>> Mary: THEY MIGHT GET ONE IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION.

>> THEY MIGHT.

>> Mary: THANK YOU, LADIES, APPRECIATE IT.

WELL, THIS WEEK'S FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER IS THE FIRST KENYAN-BORN LAWMAKER ELECTED TO MINNESOTA AND SHE CREDITS FORMER U.S.

SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE WITH STOPPING THE DEPORTATION OF HER FAMILY AT THE LAST MINUTE.

REPRESENTATIVE, FIRST QUESTION I ASK EVERYBODY, WHY DID OU WANT TO RUN?

>> SO, I WANTED TO RUN BECAUSE I WANTED TO BRING A NEW VOICE, A FRESH VOICE TO THE HOUSE, AND BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE REPRESENTATION MATTERS.

I REPRESENT THE MOST DIVERSE DISTRICT IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

THE FACT THAT I HAVE WORKED IN NONPROFIT WORLD, ADVOCATING FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I RAN ON THE PLATFORMS THAT I RAN ON, REPRESENTATION MATTERS, AND IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE OF THAT.

THERE'S BEAUTY IN DIVERSITY.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, LITERALLY, YOU COME TO MY DISTRICT, YOU ARE IN MINNESOTA, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MINNESOTA IS.

YOU KNOW, THIS MELTING POT OF CULTURES, OF TRADITIONS.

♪♪ >> Mary: AND IMMIGRATION IS CERTAINLY A PART OF IT, A LOT OF THE DIVERSITY DRIVING MINNESOTA'S DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE ARE NEW AMERICANS.

IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES.

>> 33% OF THE POPULATION IN MY DISTRICT IS AFRICAN AMERICANS/AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS.

SO YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, LIBERIANS, KENYANS, SOMALIS, WHO ARE CONCENTRATED IN THAT DISTRICT.

BUT THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE A HEALTHY POPULATION OF THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE HMONG POPULATION AS WELL.

>> Mary: IMMIGRATION IS DRIVING MUCH OF THE GROWTH OF MINNESOTA BUSINESSES.

SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN KIND OF THE VALUE THAT NEW IMMIGRANTS BRING?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, NOT ONLY ARE WE BRINGING THAT CULTURAL AND TRADITIONS, YOU KNOW, THE FOODS, THE MUSIC, AND ALL OF THE FUN STUFF THAT COMES WITH CULTURE, BUT ALSO BUSINESSES.

YOU KNOW, INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES, RIGHT NOW IN MY DISTRICT, IMMIGRANTS REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FABRIC OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

NOT ONLY MY DISTRICT, BUT AROUND THE STATE.

AND AS YOU STATED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHERE IT HAS SHOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, IMMIGRANTS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE LITERALLY DOING THE JOBS THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US AMERICANS DO NOT WANT TO DO.

YOU KNOW?

THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HEALTHCARE FIELD.

IF YOU LOOK AT MANUFACTURING, YOU SEE A LOT OF POPULATION OF IMMIGRANTS THERE.

SO THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF IMMIGRANTS IN THIS STATE IS TRULY WHAT MAKES THIS STATE, ESPECIALLY THE ECONOMY OF THE STATE, RUN.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT I CAN TO FIGHT FOR THOSE RIGHTS, AS AN IMMIGRANT MYSELF, YOU KNOW, BEING THE FIRST KENYAN-BORN TO WIN IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, IT'S TRULY A TESTAMENT OF HOW FAR THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION HAS COME IN THE STATE.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL STORY.

>> YES.

>> Mary: KENYA TO MINNESOTA.

>> YES.

>> Mary: TELL ME WHY MINNESOTA.

WHAT LANDED YOU HERE?

>> ASK MY DAD, HE HAD 50 PLUS CHOICES BACK IN THE 1980s AND HE CHOSE THE COLDEST STATE IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE U.S.

BUT I SEE WHY NOW.

WE WERE LITERALLY 48 HOURS AWAY FROM BEING DEPORTED FROM THIS COUNTRY.

IF IT WASN'T FOR SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE, THAT GREAT SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE, AND WITHIN 48 HOURS, OUR CASE WAS OVERTURNED.

SO, YOU KNOW, BACK THEN, I WAS JUST A LITTLE KID, YOU KNOW, PRETEEN.

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF THAT MOMENT.

WHEN I REFLECT BACK NOW, 22 PLUS YEARS LATER, HERE I AM AS A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE HOUSE OF -- IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM IS STILL REAL AND WE STILL HAVE A DEMOCRACY TO FIGHT FOR.

AND THAT ALONE FOR ME IS MOTIVATION FOR ME TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY, PUT IN THE WORK, AND REALLY SERVE MY CONSTITUENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

>> Mary: THERE'S A PHRASE, WHAT WOULD WELLSTONE DO, I WONDER WHAT WOULD WELLSTONE THINK, THIS LITTLE GIRL, AND FAMILY ENDS UP GETTING ELECTED?

>> IT IS CRAZY, JUST TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND, WHAT WOULD PAUL WELLSTONE SAY NOW?

YOU KNOW?

IT WOULD GO BACK TO WHO HE IS AS A PERSON.

IT ALWAYS CAME DOWN TO PEOPLE.

MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE, NO MATTER THE BACKGROUND, NO MATTER WHERE YOU CAME FROM, NO MATTER WHAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, YOU HAD A FAIR SHOT AT YOUR OWN AMERICAN DREAM AND WHATEVER THAT LOOKED LIKE.

>> Mary: WHAT DID YOUR DISTRICT AND WHAT DID THE VOTERS TELL YOU, YOU'RE COMING UP HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, DID THEY HAVE FRESH MESSAGES, YOU KNOW, NEW MESSAGES ABOUT, HERE'S SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE DIDN'T GET DONE BEFORE THAT I WANT DONE NOW, WHAT MESSAGE DID THEY GIVE YOU?

>> THEY TOLD ME, GO IN THERE AND BASICALLY PUT IN THE WORK.

YOU KNOW?

MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE AN OPEN DOOR.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE LISTENING.

MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE HAVING THAT CRITICAL THINKING TO HINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, AND TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE.

>> Mary: O IN LIGHT OF THAT, HOW WILL YOU JUDGE SUCCESS?

CAN IT HAPPEN IN REALTIME?

IS THERE A SPECIAL SESSION?

SHUTDOWN?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> IF YOU'RE ASKING ME WHAT WOULD A SUCCESSFUL SESSION LOOK LIKE, ESPECIALLY WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, PASSING A BALANCED BUDGET, AND I HONESTLY TRULY BELIEVE, AND MAYBE THIS IS ME BEING