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.
We need to continue the post-recession economic recovery started under President Obama’s administration. While unemployment is at its lowest level since the Recession of 2008, we must continue to work so that the recovery touches everyone. I will fight for economic policies that strengthen California’s working class.
Americans have struggled with stagnant or falling wages for decades. I am a strong supporter of equal pay provisions and a staunch defender of worker’s rights. I will continue to advocate for a pro-labor agenda, including raising the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour and ensuring Davis-Bacon Act protections remain in place.
Eighty percent of all international trade passes through our nation’s ports. Trade is incredibly important to our region and our local economy. But for too long trade deals have benefited big business at the expense of U.S. workers and our environment. I will fight to ensure that trade agreements are transparent and reflect our national priorities. We need agreements that benefit working families, raise wages, and keep good paying jobs here at home, as well as provide environmental safeguards and health protections.