Anok Yai recently opened up about the childhood challenges she faced after moving from Cairo to small-town New Hampshire. The South Sudanese model, who’s graced Versace, Mugler, and Saint Laurent runways, was only four when she and her family moved to the States.
Yai told Elle in a recent editorial about the racism and colorism she experienced. She explained that the treatment was othering and isolating.
“I struggled a lot with social anxiety,” she shared. “I was the kid in the corner who didn’t talk to anybody. I never really had a set friend group. I was more of a floater. I was always on the outside looking in.”
“Growing up dark-skinned in New Hampshire, there was a lot of racism,” she continued. “A lot of kids made fun of me for my skin color.”
Anok Yai Recalls New Hampshire Upbringing And Connection to Home
Despite the hurdles she faced as a young immigrant, Yai’s resilience assured her that she would see more than the small, predominantly white town she grew up in.
“I always knew I was meant for bigger things than the small town that I came from,” she said. “I think that allowed me to feel comfortable with my separation from my peers.”
A 2021 Forbes article noted that Yai and her family were refugees displaced during the Second Sudanese Civil War. The model told the outlet that her family first moved to New York City when they came to the States. However, they ultimately settled in New Hampshire because “they had the most benefits for immigrants.” She recalled learning English in the northeastern state and developing a thick skin.
At the time of Forbes’ reporting, Yai hadn’t been to South Sudan. The interview came around five years after her photo at the 2017 Howard Homecoming took the internet by storm and she was blasted into model stardom.
In that 2021 interview, Yai said, “Right now, I’m actually finding out about family members that I didn’t even know I had. Since I’ve become a public figure they were able to chase me down and send me photos of when I was a little kid when we were in Egypt. I have family in Europe, Australia, and all over the world.”
“I still have a connection to my family, of course, and my mom and sister have gone back, so I’ve seen my home through photos and Facebook.”
