Friends,

I am deeply honored to have taken the oath of office to serve the 42nd district of California in the 118th Congress late last night.

When my mom brought me to America at a young age, she put a wealth of opportunity in my hands. But never did I imagine that opportunity would lead me here, to represent our beautiful country.

Before her passing, my mom always told me to “give back to your country more than your country gave to you” because she understood how fortunate we were to become American. And I try to live by those words every day.

So today, as your Congressman, I promise to do my best to give back to America and stand up for values that uplift immigrants and working people, protect our democracy, and, most importantly, stand up and be a voice for marginalized communities across the country in Congress.

But it was a challenge to reach this point, and the path forward will continue to be difficult. Witnessing the chaos on the House floor during the speaker election firsthand has made one thing absolutely clear: The Republican party’s internal division has put governing for working Americans on the back burner. They have selfishly prioritized their own politics over delivering for the people. But Democrats remained united, and we have been ready to work since day one.

So no matter what challenges the opposing party throws at us, I promise, as your Congressman, to show up to work and fight for working Americans every day.

The last few years have been challenging for families across the country, but for many immigrants and myself, becoming an American citizen was one of the proudest moments of our lives. And I promise to represent this country in a way that will make everyone truly proud to be American.

Thank you for supporting me in this journey. I hope to make you proud.

With gratitude,

Robert