Halima Aden: How I went from child refugee to international model
حليمة آدن: كيف انتقلت من مجرد لاجئة لعارضة أزياء عالمية
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للاجئين لإحساس غريب،
refugee camp feels so surreal,
seven years of my life.
سيتفاجئون عند سماعهم
here at Kakuma.
for a brighter future.
كان لدي أمل أن أحظى بمستقبل مشرق.
have our obstacles.
where our next meal would come from.
that is here in Kakuma
I remember conflicts breaking out.
أتذكر النزاعات التي كانت تندلع
come from different backgrounds
some of their cultures,
even though I was raised Muslim.
كعيد الميلاد رغم أنني مسلمة.
my culture as well,
to come together,
multicultural environment.
Somali-American from Kenya.
من أصل صومالي أمريكي وولدت في كينيا.
تحظى بلقب ملكة حفل التخرج،
homecoming queen at my high school,
عضوة في مجلس الشيوخ في كليتي
senator at my college
woman in many places,
beauty pageant,
and New York Fashion Weeks
of British "Vogue."
to step out on my own,
a minority is about.
as a vessel to create change
for the power of diversity.
لنشر أهمية ثقافة قبول الآخر.
an important message of acceptance.
and made St. Louis, Missouri home,
واتخذنا بيتا في شارع سانت لويس بميسوري
"هل هذه حقا أمريكا؟"
"Is this really America?"
that were sadly familiar,
that were also very different.
that brings people together."
didn't have an English immersion program.
لم تكن تتوفر على برنامج لإتقان الإنجليزية.
than return to Kakuma,
that many Somalis found refuge
أن العديد من الصوماليين وجدوا ملجأ
we moved to Minnesota.
انتقلنا لمينوسوتا.
other students who spoke Somali,
يتحدثون الصومالية،
an English immersion program
above and beyond,
يفعلون كل ما بوسعهم وأكثر،
and lunch breaks,
وفي استراحات الغداء،
find success in the classroom.
على النجاح في دراستي.
that one could be stripped of everything:
أنني معرضة لخسارة أي شيء:
could ever take away from you
أن يسلبه منك
within the classroom.
I became more aware of others
my race and background.
wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.
الذي يسمى الحجاب.
wearing it, I was excited.
حيث أردت التشبه بجمالها.
and I wanted to emulate her beauty.
about not having hair,
but something I felt pressured to do.
ولكن شعرت بالضغط لفعله.
of race, religion, identity,
those of another culture
that have happened to me
who are different than me.
to step outside of my comfort zone
من منطقة الراحة الخاصة بي
wearing a hijab and burkini.
بارتداء الحجاب والبوركيني.
to be a voice for women
had felt underrepresented.
so many doors for me.
from women all over the world,
من نساء من جميع أنحاء العالم،
by simply staying true to myself.
ببقائي على سجيتي.
by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld
إلى مدينة نيويورك
أول عارضة أزياء محجبة،
the first hijab-wearing model,
of nine fashion magazines.
that remained constant --
هنا إلى كاكوما،
what brings me back here to Kakuma,
something incredible happened to me.
حدث شيء لا يصدق بالنسبة لي.
model Adut Akech,
عارضة أزياء جنوب سودانية،
right here in Kakuma.
هي تعريف الأمل.
is the definition of hope.
on the cover of British "Vogue."
على غلاف مجلة "فوغ" البريطانية.
of partnering up with UNICEF,
that they do for children in need.
من أجل الأطفال المحتاجين.
here may be refugees,
هم لاجئون،
to flourish, to hope, to dream --
في مخيم اللاجئين بكاكوما.
in Kakuma refugee camp,
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