In 2017, a member of the state Legislature, Ilhan Omar, was invited to the Governor of Minnesota’s annual fishing competition. Fishing is a very popular local tradition in Minnesota, known as the ‘land of ten thousand lakes.’ Few expected that Omar, an immigrant to the United States, would actually take part in the contest. To everyone’s surprise, she won the competition, catching eleven fish. It was the most fish ever caught by a single person in the history of the event.

In fact, Omar comes from a family of fishermen who once worked on the coast of Somalia. In her own words, ‘I think my grandfathers were whispering to the fish and making sure that their granddaughter was defending their legacy.’ A year later, she was elected as the first African-born member of the United States Congress, the most important law-making body in the country.

Childhood

Ilhan Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1982. She was the youngest of seven siblings and came from a family of teachers and civil servants. When Omar was two years old, her mother died. She was raised by her father and grandfather, a former director of Somalia’s Ministry of Marine Transport.

In 1991 she fled Somalia with her family to escape the country’s civil war. She has since described walking through streets filled with dead bodies as they fled. Omar then spent four years in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, near the coastal city of Mombasa. In 1995 she moved with her family to the United States. They settled in Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota, where her father worked as a taxi driver and a postman. Minneapolis contains the largest Somalian community in the country.

Life in America

When she first attended American school, Omar was bullied by her classmates for her appearance and wearing a Hijab. A tough child, she fought back, often getting in fights with bullies on the playground. At the time, her father told her that ‘they are doing something to you because they feel threatened in some way by your existence.’ She graduated from North Dakota State University in 2011 with a degree in international studies and first worked as a community educator.

Political Career

Omar soon became interested in politics and worked for local Minnesota politicians. In 2016, she won a seat in the Minnesota Legislature, beating someone who had held the seat for 44 years. Two year laters she ran for national congress and won her seat by the largest margin of any woman in American history. 

Today, Ilhan Omar still holds her seat and is a famous member of the group of congresswomen known as ‘The Squad.’ She was an outspoken critic of President Trump, who spread false conspiracy theories about her. Omar is known for her left-wing views, including support for universal healthcare, immigration reform and a higher minimum wage. She won re-election in 2020. 

Conclusion

Ilhan Omar, a former refugee, overcame many obstacles to become the first Somali American elected to congress. She is a hero to many at the camp she once stayed in, who have described her as ‘the daughter of Dadaab.’ As she says, ‘I talk all the time about the eight-year-old me and all the eight-year-olds who are living in their camps. I hope my victory gives them hope.’