswithherfamily.Shewas12yearsoldatthetime.
HerfamilyfirstbegantheirnewlifeinArlington,Virginia,andthensettledintheircurrenthomeinMinneapolis.
Omarbeganhercareerasacommunityactivist.SheiscurrentlydirectorofpolicyattheWomenOrganizingWomenNetwork.Thegroupworkswithimmigrantwomen,helpingthembecomeengagedcitizensandcommunityleaders.
MinnesotaishometothelargestpopulationofSomalirefugeesandimmigrantsintheUnitedStates.ManySomaliswhospoketoVOAbeforetheelectionsaidtheyweresupportingHillaryClintonforpresidentbecausetheyfeltthatDonaldTrumpwasanti-Somali.
Earlier,TrumphassaidthereareproblemsinMinnesotacausedbypoorvettingofrefugees.HesaidtherewerelargenumbersofSomalirefugeesenteringthestate,andthatthiswasunknowntostateofficials.HealsosaidthatsomeoftherefugeeshadjoinedtheIslamicStategroup.Heaccusedthemofspreadingtheirextremistideas“alloverourcountryandallovertheworld.”
AshaAhmed,aSomaliAmerican,said"WeareshockedthatTrumpispresident,butwegotreliefthatIlhanwillberepresentingusatourstateHouseofRepresentatives.Forme,Americaismycountry,itiswheremyfutureanddreamsalwaysdependedonandtheonlyhomeformychildren...[Omar's]successmeansalottomeandmyfamily,threechildrenandahusband."
JibrilMohamed,alectureratOhioStateUniversity,expressedsatisfactionatOmar’selectiontotheMinnesotastatelegislature.
"Itislikeananti-painrelieffortheSomalis,whovotedagainstTrumpbecauseofTrump'santi-Somalirhetoricthatcontinuedeventothelastdaysoftheelectioncampaign,"hesaid.
AhmedHirsi,Omar'shusband,toldVOAthatthecampaignwasalongstruggleforhisfamilytowitnessthisday.
"ItisabighistoricdayforusandIlhan,asymbolandrolemodelformanySomalirefugeegirls.ItisasuccessthatcamethroughhardworkandthesupportofourMinnesotapeople,"hesaid.
_______________________________________________________
concentration–n.alargeamountofsomethinginoneplace
engage–v.togetandkeepsomeone'sattentionorinterest
relief–n.apleasantandrelaxedfeelingthatsomeonehaswhensomethingunpleasantstopsordoesnothappen
rhetoric–n.theartorskillofspeakingorwritingformallyandeffectivelyespeciallyasawaytopersuadeorinfluencepeople
vet–v.tochecksomethingcarefullytomakesureitisacceptable
