Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Washington state, is known for being an outspoken advocate for social justice, reproductive freedom and immigrant rights. Ahead of International Women’s Day, we wanted to hear more about her own immigration story and her message to young voters in a crucial election year. Read it all, in her words, below.
My parents’ dream was to give me the opportunity to study in the United States and everything it had to offer, so they really made the ultimate sacrifice. I don’t know if any of us really understood what a sacrifice it was, because I would never live on the same continent as them again. Now, decades later, I understand what that means and I am very, very grateful. I think that was part of what motivated me as a teenager – I was 16, I came here alone and in a completely new country, trying to make it on my own – I think I had a feeling Hey, I have to pay it forward, I have to succeed, I have to make sure my parents’ sacrifices were worth it. Perhaps that is the story of every immigrant.
Immigrants played a huge role in building this country. They do all kinds of jobs, from low-skilled to highly-skilled. But if you look at how families survive, if you look at the food people eat, the hotels or restaurants where they eat or sleep, if you look at housework, care work, in general, a lot of this is powered by immigrants and immigrant women. The deep level of resilience, courage and contribution to community, family and country that immigrants bring – I see that contribution really not being recognized in policy and the other side has causing immigrants to endure a lot of unpleasant words. I feel like even Democrats don’t always stand up the way we should on immigrants, without them we really wouldn’t be able to function as a country .
I know we say that voting in many elections is extremely important – we certainly said that in 2016 and we saw what happened when Donald Trump came in and sought to destroy everything we hold dear, including our democracy. And he’s back. So the stakes are extremely high. At the same time, I know it’s incredibly frustrating for young people in particular to see how bad the world is and to feel as though they somehow can’t make a difference. And my message is: you can make a difference. We don’t have perfection in democracy, we don’t have perfection in voting, but we do have progress. And the most progress is made when people use their voices and votes to demand better.
We don’t have perfection in democracy, we don’t have perfection in voting, but we do have progress.
I think this will be a very difficult election and I have come out strong in asking for a ceasefire. I think the war in Gaza is an issue that people feel is a deeply moral issue. So I know there’s a lot of work to do. But I also know that what we’ve accomplished in the first two years of a Democratic White House, a barely Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House is incredible. Thanks to young people, we have our first gun laws in decades. Thanks to young people, we have received our biggest ever investment in climate change. There is so much more I could go through. That doesn’t mean we’re done, but it does say that everyone can make a difference, it doesn’t matter who controls Congress. And it’s important to get more women of color, immigrants, Gen Z, into Congress who can help transform from the inside as well as the outside.
I’m inspired every day by my grandmother, an incredible woman who only finished high school and got married very young and still went out there and did things she’d never done before. A woman will go out there and play tennis in a sari. She has passed but I still feel her presence with me. Also, the women on whose shoulders I stand, and for me, Sojourner Truth is a really important figure in my life because of who she was, because of the courage with which she had to speak out. truth to power, and because she fundamentally changed the public’s perception of what was possible. She is extremely important. And the third thing is – I took to the streets and participated in civil disobedience protests, got arrested with undocumented women and immigrant women from all over the world, and I brought them in. every room with me. The joy, the courage, the resilience, the risks I take – it reminds me every day that what I am doing is nothing compared to what they are doing and it gives me the courage to continue. keep fighting.
– As told to Lena Felton
Lena Felton is senior director of features and special content at POPSUGAR, where she oversees feature stories, special projects and identity content. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team covering gender and identity issues.
