“I was always made aware of inequality in society, that there was a class system. In Somalia, we have clan structures. My mother's family is ethnically not Somali, and so we spoke often about what it meant to be 'other' in that way.”

American politician, born 1982

Ilhan Omar is an American politician and Democratic Party member, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. Born in 1982, she represents Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, which includes all of Minneapolis and some nearby suburbs. Before serving in Congress, Omar was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, representing part of Minneapolis. Her public work has centered on local and national politics, especially the city and district she represents.