Top 82 Quotes & Sayings by Halima Aden
Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American model Halima Aden.
Last updated on December 21, 2024.
When people put labels on us, it doesn't always enclose everything that we are. So even though I'm proud to be Somali, I'm proud to be American, at the end of the day, I'm still Halima, and I take things from both sides and combine them, and I make my own little category. I'm me!
I don't want to be taller; I want to be myself.
I truly believe diversity is beauty.
I am Minnesotan.
For me, being able to say that my first-ever photo shoot was with one of the most well-known and iconic fashion photographers in the world is unbelievable.
Be who you are. It's easy to feel like you have to blend in, but it takes courage to live your life with conviction and embrace the person that you are.
My favorite part of modeling is backstage. Every day you work with different people, and as much as people learn about my story, I get to learn about theirs.
I feel like with anything you choose to do in this world, there are always gonna be people who disagree. But I've had a lot more supporters than critics.
I like shopping at retail places like JC Penney or Macy's, and maybe buying a top or a shirt, and then buying a skirt from Rue 21 or Forever 21 because they have the maxi skirts, which I appreciate so much, and then topping it off with something that I buy from a Somali shop.
A lot of people had a misconception that I would be the perfect poster child for Islam. So I got a lot of Instagram comments like, 'Oh, you don't have your neck covered, you're not a Muslim!' My thing is, stop judging women, especially if you're a man, because you don't know the responsibility that comes with wearing a hijab.
People I looked up to a lot were, you know, Oprah because she had a rough childhood but overcame so many obstacles and broke barriers to become who she is. It was really eye opening to me: just because I had a rough childhood doesn't mean that I can't make something of myself.
I know that for me, a lot of people will look at me and they'll think 'Somali' or 'outsider' instead of 'Minnesota.'
Moisturizing every night is important. When you're 50 or 60, it's going to show if you don't take care of it. You have to prepare when you're young, so you still have that healthy, glowing skin when you're 60 or 70.
I love speaking at schools. That's always my favorite because I wish I'd had someone who was like me come speak at my school.
You don't have to show a lot of skin to be beautiful.
We all have different things that make us strong and weak, but if we communicate and we really open ourselves and open our hearts, you're going to be amazed by the things that you can learn.
When you have a lot of women in our state that do wear the hijab, we should be able to see that everywhere.
I remember, when I lived in a refugee camp, it was the people who weren't Somali, the people who came from Western countries, who helped the most. I remember being six and thinking, 'I want to be one of those women,' because I knew how much they helped us.
I made a lot of mistakes growing up, trying so hard to fit in. I got so lost trying to please everybody.
Being Somali, being Muslim, it's always something I've been very proud of.
I feel bad for my little cousins who don't see themselves being represented, or the little girls in my community who won't have a chance to see a Disney princess... who resembles them.
Shopping for hijabs has always been fun for me. I was so excited to begin wearing a headscarf. I had always looked up to my mother as she wore hers, and I was eager to emulate her beauty and the wonderful things she represented.
Society puts so much pressure on girls to look a certain way.
If there's one message I want people to take away is never compromise being your authentic self. Even if that means making others uncomfortable.
You don't let being the first to do it stop you or get in the way.
I say this all the time, but my hijab, it really is my crown, and it's something that I bring to the table. It's something that makes me unique. It shows the world who I truly am.
Always stay true to who you are - barriers can and will be broken!
Product-wise, I use a morning and night cleanser. I'm really not a brand person.
To be honest, before I joined the industry, I knew very little about the fashion world, and I hardly knew any name brands. Probably because the price tags were a little too high, and home girl needed to work.
I used to be so self-conscious about my braces that people thought I was shy - I just never talked. It took me a long time to realize, whatever, it's not like I'll have them forever, so I might as well enjoy it while I do!
I choose to focus on the positive.
I haven't received any pressure to be anything other than myself, and for that, I am so grateful.
Sometimes I'll go with a long hijab, or sometimes I'll wear my scarf and go somewhat business-y with a blazer. Every day is something new.
Every little girl looks up to her mom so much - that's your first hero.
A lot of people will look at you and will fail to see your beauty because you're covered up and they're not used to it. So growing up, I just had to work on my people skills and give people a chance to really know me besides the clothing.
I want to go see Somalia because I've never been there, and I feel like I'm missing out. I want to learn that heritage; I want to learn about my culture.
I feel like I'm here to bust those misconceptions and stereotypes of Muslim women.
It's always been hard trying to find the right pieces that go together, but it's always been something that interests me - finding new ways to be fashionable and cute but still being modest.
My mom and grandma, growing up, one thing they emphasized was that you need to make sure that anything you put on your skin is also digestible by the body. For example, if something isn't safe for me to eat or consume, it's probably not good for your face. So I do a lot of natural remedies.
A lot of people have the misconception that, as a Muslim woman, I am somehow against women wearing bikinis. No, I want women to feel comfortable and confident in whatever they wear.
I think to be Miss U.S.A., first of all, you need to represent everybody, all of us here.
I think it's important to be diverse, and I hope we continue to see that as a trend in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry really welcomed me with open arms and open hearts. They've been very accepting of my faith. I have strict wardrobe requirements, and that's something they've upheld.
I am proud of being a Somali-American Muslim, and my wardrobe has been an important part of my religious and cultural upbringing.
Skin care is so much more important than makeup. Makeup is for when you're having fun and going out. But your skin is forever.
The hijab is a symbol that we wear on our heads, but I want people to know that it is my choice. I'm doing it because I want to do it. I wanted people to see that you could still be really cute and modest at the same time.
When you're a kid, to be honest, you could be in the worst situation ever, but you're still going to have ways to enjoy it.
Moving to the U.S. was an adjustment. I noticed that the kids played in groups. Back in Kakuma, everyone played together.
I did notice growing up that there are so many things, obstacles and things, that people think you can't do because you're Muslim or because you're wearing a hijab. You hear a lot of no's. That was something that I wanted to see change.
If you think people are against you and that you're a target, things will start appearing that way. I just go about my day, and I don't think anyone is out to get me.
My goal is to send a message to Muslim women and young women everywhere that it's okay to break stereotypes and be yourself.
There are so many Muslim women that feel like they don't fit society's standard of beauty. I just wanted to tell them it's OK to be different; being different is beautiful, too.
What I do is I always try to educate myself about my neighbors, about the people I meet.
Back in high school, I didn't ever see a Muslim homecoming king or queen - there was never even anyone nominated. It just seemed for a lot of those events, Muslim kids were not being included, and it was probably our fault too - no one was going for it, but no one was trying to push us to do it, you know?
What I have learned is that designers are willing to tell the world that they are here to empower women from all different backgrounds and different walks of life.
How boring would this world be if everyone was the same?
I have much more to offer than my physical appearance, and a hijab protects me against 'You're too skinny,' 'You're too thick,' 'Look at her hips,' 'Look at her thigh gap.' I don't have to worry about that.
There's always room to volunteer. I think that's a huge space to be involved with.
When I was younger, I didn't have that type of person that I could look up to and be like, 'OK, this is someone who dresses like me and I relate to.' I didn't have that growing up, so to give that opportunity to a younger generation of women - and not just Somali women, but anyone who feels different - that means a lot to me.
America has always been a land of diversity, basically made up of immigrants, and that is something I want to see continued. It's something I'm proud of when people think of America.
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