WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nanette Barragan made history two years ago, becoming the first-ever Latina to represent California’s 44th Congressional district, which encompasses parts of southern Los Angeles and the L.A. Harbor Region. 

Barragan is now a sharp voice in Congress, but said her childhood wasn’t easy. 

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“It was a challenging time,” said Barragan. “I like to say, I’m the last accident; I’m the youngest of 11 kids. My parents were both immigrants.”

Her parents were from Mexico. Her father, a TV repairman, was 59 when she was born. Her mother was a factory worker who barely finished the third grade. 

“My mother and father always instilled a pretty strong work ethic, but also encouraged us to think big,” said Barragan.

Her humble beginnings shaped her passions and reputation on the hill, where she's outspoken for immigration reform, education, and most importantly for her, family health care justice. 

“Seeing a parent who was constantly ill and sick; my father was terminally ill,” said Barragan. “Experiencing that, going through that and then losing a parent at a young age was a big challenge that I take into consideration when I think about health care and access to health care.”

Barragan was just 22 when she lost her father. Shortly after, she became a litigation lawyer in San Pedro, California, but always knew she wanted to do more in Washington, especially after her internship under President Clinton.

“Well, when I was a student at UCLA I went to the career center and I said, 'Look, I’m a political science major, I see Washington on television, maybe I can visit one day.' And he said, 'You can work anywhere you want.' And he encouraged me to apply to work in Washington for the summer,” said Barragan.

“Next thing you know I was working in the White House as an intern and it really motivated me to go home and work hard and maybe come back one day to serve another president. And I think during that time I thought about public service, never quite thinking about Congress until a member of Congress called me and said, ‘Hey you should run for Congress.’”

Barragan thanks Representative Linda Sanchez, who represents parts of eastern L.A. and Orange County, for introducing her to the public servant life. Just two years in as a congresswoman, Barragan has played a vital role in helping ban offshore oil drilling.

For health care, she’s introduced bills which include adding dental work in Medicare, providing mental health care to separated children at the border, and lowering prescription drug costs. 

Looking back, Barragan said she will never forget how her father built a pathway for her to achieve her dreams. 

“I think he would be pretty proud of how far we’ve come. And I remember as a kid I always said I wanted to be a lawyer and he never lived to see that,” said Barragan. “People are hungry, and people are hungry for something different than what we have now and unifying people again, and I’m hopeful that we are going to be able to do that.”

Soon, Barragan will be advocating for a bold new climate bill that she hopes Republicans can get behind. It’s a plan to zero out carbon emissions by 2050.

The congresswoman also hopes to continue initiatives to promote fighting climate change, environmental justice, and health disparities in the new election year. 

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