First Afghan American sworn-in to the US Congress

US CONGRESS

Representative Aisha Wahab is the first Afghan American to serve in the US Congress.

History was made on Capitol Hill Wednesday as progressive trailblazer Aisha Wahab was officially sworn into the US House of Representatives. Administered by House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Sept. 1 ceremony marks a monumental milestone for representation: Wahab is the first Afghan American to serve in Congress.

For the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community, it is another powerful step forward in seeing our diverse narratives reflected at the highest levels of government. 

Rep. Wahab will represent California’s 14th Congressional District, a vibrant, diverse slice of the East Bay that includes southern Alameda County and the Tri-Valley area—hubs like Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Dublin, and Pleasanton, communities that host large communities of Chinese, Vietnamese and South Asians.

A historic victory 

Wahab’s path to Washington came via an emergency special election runoff on August 18, 2026. She was elected to fill the vacancy left by former Representative Eric Swalwell, who stepped down in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

The 39-year-old Democrat is no stranger to breaking barriers. Before heading to D.C., she served on the Hayward City Council and later made history as the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the California State Senate.

In her deeply moving maiden speech on the House floor, Wahab didn’t shy away from her roots. She spoke directly from her lived experience as a daughter of Afghan refugees and a child raised in the foster care system.

“I walked into Congress carrying the beating heart of a former foster care kid,” Wahab said.

'Little Kabul'

For anyone who knows the East Bay, it is no surprise that Wahab’s historic journey to Capitol Hill began in Fremont and Hayward. These two cities aren't just parts of California's 14th Congressional District; they are the literal beating heart of the Afghan diaspora and the broader South Asian community in America.

Wahab’s personal story is deeply woven into this local landscape. While she currently calls Hayward home—the city where she first broke barriers on the city council in 2018 — she was raised in neighboring Fremont, where she was adopted out of the foster care system by an Afghan American family.

For the AANHPI community, these cities represent a powerful hub of culture, resilience, and growing political representation home of the largest concentration of Afghans in the United States and at its heart is "Little Kabul."

The roots of this community date back to the late 1970s and 1980s, when refugees fled the Soviet-Afghan War. They found a welcoming home in the East Bay, establishing a sanctuary that has embraced subsequent generations of arrivals.

Fremont and the surrounding Tri-Valley area aren't just a hub for the Afghan diaspora; they also house one of the most vibrant Indian American and broader South Asian communities in the country.

From the historic gurudwaras and mandirs to bustling commercial districts, South Asian heritage is visible on nearly every corner.

This massive demographic shift has turned the local electorate into a sophisticated political force. Wahab's rise to federal office is part of a broader, historic wave of South Asian and AANHPI leaders claiming their seats at the table.

View from the edge

While Wahab's historic win secures her seat for the remainder of the current term, the work is far from over. This is a short-term sprint with a long-term goal: Wahab will face her opponent in the special election, fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez  in the upcoming November 3, Midterms to fight for a full, two-year term.

When Wahab speaks on the House floor about the struggles of working-class families and immigrants, she is speaking directly from the lived experience of the communities that raised her.

Rather than focusing on partisanship, she used her national platform to demand action on the systemic crises hitting working-class families daily—centering her message on affordable housing, healthcare equity, and the skyrocketing cost of living.

With Wahab taking her seat, the House now stands at 433 active members. Her presence brings the Democratic caucus to 214 seats, tightening the margins and ensuring that a progressive, underrepresented voice will be right in the thick of the legislative battles ahead.

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Afghan American worker slain in robbery attempt

Mohammad Jawad Ataie

AFGHAN AMERICAN Mohammad Jawad Ataie was killed during a robbery the evening of July 3 at a Valero gas station in Antioch, Calif, police said. 

Police on Wednesday  (July 5) identified the suspect as Zepp Crouchet of El Cerrito. The 42-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting Ataie on Monday (July 3) was found dead near his car hours after being shot by an officer, police said.

Crouchet "looks like a common man," the victim's daughter, Nedah Ataie said. "You'd never think he could do something like that."

The suspect is accused of pistol-whipping Ataie, 57, before shooting him twice in the back. A police officer witnessed the robbery in progress and confronted Crouchet. He also discharged his service weapon, striking him in the torso.

Crouchet ran from the Valero gas station to his car and escaped, said police, who found his gun at the scene.

Crouchet was found dead on the sidewalk early July 4 less than a mile from the crime scene. It remains unclear why he stopped there, police said.

Despite "putting a face to the person who killed my father," Nedah Ataie said Crouchet's death didn't alleviate her family's grief.

"I'm not going to say I'm glad he's dead because he also has a family," she said. "I give my condolence to the family, but it's not going to bring my father back."

As of Wednesday evening, a GoFundMe page for Ataie has raised more than $35,900 although the goal was $25,000. Ataie died within hours of being beaten and shot, and is survived by a wife of 25 years and their three children.

"If my dad can hear me right now I would tell him I miss him, I love him and he'll always be in our hearts," Nedah Ataie said. "God has put the patience in my heart where I can now accept he's gone."