Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar narrates her remarkable life experiences, beginning with her childhood in Mogadishu through her first year in Congress. The first Somali-American and one of two Muslim women elected to Congress, Omar recounts how her comfortable early life was turned upside down at the outbreak of the Somalian civil war. Omar shares her years in refugee camps, her miraculous opportunity to move to the United States, her initial elation at being here, and her growing awareness of inequalities in America. She details her grassroots political efforts to change the disastrous conditions of rampant homelessness, minimal healthcare, and inadequate nutrition among many of her constituents. While the audiobook might have been better served by a professional narrator, Omar’s message is important and well worth hearing. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman
Narrated by Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarUnabridged — 7 hours, 7 minutes
This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman
Narrated by Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarUnabridged — 7 hours, 7 minutes
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Overview
""Ilhan has been an inspiring figure well before her time in Congress. This book will give you insight into the person and sister that I see-passionate, caring, witty, and above all committed to positive change. It's an honor to serve alongside her in the fight for a more just world."" -Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
An intimate and rousing memoir by progressive trailblazer Ilhan Omar-the first African refugee, the first Somali-American, and one of the first Muslim women, elected to Congress.
Ilhan Omar was only eight years old when war broke out in Somalia. The youngest of seven children, her mother had died while Ilhan was still a little girl. She was being raised by her father and grandfather when armed gunmen attacked their compound and the family decided to flee Mogadishu. They ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya, where Ilhan says she came to understand the deep meaning of hunger and death. Four years later, after a painstaking vetting process, her family achieved refugee status and arrived in Arlington, Virginia.
Aged twelve, penniless, speaking only Somali and having missed out on years of schooling, Ilhan rolled up her sleeves, determined to find her American dream. Faced with the many challenges of being an immigrant and a refugee, she questioned stereotypes and built bridges with her classmates and in her community. In under two decades she became a grassroots organizer, graduated from college and was elected to congress with a record-breaking turnout by the people of Minnesota-ready to keep pushing boundaries and restore moral clarity in Washington D.C.
A beacon of positivity in dark times, Congresswoman Omar has weathered many political storms and yet maintained her signature grace, wit and love of country-all the while speaking up for her beliefs. Similarly, in chronicling her remarkable personal journey, Ilhan is both lyrical and unsentimental, and her irrepressible spirit, patriotism, friendship and faith are visible on every page. As a result,*This is What America Looks Like*is both the inspiring coming of age story of a refugee and a multidimensional tale of the hopes and aspirations, disappointments and failures, successes, sacrifices and surprises, of a devoted public servant with unshakable faith in the promise of America.*
Editorial Reviews
05/18/2020
Minnesota representative Omar debuts with a brisk and forthright recounting of her life story from her childhood in Mogadishu to her first year in office as the first Somali-American, and one of the first two Muslim women, elected to Congress. She movingly details how her family’s comfortable, middle-class existence in Somalia was disrupted by the outbreak of civil war in 1992, and the four years she and her siblings spent in refugee camps before their single father (Omar’s mother died when she was two) won the “golden ticket” of a U.S. visa. Omar recalls her shock at seeing homeless people on the streets of New York City, and spending much of her first year of middle school in detention for fighting. She describes struggling as a teenager to follow her father’s rules, and an emotional “breakdown” involving the dissolution of her first marriage and a yearlong separation from her family. She credits her political philosophy to her experiences as a nutrition educator for underserved communities in Minneapolis, offers incisive rundowns of her early campaigns, and apologizes for the use of an anti-Semitic trope to criticize U.S.-Israeli policy without backing down from her larger point. Polished and frequently poignant, this memoir confirms Omar’s status as rising Democratic star. (May)
This Is What America Looks Like is the origin story of a leader who, finding no set path that would take a person like her to the places she wanted to go, was forced, and free, to chart her own.” — New York Times Book Review
“Ilhan Omar has a quintessentially American story, told beautifully in the pages of this book. In the House, Ilhan is an eloquent spokesperson for her point of view. I am grateful that her journey brought her to us.” — Speaker Nancy Pelosi
“This beautiful book is a glimpse into the life of a woman I admire, respect and love so fiercely. Ilhan, you reaffirm that we belong everywhere and so do our stories. Thank you for sharing yourself with the world and for the steadfast resolve you bring to the work of justice and the upliftment of community.” — Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
“This is What America Looks Like is centered on the lived experiences of my sister in service, Ilhan Omar. It is a powerful and inspirational story that demonstrates the need for representation in government that reflects the diversity of our nation.” — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
“Omar is by turns fierce, self-deprecating, and confident, and . . . has produced a smoothly readable narrative. No matter a reader's personal politics, Omar's life should serve as an inspiration.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a fearless, pioneering badass with a titanium backbone, and her memoir is everything she is, in addition to being a rich, witty, crackling good read.” — Dave Eggers, author of The Monk of Mokha and The Captain and the Glory
"Omar renews my faith in America. Her journey from refugee to politician is a story of courage, faith, and tenacity. Ultimately, she inspires us to be more human. The America I love looks like this." — Sandra Cisneros, award-winning author of The House on Mango Street
"Ilhan has been an inspiring figure well before her time in Congress. This book will give you insight into the person and sister that I see—passionate, caring, witty, and above all committed to positive change. It’s an honor to serve alongside her in the fight for a more just world." — Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
“Ilhan Omar has a gift for crossing all boundaries, from religious and cultural to political and personal. My world is bigger after reading This Is What America Looks Like. I recommend it.” — Gloria Steinem
“Rep. Ilhan Omar is not just pushing America to live up to its best ideals—she’s showing us how the struggle for inclusion and solidarity can transform our communities in the here and now. This book is a gripping, wonderfully frank account of a remarkable political journey that is just getting started. As dazzling as its author.” — Naomi Klein, author of On Fire: The Burning Case for the Green New Deal
“With every beautifully written page, we are given precious insights into the extraordinary experiences, struggles, and mercies that shaped the freedom fighter we know today. Omar has gifted us with a perfect memoir: reflective without being self-indulgent, intellectual but still passionate, pragmatic yet brimming with hope. After reading her story, even Omar’s biggest critics will be unable to deny her principled political commitments, visionary leadership, and profound love for the entire human family. During these trying political times, this book is a desperately needed reminder that the type of world, and leadership, that we deserve is closer than we think.” — Marc Lamont Hill, New York Times bestselling author of Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, From Ferguson to Flint and Beyond
"Ilhan Omar writes the quintessential American story of struggle, resilience, and transformation. This is What America Looks Like provides us a powerful and necessary voice during uncertain times." — Erika L. Sanchez, New York Times bestselling author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
“A truly brave book from an extraordinary American. Any refugee or immigrant who consider the United States their adoptive home is fortunate to have Rep. Ilhan Omar as one of our country’s essential leaders.” — Jose Antonio Vargas, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
This is What America Looks Like is centered on the lived experiences of my sister in service, Ilhan Omar. It is a powerful and inspirational story that demonstrates the need for representation in government that reflects the diversity of our nation.”
Ilhan Omar has a gift for crossing all boundaries, from religious and cultural to political and personal. My world is bigger after reading This Is What America Looks Like. I recommend it.
Rep. Ilhan Omar is not just pushing America to live up to its best ideals—she’s showing us how the struggle for inclusion and solidarity can transform our communities in the here and now. This book is a gripping, wonderfully frank account of a remarkable political journey that is just getting started. As dazzling as its author.
"Omar renews my faith in America. Her journey from refugee to politician is a story of courage, faith, and tenacity. Ultimately, she inspires us to be more human. The America I love looks like this."
Ilhan Omar has a quintessentially American story, told beautifully in the pages of this book. In the House, Ilhan is an eloquent spokesperson for her point of view. I am grateful that her journey brought her to us.
This beautiful book is a glimpse into the life of a woman I admire, respect and love so fiercely. Ilhan, you reaffirm that we belong everywhere and so do our stories. Thank you for sharing yourself with the world and for the steadfast resolve you bring to the work of justice and the upliftment of community.”
"Ilhan has been an inspiring figure well before her time in Congress. This book will give you insight into the person and sister that I see—passionate, caring, witty, and above all committed to positive change. It’s an honor to serve alongside her in the fight for a more just world."
This Is What America Looks Like is the origin story of a leader who, finding no set path that would take a person like her to the places she wanted to go, was forced, and free, to chart her own.”
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a fearless, pioneering badass with a titanium backbone, and her memoir is everything she is, in addition to being a rich, witty, crackling good read.
With every beautifully written page, we are given precious insights into the extraordinary experiences, struggles, and mercies that shaped the freedom fighter we know today. Omar has gifted us with a perfect memoir: reflective without being self-indulgent, intellectual but still passionate, pragmatic yet brimming with hope. After reading her story, even Omar’s biggest critics will be unable to deny her principled political commitments, visionary leadership, and profound love for the entire human family. During these trying political times, this book is a desperately needed reminder that the type of world, and leadership, that we deserve is closer than we think.”
"Ilhan Omar writes the quintessential American story of struggle, resilience, and transformation. This is What America Looks Like provides us a powerful and necessary voice during uncertain times."
A truly brave book from an extraordinary American. Any refugee or immigrant who consider the United States their adoptive home is fortunate to have Rep. Ilhan Omar as one of our country’s essential leaders.
06/01/2020
Omar, U.S. Representative for Minnesota's fifth congressional district, reflects on her journey from refugee to member of Congress. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Omar was raised by a supportive family that eschewed traditional Somali gender roles. After the Somali civil war broke out, Omar and her family were forced to flee to a refugee camp in Kenya and eventually settled in the United States. She relates her experience and transition from refugee to citizen, as well as the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language. After graduating college, Omar became a community organizer and worked in local politics. She was encouraged to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives and later the U.S. House of Representatives, which upset many in the Somali community, resulting in her enduring threats, discrimination, and social media disinformation campaigns. Despite the obstacles, she became the first Somali woman and one of the first Muslim women to be elected to the House. Concluding this memoir, she presents her vision for America. VERDICT An introspective and self-assured memoir that unfortunately suffers from a jumpy narrative in later chapters. Recommended for readers interested in refugee and immigration stories, but the book may disappoint those hoping for details on politics and policy proposals. [See Prepub Alert, 10/21/19.]—ebekah Kati, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar narrates her remarkable life experiences, beginning with her childhood in Mogadishu through her first year in Congress. The first Somali-American and one of two Muslim women elected to Congress, Omar recounts how her comfortable early life was turned upside down at the outbreak of the Somalian civil war. Omar shares her years in refugee camps, her miraculous opportunity to move to the United States, her initial elation at being here, and her growing awareness of inequalities in America. She details her grassroots political efforts to change the disastrous conditions of rampant homelessness, minimal healthcare, and inadequate nutrition among many of her constituents. While the audiobook might have been better served by a professional narrator, Omar’s message is important and well worth hearing. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
★ 2020-04-12
The first African refugee elected to Congress tells her unique story.
By any measure, Omar's trajectory is dramatic and remarkable: Born in 1982 into a loving, stable family in Mogadishu, Somalia, she was displaced at age 8 by the civil war that killed hundreds of thousands in her home country. She escaped to neighboring Kenya and spent four years in a squalid, dangerous refugee camp. After being screened by immigration authorities, she and her family were allowed into the U.S. They spent two years in New York City and then moved to Arlington, Virginia, where Omar was bullied constantly. Nonetheless, and even though she knew very little English, she was determined to learn. Landing in Minneapolis a few years later, Omar blossomed into a leader at her high school. In 2009, she relocated to North Dakota to earn a college degree, and, upon her return to Minneapolis, she became involved in local politics. In 2018, she and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan “became the first Muslim women elected to Congress.” As a junior member of the House of Representatives, she gained notoriety for her grace in the face of attacks by Donald Trump aimed at her ethnicity, dark skin tone, religion, citizenship, and political advocacy. Naturally, Omar feels confused and angered by Trump and many of his fellow Republicans. Refreshingly and wisely, however, she waits until Page 225 before turning her attention to Trump’s petty tactics. Her trajectory to that point is impressive and compelling. It’s clear that the author has always made her own way while struggling to find her role among her beloved family members, not all of whom approved of her path. Page after page, Omar is by turns fierce, self-deprecating, and confident, and, with the assistance of Paley, she has produced a smoothly readable narrative.
No matter a reader's personal politics, Omar's life should serve as an inspiration.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173929204 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 05/26/2020 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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