BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

When Ilhan Omar was elected to Congress in 2018, she became the first Somali refugee and one of the first two Muslim women to join the House. One of her first concerns, even before she was elected, was whether she would be able to wear the traditional hijab as Congressional rules banned any headgear on the House floor. With the help of Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern – chair of the Rules Committee – she got it changed so now hijabs, yarmulkes, and other special purpose head coverings are permitted.

It was not the last time she would make her mark. Along with Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, Omar became part of "the Squad," newly elected women of color who would be outspoken for progressive policies. In her autobiography, This is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman (written with Rebecca Paley), she tells a compelling story of a woman who from a young age insisted on meeting the world on her own terms.

Arriving in the US at the age of 12 and with an English vocabulary that consisted of "Hello" and "Shut up," she worked hard to succeed in school. One of her hallmarks was a refusal to be bullied, which meant schoolyard fights in middle school, but also standing up to the political establishment and Somali elders when she decided to run for office. The latter group thought it unseemly for a woman to seek office, and held a meeting with her father, declaring it was "beneath" them to meet with Ilhan herself. Her father's reply suggests where her feistiness comes from: "When she wins, I hope you know that I will tell her not to take any meetings with you." (p.193)

The later pages of the book focus more on government policy and politics, such as how she successfully worked with a Republican majority in the Minnesota legislature on education reform, and how she's fought the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies that flourished during the Trump years. She also addresses the accusation of antisemitism – which she calls a "toxic misperception" (p. 245) – after she criticized the influence of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC by saying "it's all about the Benjamins." She was a quoting a lyric of rapper Puff Daddy not realizing she had raised an old antisemitic trope about Jews and money. Her discussion of the incident and the aftermath includes not only her apology but how she regretted it when she realized how it came across. There was none of the passive aggressive "I'm sorry if people were offended." She owned her remarks, a rare instance of a politician taking responsibility in such a case.

As the book came out partway through her first term, there's not a lot about her Congressional career. What comes across, though, is that in the classic division of members of Congress as publicity-seeking "showhorses" and policy-oriented "workhorses" she's very much the latter.

-- Daniel M. Kimmel, editor, OnTheIssues.org, May 2021

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Civil Rights     Gay marriage bans threaten freedom and civil liberties.

Crime     Lurking and spitting ordinances allowed police harassment.

Education     My family always deeply prized education.     Help parents get an education with support for childcare.

Foreign Policy     Toxic misperception that as a Muslim she hates Jews & Israel.     Supports two state solution for Israel & Palestine.

Government Reform     The first, most important step is to get people to vote.     2012: Campaigned against state voter ID law.

Homeland Security     9-11 caused Americans to see Muslims seen as dangerous.

Immigration     Presidential approval carries weight in attacking immigrants.

Principles & Values     Advance images of America didn't include NYC garbage.     Helped found "Unity in Diversity" group in high school.     A healthy religious practice is for you and you alone.     A badge of honor having so many invested in one's failure.     Constantly being underestimated has been helpful to me.     Helped Ilhan Omar amend House rules on religious headgear.     Margaret Thatcher is my greatest hero, but not her politics.     We have to all work for the America we want and deserve.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Ilhan Omar Jim McGovern Nancy Pelosi