Interview | Growing Up Irooni – Yassamin Ansari, Congresswoman from Arizona, on Politics, Protest, and Persian Identity

In this episode of Growing Up Neem-Rooni, Leyla talks with
Representative Yassamin Ansari, the youngest
member of Congress and the first Iranian-American Democrat to be
elected. From growing up in a mostly white Arizona suburb to
representing her diverse district in Washington, D.C., Yassamin
shares her story of identity, community, and public
service.



We talk about her family's immigration journey, what it was like
growing up Persian in Arizona, the political awakenings that
shaped her career, and the urgent fights she’s now taking
on—climate change, immigration justice, labor rights, and
Iranian-American visibility. She also opens up about the personal
weight of carrying a diaspora story into the halls of power, and
why this moment in American politics requires all of us to show
up, speak out, and organize.



🟢 Topics covered include:


Her upbringing in Arizona and the influence of her Iranian
family

Why she got into politics, and how the first Trump presidency
galvanized her

Her work on Iranian-American Heritage Month and immigration
reform

The erosion of climate policy and the importance of mass
mobilization

What gives her hope—and why we need to fight harder than ever