Rashida Tlaib Siblings: Getting to Know Layla Elabed

Rashida Tlaib is a prominent American politician and lawyer known for her progressive advocacy and historic milestones in public office.

Born Rashida Harbi on July 24, 1976, in Detroit, Michigan, she is the daughter of working-class Palestinian immigrants.

As the eldest of 14 children, she grew up in a large family in southwest Detroit, where she often took on responsibilities akin to a third parent, helping care for her younger siblings while her parents worked demanding jobs, including assembly line roles at Ford Motor Company.

Tlaib spoke Arabic at home as her first language and learned English as a second, navigating poverty and family duties alongside her education.

She became the first in her family to graduate high school and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wayne State University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University in 2004.

Siblings

Rashida is the eldest of 14 siblings.

She was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents and often helped raise her younger brothers and sisters while her parents worked demanding jobs at a Ford plant.

Her known sibling is Layla Elabed.

Career

Tlaib’s professional journey began in community advocacy after law school, when she worked for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), focusing on immigrants’ rights and civil liberties.

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Her entry into elected office came in 2008, when she successfully ran for the Michigan House of Representatives, becoming the first Muslim woman to serve in the state’s legislature.

She held the position for three terms until 2014, championing issues like environmental justice, including campaigns against polluting petroleum coke piles and truck traffic from industrial operations, and constituent services for working-class residents.

After leaving the state legislature, she served as an attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, litigating on behalf of low-income communities against issues such as abusive state policies and for equitable development agreements.

In 2018, Tlaib ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan’s 13th congressional district (later redistricted to the 12th), winning the seat and making history as the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress and one of the first two Muslim women in the body.

As a member of “The Squad” alongside progressive colleagues, she has advocated fiercely for workers’ rights, environmental protections, healthcare access, and foreign policy reforms, including criticism of U.S. support for certain international actions.

She has introduced numerous bills and amendments, with successes like the Payee Fraud Prevention Act to protect vulnerable retirees and measures to shield medically necessary debt from credit reports.

Accolades

Tlaib is celebrated as the first Muslim woman in the Michigan Legislature (2008), the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress (2019), and one of the inaugural Muslim women in the U.S. House.

Her legislative efforts have resulted in passing key measures, including 39 bills and amendments between 2019 and 2024 out of 160 introduced.

Tlaib has been honored in lists such as Crain’s Detroit Business “Most Influential Women” for her impact on justice and community advocacy.