Halima Aden: How I went from child refugee to international model
حلیما عدن: چطور از یک کودک پناهجو به مدلی بینالمللی تبدیل شدم
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
refugee camp feels so surreal,
حس خیلی غریبی است،
seven years of my life.
را در اینجا سپری کردم.
here at Kakuma.
for a brighter future.
آینده روشنتری داشتم.
have our obstacles.
where our next meal would come from.
غذای بعدی ما از کجا میآمد.
that is here in Kakuma
I remember conflicts breaking out.
درگیری زیاد پیش میآمد.
come from different backgrounds
از پیشزمینههای مختلف میآیند.
some of their cultures,
فرهنگهای آنها،
even though I was raised Muslim.
حتی وقتی همه میدانستند مسلمان هستم.
my culture as well,
گرفتن فرهنگ من کردند،
to come together,
multicultural environment.
خود را شکل دهیم.
Somali-American from Kenya.
اهل کنیا هستم.
homecoming queen at my high school,
دبیرستانم،
senator at my college
woman in many places,
beauty pageant,
رقابت ملکه زیبایی آمریکا،
and New York Fashion Weeks
of British "Vogue."
مجله ووگ بریتانیایی.
to step out on my own,
خطر کردم و بدنبال
a minority is about.
as a vessel to create change
وسیلهای برای ایجاد تغییر
for the power of diversity.
an important message of acceptance.
پیام مهم پذیرش استفاده میکنم.
and made St. Louis, Missouri home,
سینت لوییس در میسوری خانه ما شد،
"Is this really America?"
«واقعا اینجا آمریکاست؟»
that were sadly familiar,
that were also very different.
that brings people together."
نزدیک میکند.»
didn't have an English immersion program.
برنامه غوطهوری در انگلیسی را نداشت.
than return to Kakuma,
برگشتن به کاکوما بود،
that many Somalis found refuge
سومالیاییها در شهری
we moved to Minnesota.
نقل مکان کردیم به مینهسوتا.
other students who spoke Somali,
سومالیایی حرف میزند تغییر کرد،
an English immersion program
غوطهوری در انگلیسی را داشت
above and beyond,
بیشتر وقت میگذاشتند،
and lunch breaks,
وقتهای ناهار
find success in the classroom.
that one could be stripped of everything:
یک فرد میتواند از خیلی چیزها محروم باشد:
could ever take away from you
within the classroom.
I became more aware of others
بیشتر به وجود دیگران پی بردم
my race and background.
و سابقهام را میدیدند.
wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.
عنوان حجاب شروع کردم.
wearing it, I was excited.
هیجانزده بودم.
and I wanted to emulate her beauty.
و میخواستم زیبایی او را تقلید کنم.
about not having hair,
میگذاشتند که مو ندارم،
but something I felt pressured to do.
این فشار را روی خود حس میکردم.
که بخشی از آنجا باشم.
of race, religion, identity,
و هویت میاندیشم،
those of another culture
دیگر را بخاطر وجود آمدن
that have happened to me
که اتفاق افتاده است
who are different than me.
to step outside of my comfort zone
از محدوده آسایش خود خارج شوم
wearing a hijab and burkini.
و بورکینی حاضر شوم.
to be a voice for women
تا صدای زنانی مثل خودم باشم
had felt underrepresented.
so many doors for me.
from women all over the world,
و پیغام میگرفتم،
by simply staying true to myself.
الهامبخش آنها بودهام.
by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld
که نماد مد است دعوت شدم
the first hijab-wearing model,
of nine fashion magazines.
that remained constant --
what brings me back here to Kakuma,
به کاکوما باشد،
something incredible happened to me.
باورنکردنی برایم افتاد.
model Adut Akech,
آدوت آکچ دیدار کردم،
right here in Kakuma.
در کاکوما بدنیا آمده.
is the definition of hope.
متولد میشوند،
on the cover of British "Vogue."
با هم ظاهر میشوند.
of partnering up with UNICEF,
یونیسف داده شده است.
that they do for children in need.
به کودکان نیازمند است.
here may be refugees,
شاید پناهجو باشند،
to flourish, to hope, to dream --
امیدواری و رویا ورزیدن --
in Kakuma refugee camp,
پناهجویان کاکوما شروع شد،
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Halima Aden - ModelHalima Aden was the first ever hijab-wearing fashion model.
Why you should listen
Somali-American model Halima Aden was born in Kakuma, a refugee camp in Kenya, after her family fled civil war in Somalia. She lived there for seven years before traveling to the United States and settling in St. Louis. Though she spoke Somali and Swahili, Aden was thrust into an English-speaking school system that lacked a language immersion curriculum entirely. Despite this seeming detriment, she quickly found herself in advanced placement English classes in high school, outperforming her classmates and demonstrating the resilience that makes her a powerhouse today.
Aden first made headlines after competing in the Miss USA state pageant, wearing a hijab and sporting a burkini in the swimsuit portion of the competition -- a first in the 65-year history of the event. She finished among the top 15 finalists, and her performance caught the eye of Carine Roitfeld, who recruited her to appear in what was Aden's first editorial. The CR Fashion Book cover, however, came as a surprise to Aden and marked the beginning of a new cultural phenomenon. Since then, she has covered Vogue Arabia, British Vogue, Teen Vogue, Grazia UK, S Moda and Allure, in which the publication heralded her as an all-American beauty, a crucial acknowledgment for America's Muslim community. Aden's editorial credits also include Harper's Bazaar and Glamour, and she appeared on the runway for Yeezy, Alberta Ferretti, Max Mara, Philipp Plein and Dolce & Gabbana. Rihanna tapped her to appear in the campaign for her inclusive beauty brand, Fenty Beauty.
Aden was recently named an official UNICEF Ambassador. When she's not working, she covets time spent with family and friends on the couch indulging in Netflix marathons.
Halima Aden | Speaker | TED.com