Last April, Ilhan Omar made history when she was sworn into the Minnesota House of Representatives, becoming the first female Muslim and Somali-American legislator.
In this interview with Trevor Noah of “The Daily Show,” she talks about her unlikely path from a Refugee Camp to State Rep. Prior to her arrival into the U.S., she had to wait four years at a Somali-refugee camp where she had to go through the process of applying, interviews, and medical tests. “It took a long time to become legal and to become citizens,” she said.
Noah asked her how she responds to bigoted critics who believe she is importing her own faith and culture to which Ms. Omar responded: “People forget that’s kind of what Native Americans — the indigenous people of this land — felt like when most of the people who do not want me in this country were coming to this country and feeling proud enough to make American their country.”
