How I went from child refugee to international model | Halima Aden

翻译人员: Ziyun Liao 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

This is me at age seven.

这是我七岁的时候，

And this is also me.

这也是我。

(Applause and cheering)

（掌声和欢呼）

To be standing here in Kakuma refugee camp feels so surreal,

能够站在卡库马难民营做演讲， 感觉是那么的不真实，

and I'm overcome with so much emotion.

我的内心不禁感慨良多。

These very grounds are where I was born

我出生在卡库马这片土地，

and spent the first seven years of my life.

也在这里度过了我人生的第一个七年，

I think many people are surprised to hear

我想很多人听到

that I had a great upbringing here at Kakuma.

我能在卡库马受到良好的教育 都很惊讶，

But I was happy,

（在这片土地）我很开心，

I was smart, I had friends

我很聪明，还交了许多朋友，

and above all, I had hope for a brighter future.

最重要的是，我相信 我的未来是光明的。

That's not to say that we didn't have our obstacles.

那不是说我们没有任何障碍了，

I mean, boy were there struggles.

我的意思是， 生存在这儿本身就是困难的。

I would sometimes get sick with malaria

有时候我会感染疟疾，

and didn't always know where our next meal would come from.

而且总是吃了上顿不知道 还有没有下顿，

But the sense of community that is here in Kakuma

但是在卡库玛， 大家对这个社区有着很强的归属感，

and the pride that everyone here possesses

还为身为这个社区的一份子感到自豪，

is simply unparalleled.

这些感情都是无可比拟的。

When I was younger, I remember conflicts breaking out.

早些年的时候， 我记得冲突时常爆发，

That tends to happen when people come from different backgrounds

主要是因为大家有着不同的背景，

and don't speak the same language.

说着不同的语言。

Eventually, Swahili --

最终，斯瓦希里——

the main language here --

这里的主要语言——

became our common ground.

成为了我们共同的根基。

I made friends with the kids at the camp

我和难民营的孩子们成为了朋友，

and even started embracing some of their cultures,

甚至开始接受他们中一些人的文化，

celebrating holidays like Christmas even though I was raised Muslim.

比如庆祝像圣诞节一样的节日， 即便我生长在穆斯林的家庭，

The other kids would embrace my culture as well,

其他的孩子们也同样会接受我的文化，

sometimes even praying right alongside me.

有时候他们甚至会在我身旁一起做祷告。

It was easy, as children, to come together,

孩子们总是很容易就打成一片，

blend all of our beliefs

将我们的信仰融合在一起，

to form our own unique, multicultural environment.

形成一个独一无二的多元文化环境。

My name is Halima Aden

我的名字是哈利玛·亚登，

and I'm a black, Muslim, Somali-American from Kenya.

我是一个黑人，信奉伊斯兰教， 我还是索马里裔的美国人，来自肯尼亚。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Some have called me a trailblazer --

有些人称我为先锋——

I was the first Muslim homecoming queen at my high school,

我是我高中返校日舞会上 第一个获得皇后桂冠的穆斯林，

the first Somali student senator at my college

我是我大学里第一个索马里裔的议员，

and the first hijab-wearing woman in many places,

还是第一个在许多场合 带希贾布头巾的女性，

like the Miss Minnesota USA beauty pageant,

如明尼苏达州举办的美国小姐选拔赛，

the runways of Milan and New York Fashion Weeks

米兰和纽约时装周的舞台上，

and even on the historic cover of British "Vogue."

甚至我还破天荒的登上了 英国《时尚》杂志的封面。

As you can see,

正如大家所看到的，

I'm not afraid to be the first, to step out on my own,

我不惧怕成为一名先锋， 踏出自己的舒服区，

to take risks and seek change,

去冒险，去寻求改变，

because that's what being a minority is about.

因为成为少数群体的意义所在，

It's about using yourself as a vessel to create change

就是要将自己当成创造改变的媒体，

and being a human representation for the power of diversity.

成为展现多元力量的人类大使，

And now I use my platform to spread an important message of acceptance.

现在我在利用自己的平台， 传递包容开放的重要信息，

But it hasn't always been easy.

但这并非易事。

When we first arrived to the United States and made St. Louis, Missouri home,

在我初次抵达美国， 在圣路易斯密苏里州安家后，

I remember asking my mom, "Is this really America?"

我记得我问我的母亲， “这真的是美国吗？”

There were things that were sadly familiar,

因为有一些事让我觉得熟悉的悲哀，

like hearing gunshots at night

像在半夜听到枪声，

and the streets looking impoverished.

街道看起来那么的穷困，

But there were things that were also very different.

但也有一些非常不同的地方。

Like when I started first grade,

比如在我上一年级的时候，

I noticed how the kids played in groups.

我注意到孩子们都是 分小团体玩耍的，

In America, we call them "cliques."

在美国，我们称之为“小圈子”

Back here, we all played together.

而在卡库玛，我们是大家一起玩的。

Gender didn't matter,

性别无关紧要，

and race most certainly never mattered.

种族更加不是问题。

I remember asking myself,

我记得我问自己，

"Why don't they understand Swahili?

为什么他们听不懂斯瓦希里语呢？

Swahili is the language that brings people together."

斯瓦希里语可以让人团结在一起。

To make matters worse,

更糟糕的是，

the school I was enrolled in didn't have an English immersion program.

我上的那所学校不提供 全英文培训课程，

So everyday I would get up,

虽然（和其他同学一样） 我每天起床，

go to school, sit in my desk

上学，坐在课桌前，

and never learn a thing.

但我却什么都没学到。

This is when I started losing hope,

我开始失去希望，

and I wanted nothing more than return to Kakuma,

一心只想回到卡库玛，

a refugee camp.

一个难民营。

Soon, my mother learned that many Somalis found refuge

很快，我母亲得知许多索马里人

in a small town in Minnesota.

在明尼苏达州的一个小镇上 找到了一处容身之所，

So when I was eight, we moved to Minnesota.

所以在我八岁的时候， 我们就搬去了明尼苏达州。

My life changed as I met other students who spoke Somali,

我的生活在就此完全改变了， 我遇到了其他同样说索马里语的学生，

attended a school that had an English immersion program

参加了全英文培训课程，

and found teachers that would go above and beyond,

还遇到了一些不辞劳苦， 真心付出的老师，

staying there after school hours and lunch breaks,

愿意在放学后或者午餐时间留下来，

dedicated to helping me find success in the classroom.

帮助我在学业上重新取得成功。

Being a child refugee has taught me that one could be stripped of everything:

身为一个难民营的孩子， 我知道我们随时会失去一切：

food, shelter, clean drinking water,

食物，住所，干净的饮用水，

even friendship,

甚至友谊，

but the one thing that no one could ever take away from you

唯有一样不会被夺走的东西

is your education.

那就是教育。

So I made studying my top priority

所以我把教育摆在了优先的位置，

and soon started flourishing within the classroom.

很快我就在教室里崭露头角。

As I grew older, I became more aware of others

随着年龄的增长， 我更懂得了人情世故，

and how they viewed my race and background.

以及其他人如何看待我的种族和背景。

Specifically, when I started wearing the head scarf known as a hijab.

尤其是，在我开始戴上头巾，即希贾布的时候。

When I first started wearing it, I was excited.

第一次戴头巾的时候，我很兴奋，

I remember admiring my mother's, and I wanted to emulate her beauty.

我记得我很喜欢我母亲的头巾， 我想像她戴上头巾时一样美丽，

But when I started middle school,

但在我上中学时，

the students teased me about not having hair,

我的同学们嘲笑我，说我没有头发，

so to prove them wrong,

为了证明他们错了，

I started showing them my hair --

我开始给他们展示我的头发，

something that goes against my beliefs, but something I felt pressured to do.

虽然这与我的信仰相悖， 但却是我不得不做的，

I wanted so badly to fit in at the time.

因为那个时候我太想融入他们的群体。

When I reflect on the issues of race, religion, identity,

当我回想起关于种族，信仰和身份 这些问题时，

a lot of painful memories come to mind.

许多痛苦的回忆涌上心头。

It would be easy for me to blame those of another culture

也许指责那些因为不同文化背景

for making me feel the pain I felt,

而给我带来痛苦的人会让我好受得多，

but when I think deeper,

但想深一层，

I also recognize that the most impactful,

我意识到曾经发生在我身上， 影响我最深，

positive, life-changing events that have happened to me

最积极，彻底改变我命运的事件，

are thanks to those people who are different than me.

都是多亏于那些与我不同的人。

It was at this moment that I decided to step outside of my comfort zone

而正是那一刻， 我决定我要踏出我的舒服区，

and compete in a pageant wearing a hijab and burkini.

戴上希贾布头巾和穿上博基尼泳衣 参加选美比赛。

I saw it as an opportunity to be a voice for women

我将这个比赛看作一次 为女性发声的机会，

who, like myself, had felt underrepresented.

尤其是像我自己这样的女性， 因为没有人为我们代言。

And although I didn't capture the crown,

尽管我没有夺得桂冠，

that experience opened so many doors for me.

但那段经历为我开启了许多大门。

I was receiving emails and messages from women all over the world,

我收到了许多来自世界各地的女性 发给我的邮件和信息，

telling me that I've inspired them by simply staying true to myself.

告诉我，是我坚持做自己的精神 激励了她们。

The other "firsts" kept coming.

因此许许多多的“第一次”接踵而来，

I was invited to New York City by fashion icon Carine Roitfeld

我受到了时尚偶像卡琳·洛菲德的 邀请前往纽约

to shoot my very first editorial.

拍摄我的第一组时尚写真。

It was around this time that I became the first hijab-wearing model,

而正是那时候， 我成为了第一个戴希贾布头巾的模特，

and in my first year,

在（我工作的）第一年里，

I graced the covers of nine fashion magazines.

我登上了九本时尚杂志的封面，

It was a whirlwind, to say the least.

毫不夸张的说， 这一切就像一场旋风一样。

But with all the overnight success,

但即使我一夜成名，

there was one thing that remained constant --

有一点始终不变的是，

the thought that this could be what brings me back here to Kakuma,

让我也许会重返这里， 重返卡库玛的想法，

the place that I call home.

这片我称为家的土地。

And just a few months ago, something incredible happened to me.

几个月之前，一件不可思议的事 发生在我身上了，

I was in New York City, on a photo shoot,

当时我在纽约拍摄一组照片，

when I met South Sudanese model Adut Akech,

就在那我遇到了一个来自南苏丹的 模特阿度特·艾凯奇（Adut Akech），

who also happened to be born right here in Kakuma.

她恰巧也出生在这儿，卡库玛。

That experience in itself is the definition of hope.

那段经历向我们诠释了什么叫希望，

I mean, just imagine:

我的意思是，想象一下，

two girls born in the same refugee camp,

两个来自同一个难民营的女孩，

reunited for the first time on the cover of British "Vogue."

因为拍摄英国《时尚》杂志， 而首次团聚了。

(Applause and cheering)

（掌声和欢呼）

I was given the distinct pleasure of partnering up with UNICEF,

我受到了莫大的殊荣， 能够和联合国儿童基金会合作，

knowing firsthand the work that they do for children in need.

直接了解到他们为需要帮助的儿童 所做的一切。

And I want you to remember

我希望大家可以记住，

that although the children here may be refugees,

卡库玛里的孩子也许是难民，

they are children.

但他们依然是孩子。

They deserve every opportunity to flourish, to hope, to dream --

他们同样应该享有发展， 抱有希望，拥有梦想——

to be successful.

取得成功的机会。

My story began right here in Kakuma refugee camp,

因为我的故事， 不就发生在卡库玛难民营里吗？

a place of hope.

这片充满希望的土地。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）