This is me at age seven. And this is also me.
這是我七歲的時候。 這也是我。
(Applause and cheering)
(掌聲與歡呼)
To be standing here in Kakuma refugee camp feels so surreal, and I'm overcome with so much emotion. These very grounds are where I was born and spent the first seven years of my life.
站在卡庫馬難民營這裡, 感覺好不真實, 我現在有著滿滿的情緒。 這就是我出生的地方, 我人生的前七年也都待在這裡。
I think many people are surprised to hear that I had a great upbringing here at Kakuma. But I was happy, I was smart, I had friends and above all, I had hope for a brighter future.
我想,很多人會覺得無法相信 我在卡庫馬有受到很好的養育。 但我那時很開心, 我很聰明,我有朋友, 最重要的是, 我嚮往著更明亮的未來。
That's not to say that we didn't have our obstacles. I mean, boy were there struggles. I would sometimes get sick with malaria and didn't always know where our next meal would come from. But the sense of community that is here in Kakuma and the pride that everyone here possesses is simply unparalleled. When I was younger, I remember conflicts breaking out. That tends to happen when people come from different backgrounds and don't speak the same language. Eventually, Swahili -- the main language here -- became our common ground. I made friends with the kids at the camp and even started embracing some of their cultures, celebrating holidays like Christmas even though I was raised Muslim. The other kids would embrace my culture as well, sometimes even praying right alongside me. It was easy, as children, to come together, blend all of our beliefs to form our own unique, multicultural environment.
並不是說我們沒有遇到阻礙。 我的意思是,真的有過掙扎。 我有時候會得到瘧疾, 且不見得都知道下一餐會從哪裡來。 但在卡庫馬這裡,共同體的感覺 以及這裡每個人所擁有的驕傲 實在是空前未有的。 我比較小的時候,我記得衝突爆發。 當有來自不同背景的人 說著不相同的語言時, 本來就很容易發生衝突。 最終,斯華西里語—— 這裡的主要語言—— 變成了我們的共同點。 我和難民營的孩子交朋友, 甚至開始接受一些他們的文化, 雖然我成長過程都信回教, 我也慶祝像是聖誕節等節日。 其他的孩子也會接受我的文化, 有時甚至就在我旁邊一起禱告。 身為孩子,很容易就能團結, 融合我們的信仰, 形成我們自己 獨一無二的多文化環境。
My name is Halima Aden and I'm a black, Muslim, Somali-American from Kenya.
我的名字叫哈利馬阿登, 我是個索瑪利裔美國黑人, 來自肯亞,信奉回教。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Some have called me a trailblazer -- I was the first Muslim homecoming queen at my high school, the first Somali student senator at my college and the first hijab-wearing woman in many places, like the Miss Minnesota USA beauty pageant, the runways of Milan and New York Fashion Weeks and even on the historic cover of British "Vogue." As you can see, I'm not afraid to be the first, to step out on my own, to take risks and seek change, because that's what being a minority is about. It's about using yourself as a vessel to create change and being a human representation for the power of diversity. And now I use my platform to spread an important message of acceptance.
有些人把我稱為先驅—— 在我的高中,我是第一個 信奉回教的返校日皇后, 在我的大學,我是第一個 索瑪利裔的學生會委員, 在許多地方,我是 第一個戴頭巾的女性, 比如明尼蘇達州小姐選美比賽、 米蘭及紐約時裝週的伸展台, 甚至上了具有里程碑意義的 英國《時尚》雜誌封面。 如你們所見, 我並不害怕自己站出來當第一個, 我敢承擔風險和尋求改變, 因為那就是身為少數族群應該做的。 重點是要把自己當作 創造改變的媒介, 把多樣性的力量 在人的身上展現出來。 現在,我用我的平台來散播一則 關於接受的重要訊息。
But it hasn't always been easy. When we first arrived to the United States and made St. Louis, Missouri home, I remember asking my mom, "Is this really America?" There were things that were sadly familiar, like hearing gunshots at night and the streets looking impoverished. But there were things that were also very different. Like when I started first grade, I noticed how the kids played in groups. In America, we call them "cliques." Back here, we all played together. Gender didn't matter, and race most certainly never mattered. I remember asking myself, "Why don't they understand Swahili? Swahili is the language that brings people together." To make matters worse, the school I was enrolled in didn't have an English immersion program. So everyday I would get up, go to school, sit in my desk and never learn a thing. This is when I started losing hope, and I wanted nothing more than return to Kakuma, a refugee camp.
但過程並非都很容易。 當我們初次抵達美國, 以密蘇里的聖路易斯為家時, 我記得我問我母親: 「這真的是美國嗎?」 有些事物,有著悲傷的熟悉感, 比如在夜間聽到槍聲, 及街道看來赤貧無創造性。 但也有些非常不同的地方。 比如,當我上一年級時, 我注意到孩子們如何分群玩耍。 在美國,我們稱他們為「朋黨」。 以前在這裡時,我們全都玩在一起。 性別無所謂, 種族也肯定從來都無所謂。 我記得我會問我自己: 「他們為什麼不懂斯華西里語? 斯華西里語是讓人 團結在一起的語言。」 更糟的是, 我就讀的學校並沒有沉浸英語學程。 所以,我每天爬起床, 去上學,坐在我的座位上, 什麼都學不到。 這時,我開始失去希望, 我只想返回卡庫馬, 回到難民營。
Soon, my mother learned that many Somalis found refuge in a small town in Minnesota. So when I was eight, we moved to Minnesota. My life changed as I met other students who spoke Somali, attended a school that had an English immersion program and found teachers that would go above and beyond, staying there after school hours and lunch breaks, dedicated to helping me find success in the classroom. Being a child refugee has taught me that one could be stripped of everything: food, shelter, clean drinking water, even friendship, but the one thing that no one could ever take away from you is your education. So I made studying my top priority and soon started flourishing within the classroom.
很快的,我母親得知 有許多索馬利人 在明尼蘇達的一個小鎮安定下來。 所以,我八歲時, 我們搬到明尼蘇達。 我的人生改變了, 因為我遇到了其他索瑪利學生, 我就讀的學校有沉浸英語學程, 也找到一些老師,願意額外付出, 在學校放學之後 以及午餐時間留下來, 努力協助我能在教室中有所成。 身為難民小孩,我學到的是, 一個人隨時可能被奪走一切: 食物、庇護所、乾淨的飲用水、 甚至友誼, 但有一樣東西,是別人 無法從你身上奪走的, 就是你的教育。 所以我把讀書放在第一優先, 很快就開始在教室裡有好的表現。
As I grew older, I became more aware of others and how they viewed my race and background. Specifically, when I started wearing the head scarf known as a hijab. When I first started wearing it, I was excited. I remember admiring my mother's, and I wanted to emulate her beauty. But when I started middle school, the students teased me about not having hair, so to prove them wrong, I started showing them my hair -- something that goes against my beliefs, but something I felt pressured to do. I wanted so badly to fit in at the time.
隨著我長大, 我越來越能意識到其他人 及他們如何看待我的種族和背景。 特別是當我開始包頭巾, 也就是希賈布時。 我一開始包頭巾時,我很興奮。 我記得我很欣賞我母親的頭巾, 想要模仿她的美麗。 但當我讀中學時, 其他學生會嘲笑我沒有頭髮, 為了證明他們錯了, 我開始讓他們看見我的頭髮—— 這是違背我的信仰的, 但我感到有壓力迫使我去做。 那時我非常想要融入大家。
When I reflect on the issues of race, religion, identity, a lot of painful memories come to mind. It would be easy for me to blame those of another culture for making me feel the pain I felt, but when I think deeper, I also recognize that the most impactful, positive, life-changing events that have happened to me are thanks to those people who are different than me. It was at this moment that I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and compete in a pageant wearing a hijab and burkini. I saw it as an opportunity to be a voice for women who, like myself, had felt underrepresented. And although I didn't capture the crown, that experience opened so many doors for me. I was receiving emails and messages from women all over the world, telling me that I've inspired them by simply staying true to myself.
當我反思關於種族、 宗教、身分的議題時, 許多痛苦的記憶會浮現腦海。 對我來說,把我所感受到的痛苦 怪罪其他文化的人是比較容易的, 但當我更深入思考, 我也了解到,這些事是我所遇過 最有影響力、最正面、 改變我人生最多的事, 這一切都要感謝那些和我不同的人。 在那一刻,我決定 要踏出我的舒適圈, 包著頭巾,穿著蒙面罩袍 去參加選美比賽。 我把它視為一個機會,讓我可以 為和我一樣的弱勢女性發聲。 雖然我沒有贏得后冠, 那次的經驗為我打開了好多扇門。 我收到世界各地女性 寫給我的電子郵件和訊息, 她們說,光是看到我能夠 忠於自己,就讓她們受到鼓舞。
The other "firsts" kept coming. I was invited to New York City by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld to shoot my very first editorial. It was around this time that I became the first hijab-wearing model, and in my first year, I graced the covers of nine fashion magazines. It was a whirlwind, to say the least. But with all the overnight success, there was one thing that remained constant -- the thought that this could be what brings me back here to Kakuma, the place that I call home.
我不斷繼續當「第一個」。 我受到時尚界代表人物 卡琳洛菲德的邀請,前往紐約, 拍攝我的第一張時尚雜誌照片。 大約在這個時期,我成為了 第一個包著頭巾的模特兒, 在我的頭一年, 我上了七本時尚雜誌的封面。 至少可以說,這是場旋風。 但在這所有的一夜成名的成功中, 有一樣東西是維持不變的—— 認為我能夠因此有機會 回到卡庫馬的想法, 回到我稱為家的地方。
And just a few months ago, something incredible happened to me. I was in New York City, on a photo shoot, when I met South Sudanese model Adut Akech, who also happened to be born right here in Kakuma. That experience in itself is the definition of hope. I mean, just imagine: two girls born in the same refugee camp, reunited for the first time on the cover of British "Vogue."
幾個月前,很不可思議的事 發生在我身上。 我當時在紐約,正在拍照, 我遇見了南蘇丹的模特兒 阿度特艾凱奇, 她剛好也出生在卡庫馬。 那段經驗本身就是希望的定義。 我的意思是,想像一下: 出生在同一個難民營的兩個女孩, 在英國《時尚》雜誌的封面上 第一次團聚在一起。
(Applause and cheering)
(掌聲與歡呼)
I was given the distinct pleasure of partnering up with UNICEF, knowing firsthand the work that they do for children in need. And I want you to remember that although the children here may be refugees, they are children. They deserve every opportunity to flourish, to hope, to dream -- to be successful.
我有非常獨特的榮幸, 能和聯合國兒童基金會合作, 直接了解他們為 有需要的兒童做了什麼。 我希望各位能記住, 雖然這裡的孩子可能是難民, 他們仍然是孩子。 他們應該要有機會去成長、 去希望、去夢想—— 去成功。
My story began right here in Kakuma refugee camp, a place of hope.
這裡,卡庫馬難民營, 是我的故事的起點, 它是個希望之地。
Thank you.
謝謝。
(Applause)
(掌聲)