A former refugee, Senator Kayse Jama knows what it's like to make difficult choices in hard times. Overcoming adversity and learning to adapt helped prepare him to lead.
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From Somalia to Oregon
I was born into a nomad family. In the harsh desert environment, we depended on one another for survival. We all had a specific role to play, and if one of us didn't do our part, the whole system would collapse. I carry this cooperative thinking with me until today, and I strongly believe that everyone's unique skills, contributions and talents make our communities stronger. It’s what drives my passion for engaging people across differences.
At 8 years old, I moved to the capital, Mogadishu, to start my education. A country boy in the big city, I struggled to fit in. I needed to adapt and take on a new role, so I convinced my teacher to appoint me "student master." Even at that young age, I took the position very seriously. I learned to lead by involving my classmates in their own education, setting high collective expectations and creating an environment of mutual support. Success came from working together, not from struggling alone.
By high school, I was one of a five-member student council that represented the entire city. The experience taught me that leadership isn't just about one person. It's a shared responsibility. And to be a good leader, one must remain close to the people.
In the early 1990s, Somalia was torn apart by civil war, and I fled seeking safety. After many years as a refugee, I came to the United States and settled in Portland. Those were difficult years, but I dreamed of building a better life, furthering my education and making a difference in my new home.
I worked two jobs: the front desk at the Portland Doubletree and at Lutheran Community Services Northwest, helping new immigrants and refugees adapt to life in the United States. In these roles I got to know the African diaspora and other immigrants who, like me, were finding their way in a new country. Some of them had been doctors, engineers and teachers in their countries of origin, but they were unable to use their skills in the US. Others were barely surviving, always on the edge of crisis. I realised that my American Dream would not be achieved if my community was lagging behind.
While advocating for immigrants and refugees, I found we shared much in common with other people on the downside of power: longtime communities of color, people experiencing poverty and rural Oregonians among them. Our voices were marginalized. Our lived experiences were not centered. We had little ability to impact public policy or influence the decisions affecting us. In 2003, I co-founded a statewide nonprofit dedicated to uplifting all struggling Oregonians, a place where we could raise our voices together and work for positive change.
I decided to run for Senate so that I could make a bigger difference in Oregon. I desired to bring my on-the-ground relationships and the diverse perspectives of our community to Salem. For so many of us, the American Dream has been deferred from the beginning because public policies have been designed to work only for those who wield money and power. In short, the system has not worked for most of us. Too many of our fellow community members have been left behind, struggling to make ends meet.
In 2021, I began my service as your Oregon State Senator for District 24 (East Portland and parts of Clackamas County). I have been honored to Chair the Senate Housing and Development Committee, helping invest over $4.5 billion into housing solutions. We've funded rental assistance, eviction prevention, housing production, homeownership programs, homeless shelter expansion, sober recovery housing and much more.
With economic uncertainty on the rise, we face one of the greatest tests to our resilience and a choice about how we will both stabilize our state and build our future. As a leader who has navigated innumerable challenges, I view each difficulty as an opportunity. I know that we will need to work with the communities we serve to chart a course that positions Oregon as a leader on economic, social, environmental, and racial justice.
It’s time for us—those who believe Oregon can be a better place to live and work for everyone—to make our voices heard in Salem and fight for the future we all deserve.
Kayse Jama, 49, currently serves as the Senator for District 24. A graduate of Marylhurst University, he was previously a nonprofit Executive Director. Kayse Jama has been awarded the 2007 Skidmore Prize for outstanding young nonprofit professionals; the 2008 Oregon Immigrant Achievement Award from the Oregon Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association; the 2009 Lowenstein Trust Award, which is presented yearly to "that person who demonstrated the greatest contribution to assisting the poor and underprivileged in Portland”; the 2012 Portland Peace Prize; the 2016 Rankin Award in recognition of "lifelong activism and extraordinary service"; the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project’s 2017 Tribune of Worker Justice Award, celebrating his dedication to uplifting the lives of Oregon immigrant and low-wage workers; Housing Oregon's 2022 Legislative Champion Award; 2022 Fair Shot for Oregon "Most Valuable Player" Award; 2023 Recipient of the COABE Adult Education Champion Award; and the 2023 "Midge Purcell Award" from the Urban League of Portland. He lives with his wife, David Douglas School Board member Stephanie D. Stephens, and their twins, Sahan and Saharla, in the Hazelwood neighborhood of East Portland.