This is what America Looks Like

Published by: Hurst & Co., London, 2020, 275pp. ISBN: 9781787383418.

The United States of America (USA) has been described as the land of immigrants. U.S is the dreamland for many people who want to improve the quality of their lives. There can be numerous reasons for immigration to U.S. Some intend to achieve social mobility, others want to have good quality life, and the opportunities to grow are numerous, while some are escaping war. People believed and were attracted to live and experience the American dream. The U.S also welcomed these immigrants as they helped it to achieve greatness by contributing to its different spheres and arenas that helped it become a global super power.

Ilhan Omar, is the first Somali American muslim woman elected to the Congress in 2018. This rich memoir provides insights to her struggles in Somalia as a child, to her immigration and then her journey in politics. As a politician she is quite vocal in fighting for the rights of immigrants. As we traverse through the memoir, we become aware that her mother died before she was enrolled in a school. She lived in a joint family while resisting bullying in her school. Although Somalian society, communities and families are deeply patriarchal, she was treated equally. The family was quite a liberal one and everyone was free or even forced to articulate opinions about various issues, ranging from personal to political.