I went to meet up with model Halima Aden
she’s walked in Kanye’s fashion shows is
the face of Rihanna’s makeup line has
graced the covers of fashion magazines
and has even fronted an American Eagle
campaign we’re going to get a manicure
today how about that and I have very
excited because I heard you fight here’s
to the male fighters of America I caught
up with Halima in New York just after a
photo shoot for her six magazine cover
this year I mean you must be touching
yourself
are you yeah I went from exactly a year
ago I could never like flip through a
magazine like see anyone who would dress
like me too no magazine cover is
phenomenal right it is because I never
got to grow up and feel like represented
and I never saw anybody who looks like
in high fashion so it’s pretty surreal
to be that person for a lot of little
girls now I get girls from small towns
in Wisconsin and all these different
like little little towns that stop
modeling and fashion and especially
high-fashion was so out of reach for
them maybe that’s because Halima is a
Midwestern girl herself she lives in st.
Cloud Minnesota she doesn’t take any of
her good fortune for granted
she was born in a refugee camp after her
mother fled a brutal civil war in
Somalia one day was like this they were
all together and you know the village
everybody ran the other way
everyone scattered but she headed to a
refugee camp in Kenya
she didn’t have family that must have
been so terrifying
it’s brave you know I can’t even imagine
how I was feeling I was asked to leave
you know just up up and go and as our
nation debates whether we should make
Muslim refugees welcome
Halima has been outspoken about her own
family’s experience so tell me about the
journey to America what do you remember
there was so much fighting people don’t
understand like how long it really takes
it took my family since I was born to 97
to 2005 Wow
so that’s eight years eight years and a
lot of the refugees never make it to a
developed country they’re not as
fortunate as my family to come to the
United States that’s rare after the
Ayden’s moved to st. cloud Halima
thrived she became the first Muslim
homecoming queen and in her high school
she was a contestant in the Miss
minnesota beauty pageant when she was
recruited by a modeling agency I’m
living the American dream that’s why you
came here I think it takes more time and
it’s also my responsibility as a Muslim
to get out of my comfort zone and give
people the opportunity to get to know me
and you are doing all you can to change
the narrative to show a different kind
of Muslim story the stories that really
aren’t told very much in this country
you know but look at your Muslim lawyers
and teachers and people in your
community it’s not always like the model
or you know but it’s still incredible
stories you know people who came to this
country with nothing and we’re able to
you
want more exclusive content from America
inside out well just click one of these videos floating next to me
she’s walked in Kanye’s fashion shows is
the face of Rihanna’s makeup line has
graced the covers of fashion magazines
and has even fronted an American Eagle
campaign we’re going to get a manicure
today how about that and I have very
excited because I heard you fight here’s
to the male fighters of America I caught
up with Halima in New York just after a
photo shoot for her six magazine cover
this year I mean you must be touching
yourself
are you yeah I went from exactly a year
ago I could never like flip through a
magazine like see anyone who would dress
like me too no magazine cover is
phenomenal right it is because I never
got to grow up and feel like represented
and I never saw anybody who looks like
in high fashion so it’s pretty surreal
to be that person for a lot of little
girls now I get girls from small towns
in Wisconsin and all these different
like little little towns that stop
modeling and fashion and especially
high-fashion was so out of reach for
them maybe that’s because Halima is a
Midwestern girl herself she lives in st.
Cloud Minnesota she doesn’t take any of
her good fortune for granted
she was born in a refugee camp after her
mother fled a brutal civil war in
Somalia one day was like this they were
all together and you know the village
everybody ran the other way
everyone scattered but she headed to a
refugee camp in Kenya
she didn’t have family that must have
been so terrifying
it’s brave you know I can’t even imagine
how I was feeling I was asked to leave
you know just up up and go and as our
nation debates whether we should make
Muslim refugees welcome
Halima has been outspoken about her own
family’s experience so tell me about the
journey to America what do you remember
there was so much fighting people don’t
understand like how long it really takes
it took my family since I was born to 97
to 2005 Wow
so that’s eight years eight years and a
lot of the refugees never make it to a
developed country they’re not as
fortunate as my family to come to the
United States that’s rare after the
Ayden’s moved to st. cloud Halima
thrived she became the first Muslim
homecoming queen and in her high school
she was a contestant in the Miss
minnesota beauty pageant when she was
recruited by a modeling agency I’m
living the American dream that’s why you
came here I think it takes more time and
it’s also my responsibility as a Muslim
to get out of my comfort zone and give
people the opportunity to get to know me
and you are doing all you can to change
the narrative to show a different kind
of Muslim story the stories that really
aren’t told very much in this country
you know but look at your Muslim lawyers
and teachers and people in your
community it’s not always like the model
or you know but it’s still incredible
stories you know people who came to this
country with nothing and we’re able to
you
want more exclusive content from America
inside out well just click one of these videos floating next to me
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