ilhan omar

  • Ilhan Omar, a Somali American, Seeks Seat in Congress

    Ilhan Omar is a Somali-American politician who escaped from Somalia as a child, grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp and later immigrated to Minnesota. Years after immigrating, she became the nation’s first and only Somali-American lawmaker when she won a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Now she is ready to become the…

  • Tribeca Film Festival 2018: Time for Ilhan Reminds Us That Hope Can Make History

    In 1993 I left my birthplace of Minneapolis, seeking a hopefully glamorous future in New York City. Two years later, a 12-year-old Ilhan Omar and her family sought out Minneapolis as the site for their future, after spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp and escaping war in their native Somalia. They weren’t alone;…

  • Meet Ilhan Omar, the Nation’s 1st Somali-American Muslim Legislator

    If you need something to brighten your spirits during this tough election cycle, Minnesota community activist Ilhan Omar became the first Somali-American Muslim female legislator Tuesday night. In truth, Omar, 34, became the clear front-runner for the position in August when she defeated a 44-year incumbent to become the Democratic nominee. She faced little Republican…