Exclusive Interview with MA State Representative Candidate Ceylan Rowe

As an intern at the Turkish Coalition of America, I had the chance to interview Ceylan Rowe who is running for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. If she wins, she will be the first Turkish American elected to state office.

April, 2020

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Ceylan Rowe is running for election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives (Democrat) to represent the 12th Worcester District.

Ceylan is deeply passionate about improving people’s lives, improving education, addressing climate change and gender equity.

“I think passion is what drives people to work hard and to fight hard for their districts, and I absolutely have that”, says Ceylan.

If she gets elected as the State Representative, her first three commitments are to be transparent, accessible, and committed as a full-time legislator.

“We do not currently have a full-time legislature. Also, right now our legislatures in Massachusetts do not have to publicly show how they voted and their committees, but I have made a transparency pledge”, commented Ceylan as she elaborates on these primary commitments.

Due to her pledges, she has hosted Meet & Greets at coffeehouses, participated in, and conducted interviews that are posted on her YouTube channel called “Ceylan Rowe for Rep”, and has also been doing Facebook Lives. She wants to make herself incredibly accessible because she believes that is what her district deserves.

“Our district deserves a passionate champion, fighting for the issues that matter to people.” says Ceylan.

Her following comments expose how strongly she cares for transparency and being a voice for her supporters:

“Of course, I care about gender equity, climate change, special education and housing and businesses. These are all issues I care about but before we can talk about all that, we need a legislature who is actually transparent on the issues that they support and is working hard to be the voice of their constituents.”

Ceylan has also been deeply passionate about trying to get more Turkish Americans involved in local politics. She hopes that running for office will encourage more Turkish Americans to run, to get engaged and to vote, not just for the President.

“Our local politics has a much greater and more direct effect on our lives than national politics. I always talk about that and will always continue to do so.” comments Ceylan regarding the issue on Turkish Americans getting politically engaged.

She also has a family history of contributing to the local Turkish American community. Her parents along with other members of the Turkish community in Connecticut created a Southern New England Turkish American Cultural Association which also hosts Sunday Turkish school for children.

As Ceylan is a successful woman working in a male-dominated field, Ceylan says that we cannot talk about women working in a male-dominated industry without the pay equity. “Whether it is in politics, where women tend to get less donations than men do, or whether it is in businesses, where women don’t get paid equitably to their male counterparts. Ceylan feels that there is a long way to achieve for all women of all colors to have pay equity trickled down to every industry and to every type of woman. She also raises awareness to elect more women to office who will not carry the viewpoint of the status quo. “We need more women who finally get a seat at the table and to actually use that voice”, comments Ceylan.

Along with being a successful and passionate politician, Ceylan is also a very engaged and active entrepreneur. She founded successful and innovative startups like Trendy Napkin and Mommy's Business BFF, which have been aimed at helping women and small businesses to succeed.

“All my entrepreneurial endeavors have always been about helping others. That’s why I am passionate about running for office”, comments Ceylan, “Mommy’s Business BFF was created because I, myself, wanted to go back to the workforce after having my children at home.” says Ceylan, explaining how being an entrepreneur has influenced her personal andprofessional life.

As we are currently in a global health pandemic, regarding her campaign’s healthcare ideals, Ceylan thinks that the pandemic has thoroughly showcased the inadequate healthcare system that exists in the United States, more specifically due to the issue of copays. She also believes that along with showing how inadequate the current US healthcare system is, the pandemic has also portrayed the racial injustices in the American infrastructure.

“There is a higher percentage of people of color dying. We need to ask ourselves why is this happening? How did we get here? Considering the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a result of people being so tired of the systematic racism that exists. And that stems in our education, that stems through our healthcare system, that stems through so many aspects ofour lives and it is so important now more than ever to have people of color being elected.” comments Ceylan.

Along those same lines, she believes that it is also important to have Turkish American people elected, as for having people of different ethnicities and backgrounds in the rooms where the decisions are being made, and to be the voice of those who have not had a voice. Regarding her Turkish heritage, Ceylan is an immensely proud Turkish American woman. “I love being part of the Turkish American women community that are running for office. Also, in my personal life, some of my best friends are Turkish American women who are highly successful changemakers.”

During her campaign, when she was asked whether she has encountered any challenges regarding her heritage, she says that she has not received anything negative for being Turkish American at all. Regarding this topic she comments:

“I am very thankful and proud of the community at large because it shows how much we have come. It has not been an issue during my campaign, but it has certainly been as a kid growing up and in my professional life. Being somebody who has received that hate, at times feeling like a minority in a situation or in a group, will help me be a better legislator because I know how it feels to be left out and to be discriminated against, and I don’t want that for other communities.” says Ceylan as she expands on how this caused her to be a strong voice for those who haven’t had a voice.

On what has inspired her to start this journey, Ceylan talks about her personal struggles as a mom trying to go back into the workforce, expensive childcare, and issues with public transportation.

“These issues are not just bill numbers for me. These are issues that impact my family, my friends, and those that I care deeply about. So, of course I am going to be a passionate champion fighting at the state house for this.”

To the Turkish American community, Ceylan is thankful to everyone for being extremely supportive.

“I cannot tell you how good it feels to be supported. I give my special thanks to TCA for hosting the webinars because it reminds me that I am not alone in this, along with seeing all these Turkish American women cheering for one another.”

Her message to the Turkish American women audience is:

“Here’s to us! Here is to us paving the way; we have never had a Turkish American state legislator in the entire country. I hope to be the first one, but I certainly do not want to be the last one. I want to pave the way for more people and for more Turkish American women to run for office and to be at the table where the decisions are being made.”