People Like Us is the product of years of recruiting and training first and second-generation Americans to run for office. It reminds us that the barriers we face are both internal and external. If our democracy is truly to represent a multiracial America and work for everyone, people like us need to run for office. But we also need to change the system to create pathways for larger numbers of people of color, immigrants and refugees.
The book features stories from Ilhan Omar, the first Somali American Muslim elected to a state legislature; Sam Park, the first openly gay man elected to Georgia’s General Assembly; Jessie Ulibarri, a driving force behind a variety of issues within the LGBT community while serving on the Colorado State Senate; and more.
We hope People Like Us inspires you to become more politically engaged, run for office, work on a campaign, or contribute to a candidate.
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Here’s what people have to say about People Like Us:
“People Like Us . . . highlights solutions on how to reimagine electoral processes and achieve a truly representative democracy. A timely and compelling read relevant for our current political environment.”
—Anthony Romero, executive director, ACLU
“At a time when immigrants are being called ‘animals’ . . . Sayu Bhojwani brings us the stories of real people who are . . . turning rage into action by jumping into the political process. This is the most hopeful of American stories. It’s what immigrants and people of color have been doing for centuries. It’s our past but Bhojwani shows us this is also our collective future.”
—Maria Hinojosa, NPR’s Latino USA
“People Like Us is an inspiring read for people of color and immigrants, who are leading the charge for a democracy that works for all.”
—Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, 7th District of Washington
“People Like Us pushes us . . . to reject the perception of new Americans as outsiders by running for office and being seated at policy tables where our futures are decided. . . . Sayu Bhojwani brilliantly offers solid guidance on how to course correct our democracy.”
—Diane Guerrero, actor, activist, and author of In the Country We Love: My Family Divided
“Sayu Bhojwani’s analysis of what works and what needs urgent change serves as a road map for the future of our democracy. People Like Us is a must-read for this political moment.”
—Howard Dean, former DNC chair and Vermont governor
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