“I came to the United States by myself when I was 16 years old. My parents had about $5,000 in their bank account, and they used it all to send me here because they truly believed that this country was where I was going to get the best education and have the best opportunities.”

American politician

Pramila Jayapal is an American politician and Democrat serving as the U.S. representative from Washington’s 7th congressional district since 2017. She is the first Indian American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first Asian American to represent Washington at the federal level. She represents most of Seattle and parts of suburban King County. Before Congress, she served in the Washington State Senate from 2015 to 2017, representing the 37th legislative district. Her public profile is tied to that legislative work and to her role as a trailblazer in federal politics.