Sahan Journal delivers again with a piece on the life circumstances that led Anquam Mahamoud to run for a Minnesota House seat in the south Minneapolis district 62B.

Mahamoud was born in San Diego but moved to Minneapolis with her family in 1998 in a search for a lower cost of living and better education. With her mother working more than full time, Mahamoud took on the duties of managing the household and caring for her three brothers.

She started working at 15, for a $5.15 per hour wage, which she contributed to groceries, clothes and supplies for her siblings. Her realization: “No child should have to sacrifice their childhood to support their family financially.”

Having graduated from St. Catherine, she now works at a substance treatment center and mental health facility. Her core issue is access to health care. Mahamoud says her life experiences have turned her attention to the necessity for reliable insurance. “I strongly advocate for accessible universal health care, believing that the government can take steps to ensure everyone has the health care they need.”

The Sahan Journal story, Get to know Anquam Mahamoud, the House 62B hopeful who puts health care front and center, provides an interesting perspective on the forces that drive recent immigrants into the political process.