Nanette Diaz Barragán was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2016, becoming the first Latina ever to represent California’s 44th Congressional district.
Born in Harbor City and growing up in its surrounding harbor communities, Nanette’s humble beginnings shaped her interest in issues that matter locally: environmental and health justice, immigration reform, strengthening the economy and affordable and accessible education.
As the youngest of eleven children raised by immigrant parents from Mexico, Nanette knows about the challenges that many low-income minority families face firsthand. Her father, a local tv repairman, instilled in her a strong work ethic and influenced her love for baseball (in particular, for the Los Angeles Dodgers). Her mother, who only completed the third grade, cleaned homes, cared for others and worked in factories to make ends meet. Nanette learned from her parents the values of hard work, and obtained her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her Juris Doctor from USC Gould School of Law.
Education is a great equalizer and the foundation of the American Dream. Every child, regardless of their zip code, should have access to a free, quality education. The federal government must continue to play a key role in boosting education standards and closing achievement gaps so that all children receive a strong and equal foundational education.
We must also ensure that higher education is accessible for everyone and affordable so that young college graduates aren’t crippled with debt. As a product of public schools and as someone who benefited from federal higher education programs, I am committed to preserving and expanding these opportunities. I support legislation to allow students to refinance existing student loans at the same rate being offered to new borrowers. I also support measures to make college more affordable to low income students.