2016年12月大学英语四级听力在线练习（4）

　　Minnesota Elects First Female Somali American Lawmaker

　　美国明尼苏达州，选出第一位索马里裔女议员

　　History was made this week when a 34-year-old former refugee was elected to the Minnesota state legislature.

　　The woman, Ilhan Omar, will become the country’s first Somali-American lawmaker.

　　Omar was the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for the legislature in Minnesota’s 60th district. She easily defeated her Republican opponent on Tuesday.

　　Omar told supporters Tuesday night that her victory means a lot. "My success is not only for me but for every Somali, Muslim and minority, particularly the young girls in the Dadaab refugee camp where I lived before coming to the U.S.," she said.

　　From Refugee to Representative

　　As a girl, Omar fled her home in Somalia because of the country’s civil war. She spent four years at the Dadaab Camp in Kenya, before moving to the United States with her family. She was 12 years old at the time.

　　Her family first began their new life in Arlington, Virginia, and then settled in their current home in Minneapolis.

　　Omar began her career as a community activist. She is currently director of policy at the Women Organizing Women Network. The group works with immigrant women, helping them become engaged citizens and community leaders.

　　Concerns about Trump

　　Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somali refugees and immigrants in the United States. Many Somalis who spoke to VOA before the election said they were supporting Hillary Clinton for president because they felt that Donald Trump was anti-Somali.

　　Earlier, Trump has said there are problems in Minnesota caused by poor vetting of refugees. He said there were large numbers of Somali refugees entering the state, and that this was unknown to state officials. He also said that some of the refugees had joined the Islamic State group. He accused them of spreading their extremist ideas “all over our country and all over the world.”

　　Asha Ahmed, a Somali American, said "We are shocked that Trump is president, but we got relief that Ilhan will be representing us at our state House of Representatives. For me, America is my country, it is where my future and dreams always depended on and the only home for my children... [Omar's] success means a lot to me and my family, three children and a husband."