A candidate running for mayor of Minneapolis has called Somalia his “home” despite being born in America and running for American office.
Omar Fateh, a current Minnesota state senator and mayoral candidate, was born in Washington, D.C., to Somali immigrants. Yet, during his state Senate campaign, he repeatedly referred to Somalia as his “home.”
“I understand that our Somali communities are all connected to each other, here in Minnesota and back home, and I ask for your support. There’s always been a link between our community here as well as back home and I’m running to bridge that gap and unite all of us and represent all of us because when we succeed here, we succeed everywhere.”
Though Fateh was running for a state legislative seat — an office intended to serve the interests of Minnesotans — his comments framed his campaign as representing Somalians both locally and abroad. His perspective suggests a view of political stewardship that extends beyond American constituents alone.
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His comments were similar to that of Somali-born Rep. Ilhan Omar, who once told supporters she would use her position power to help benefit her homeland.
“When I heard that people who call themselves Somalis signed an agreement with Ethiopia, many people reached out to me and said I needed to talk to the U.S. government. They asked, ‘What would the U.S. government do?’ My answer was that the U.S. government will do what we tell the U.S. government to do. That is the confidence we need to have as Somalis.”
Omar has also referred to herself primarily as “Somali” rather than American, stating, “We are people who know that they are Somali and Muslim.” The emphasis on these identities, rather that on an American identity, raises questions about the extent to which she views herself as representing American citizens alone.
When politicians speak of “home” as a foreign country or prioritize identities beyond “American,” it raises a fundamental question: Are they serving the interests of the United States and the United States alone, or those of other people and nations? Anything less than the former undermines the very purpose of elected office in America.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
