Janelle Perez
The daughter of Cuban exiles who became successful entrepreneurs, Janelle Perez is an advocate, policymaker, and small business owner. After graduating from Florida International University, she moved to Washington, D.C. and began her career on Capitol Hill, honing her policy analysis skills. While in graduate school, she worked for a nonprofit, leading advocacy efforts for […]
Tina Maharath
Tina Maharath is a supporter of welcoming refugees and immigrants and building a robust refugee resettlement program. As a the daughter of refugees from Laos, the stories and challenges of refugee’s journeys has always been personal to Maharath. “Although I was born and raised in Ohio, it was not an easy journey to get to […]
Ismail Mohamed
Ismail Mohamed and his family were forced to flee Somalia in the late 1990s as the civil war unfolded. They fled to Ethiopia and later to Kenya, pursuing his education while facing challenges as refugees in an unstable region. Mohamed’s mother believed moving to Columbus could enable a new start to life for their family. […]
Munira Abdallahi
Munira Abdallahi is a supporter of welcoming refugees and immigrants and building a robust refugee resettlement program. Abdallahi is a first generation Somali-American and former refugee who grew up in the heart of Columbus, graduating from Columbus Alternative High School. She received her Political Science and International Relations degree from the Ohio State University and […]
Bee Nguyen
Bee Nguyen is a supporter of welcoming refugees and immigrants and building a robust refugee resettlement program. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and a passionate advocate for marginalized groups, especially refugee families. Nguyen is one of five daughters, born to a resourceful mother and a father who worked as an orderly at a mental institution. She is […]
Fatima Dirie
As a former refugee from Somalia, Fatima Dirie was resettled to Salt Lake City with her family in 1997 while still in middle school. The family escaped war back home, first finding refuge in neighboring Kenya, then ultimately finding safety and an opportunity to rebuild in Utah. More than twenty years later, Fatima is not only […]
Joe Neguse
Joe Neguse, the son of refugees from Eritrea, has been a consistent voice for the rights of refugees and marginalized groups. He is one of the four co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Refugee Caucus. Over 40 years ago, Joe’s parents fled Eritrea, a war-torn country in East-Africa, and immigrated to the United States as refugees, […]
Daniel Nguyen
Daniel is a son of Vietnamese refugees who came to the United States in 1975. Daniel was born and raised in Camas, Washington. Daniel and his wife, with their entrepreneurial spirit, founded and operate Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen, located in the South Waterfront community since 2008. Daniel was elected to the Lake Oswego City Council in […]
Dr. Hai Pham
As a former refugee from Vietnam, Pham is a staunch supporter of welcoming refugees and immigrants in the U.S. and rebuilding a robust refugee resettlement program. “My story dates back to 1980 when I came to the U.S. with my family as a one-year-old refugee from Vietnam. We didn’t have much growing up so I […]
Khanh Pham
Khanh Pham is the State Representative for Oregon House District 46 (Jade District, SE/NE Portland). She was first elected in 2020 and is the first Vietnamese American legislator in the State Legislature, and currently the only elected Asian Pacific Islander in Oregon State Government. As a daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Pham is a staunch supporter […]
