Halima Aden: How I went from child refugee to international model
哈利玛·亚登: 我是如何从难民儿童变成国际知名模特的
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
refugee camp feels so surreal,
感觉是那么的不真实,
seven years of my life.
here at Kakuma.
都很惊讶,
for a brighter future.
我的未来是光明的。
have our obstacles.
生存在这儿本身就是困难的。
where our next meal would come from.
还有没有下顿,
that is here in Kakuma
大家对这个社区有着很强的归属感,
I remember conflicts breaking out.
我记得冲突时常爆发,
come from different backgrounds
some of their cultures,
even though I was raised Muslim.
即便我生长在穆斯林的家庭,
my culture as well,
to come together,
multicultural environment.
Somali-American from Kenya.
我还是索马里裔的美国人,来自肯尼亚。
homecoming queen at my high school,
第一个获得皇后桂冠的穆斯林,
senator at my college
woman in many places,
带希贾布头巾的女性,
beauty pageant,
and New York Fashion Weeks
of British "Vogue."
英国《时尚》杂志的封面。
to step out on my own,
踏出自己的舒服区,
a minority is about.
as a vessel to create change
for the power of diversity.
an important message of acceptance.
传递包容开放的重要信息,
and made St. Louis, Missouri home,
在圣路易斯密苏里州安家后,
"Is this really America?"
“这真的是美国吗?”
that were sadly familiar,
that were also very different.
分小团体玩耍的,
that brings people together."
didn't have an English immersion program.
全英文培训课程,
我每天起床,
than return to Kakuma,
that many Somalis found refuge
找到了一处容身之所,
we moved to Minnesota.
我们就搬去了明尼苏达州。
other students who spoke Somali,
我遇到了其他同样说索马里语的学生,
an English immersion program
真心付出的老师,
above and beyond,
and lunch breaks,
find success in the classroom.
that one could be stripped of everything:
我知道我们随时会失去一切:
could ever take away from you
within the classroom.
I became more aware of others
我更懂得了人情世故,
my race and background.
wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.
wearing it, I was excited.
and I wanted to emulate her beauty.
我想像她戴上头巾时一样美丽,
about not having hair,
but something I felt pressured to do.
但却是我不得不做的,
of race, religion, identity,
这些问题时,
those of another culture
影响我最深,
that have happened to me
who are different than me.
to step outside of my comfort zone
我决定我要踏出我的舒服区,
wearing a hijab and burkini.
参加选美比赛。
to be a voice for women
为女性发声的机会,
had felt underrepresented.
因为没有人为我们代言。
so many doors for me.
from women all over the world,
发给我的邮件和信息,
by simply staying true to myself.
激励了她们。
by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld
邀请前往纽约
the first hijab-wearing model,
我成为了第一个戴希贾布头巾的模特,
of nine fashion magazines.
这一切就像一场旋风一样。
that remained constant --
what brings me back here to Kakuma,
重返卡库玛的想法,
something incredible happened to me.
发生在我身上了,
model Adut Akech,
模特阿度特·艾凯奇(Adut Akech),
right here in Kakuma.
is the definition of hope.
on the cover of British "Vogue."
而首次团聚了。
of partnering up with UNICEF,
能够和联合国儿童基金会合作,
that they do for children in need.
所做的一切。
here may be refugees,
抱有希望,拥有梦想——
to flourish, to hope, to dream --
in Kakuma refugee camp,
不就发生在卡库玛难民营里吗?
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