Open the Door Wider for Refugees
I’m here today only because of the kindness of strangers who fought to open the door for those fleeing unthinkable circumstances. Others should have the same chance.
Of the many titles I hold—congresswoman, mother, sister, organizer—one represents a part of my identity that I hold particularly close to my heart: refugee.
People frequently come up to me and share their own refugee stories. We immediately ask each other how long it has been since arriving in the United States. In my case, it’s been 29 years since my family and I were given a golden ticket to start a new life in America as refugees.
We escaped war in Somalia and found refuge at the Utange camp in Kenya. During my four years living in a refugee camp with little food or water,
