TEDxKakumaCamp
Halima Aden: How I went from child refugee to international model
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Halima Aden made history when she became the first hijab-wearing model on the cover of Vogue magazine. Now she returns to Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp -- where she was born and lived until the age of seven -- to share an inspiring message about what she's learned on the path from child refugee to international model.
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
This is me at age seven.
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And this is also me.
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(Applause and cheering)
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To be standing here in Kakuma
refugee camp feels so surreal,
refugee camp feels so surreal,
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and I'm overcome with so much emotion.
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These very grounds are where I was born
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and spent the first
seven years of my life.
seven years of my life.
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I think many people are surprised to hear
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that I had a great upbringing
here at Kakuma.
here at Kakuma.
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But I was happy,
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I was smart, I had friends
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and above all, I had hope
for a brighter future.
for a brighter future.
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That's not to say that we didn't
have our obstacles.
have our obstacles.
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I mean, boy were there struggles.
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I would sometimes get sick with malaria
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and didn't always know
where our next meal would come from.
where our next meal would come from.
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But the sense of community
that is here in Kakuma
that is here in Kakuma
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and the pride that everyone here possesses
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is simply unparalleled.
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When I was younger,
I remember conflicts breaking out.
I remember conflicts breaking out.
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That tends to happen when people
come from different backgrounds
come from different backgrounds
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and don't speak the same language.
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Eventually, Swahili --
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the main language here --
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became our common ground.
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I made friends with the kids at the camp
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and even started embracing
some of their cultures,
some of their cultures,
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celebrating holidays like Christmas
even though I was raised Muslim.
even though I was raised Muslim.
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The other kids would embrace
my culture as well,
my culture as well,
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sometimes even praying right alongside me.
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It was easy, as children,
to come together,
to come together,
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blend all of our beliefs
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to form our own unique,
multicultural environment.
multicultural environment.
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My name is Halima Aden
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and I'm a black, Muslim,
Somali-American from Kenya.
Somali-American from Kenya.
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(Applause)
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Some have called me a trailblazer --
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I was the first Muslim
homecoming queen at my high school,
homecoming queen at my high school,
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the first Somali student
senator at my college
senator at my college
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and the first hijab-wearing
woman in many places,
woman in many places,
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like the Miss Minnesota USA
beauty pageant,
beauty pageant,
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the runways of Milan
and New York Fashion Weeks
and New York Fashion Weeks
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and even on the historic cover
of British "Vogue."
of British "Vogue."
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As you can see,
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I'm not afraid to be the first,
to step out on my own,
to step out on my own,
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to take risks and seek change,
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because that's what being
a minority is about.
a minority is about.
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It's about using yourself
as a vessel to create change
as a vessel to create change
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and being a human representation
for the power of diversity.
for the power of diversity.
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And now I use my platform to spread
an important message of acceptance.
an important message of acceptance.
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But it hasn't always been easy.
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When we first arrived to the United States
and made St. Louis, Missouri home,
and made St. Louis, Missouri home,
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I remember asking my mom,
"Is this really America?"
"Is this really America?"
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There were things
that were sadly familiar,
that were sadly familiar,
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like hearing gunshots at night
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and the streets looking impoverished.
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But there were things
that were also very different.
that were also very different.
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Like when I started first grade,
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I noticed how the kids played in groups.
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In America, we call them "cliques."
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Back here, we all played together.
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Gender didn't matter,
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and race most certainly never mattered.
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I remember asking myself,
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"Why don't they understand Swahili?
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Swahili is the language
that brings people together."
that brings people together."
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To make matters worse,
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the school I was enrolled in
didn't have an English immersion program.
didn't have an English immersion program.
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So everyday I would get up,
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go to school, sit in my desk
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and never learn a thing.
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This is when I started losing hope,
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and I wanted nothing more
than return to Kakuma,
than return to Kakuma,
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a refugee camp.
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Soon, my mother learned
that many Somalis found refuge
that many Somalis found refuge
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in a small town in Minnesota.
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So when I was eight,
we moved to Minnesota.
we moved to Minnesota.
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My life changed as I met
other students who spoke Somali,
other students who spoke Somali,
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attended a school that had
an English immersion program
an English immersion program
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and found teachers that would go
above and beyond,
above and beyond,
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staying there after school hours
and lunch breaks,
and lunch breaks,
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dedicated to helping me
find success in the classroom.
find success in the classroom.
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Being a child refugee has taught me
that one could be stripped of everything:
that one could be stripped of everything:
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food, shelter, clean drinking water,
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even friendship,
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but the one thing that no one
could ever take away from you
could ever take away from you
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is your education.
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So I made studying my top priority
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and soon started flourishing
within the classroom.
within the classroom.
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As I grew older,
I became more aware of others
I became more aware of others
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and how they viewed
my race and background.
my race and background.
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Specifically, when I started
wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.
wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.
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When I first started
wearing it, I was excited.
wearing it, I was excited.
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I remember admiring my mother's,
and I wanted to emulate her beauty.
and I wanted to emulate her beauty.
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But when I started middle school,
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the students teased me
about not having hair,
about not having hair,
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so to prove them wrong,
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I started showing them my hair --
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something that goes against my beliefs,
but something I felt pressured to do.
but something I felt pressured to do.
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I wanted so badly to fit in at the time.
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When I reflect on the issues
of race, religion, identity,
of race, religion, identity,
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a lot of painful memories come to mind.
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It would be easy for me to blame
those of another culture
those of another culture
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for making me feel the pain I felt,
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but when I think deeper,
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I also recognize that the most impactful,
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positive, life-changing events
that have happened to me
that have happened to me
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are thanks to those people
who are different than me.
who are different than me.
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It was at this moment that I decided
to step outside of my comfort zone
to step outside of my comfort zone
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and compete in a pageant
wearing a hijab and burkini.
wearing a hijab and burkini.
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I saw it as an opportunity
to be a voice for women
to be a voice for women
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who, like myself,
had felt underrepresented.
had felt underrepresented.
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And although I didn't capture the crown,
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that experience opened
so many doors for me.
so many doors for me.
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I was receiving emails and messages
from women all over the world,
from women all over the world,
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telling me that I've inspired them
by simply staying true to myself.
by simply staying true to myself.
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The other "firsts" kept coming.
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I was invited to New York City
by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld
by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld
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to shoot my very first editorial.
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It was around this time that I became
the first hijab-wearing model,
the first hijab-wearing model,
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and in my first year,
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I graced the covers
of nine fashion magazines.
of nine fashion magazines.
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It was a whirlwind, to say the least.
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But with all the overnight success,
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there was one thing
that remained constant --
that remained constant --
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the thought that this could be
what brings me back here to Kakuma,
what brings me back here to Kakuma,
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the place that I call home.
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And just a few months ago,
something incredible happened to me.
something incredible happened to me.
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I was in New York City, on a photo shoot,
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when I met South Sudanese
model Adut Akech,
model Adut Akech,
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who also happened to be born
right here in Kakuma.
right here in Kakuma.
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That experience in itself
is the definition of hope.
is the definition of hope.
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I mean, just imagine:
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two girls born in the same refugee camp,
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reunited for the first time
on the cover of British "Vogue."
on the cover of British "Vogue."
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(Applause and cheering)
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I was given the distinct pleasure
of partnering up with UNICEF,
of partnering up with UNICEF,
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knowing firsthand the work
that they do for children in need.
that they do for children in need.
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And I want you to remember
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that although the children
here may be refugees,
here may be refugees,
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they are children.
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They deserve every opportunity
to flourish, to hope, to dream --
to flourish, to hope, to dream --
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to be successful.
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My story began right here
in Kakuma refugee camp,
in Kakuma refugee camp,
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a place of hope.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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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