Yasmine Elmasri Quotes

What I am learning from my experience as someone who grew up as a refugee, who became French, and then became American is that nationalities are something that we use to divide us. We are all one humanity. I want to dedicate my voice to all people.

Years ago, it wasn't easy to communicate, and it wasn't easy to spread information. We were limited to the few media outlets that controlled viewership around the world and, by consequence, controlled the public opinion. But today, this platform is democratized. Any community around the world can help. That is the great thing about our time.

In my opinion, those politicians are making decisions based on calculations related to polling numbers and strategic political agendas. But if they are to talk about refugees in a human way - far from how this would affect their careers or individual comforts - and if they, for a second, look at a mother, sitting on a road somewhere, holding her children, shivering with cold, and crying because they are hungry, I'm sure there is a part of their humanity that would shiver.

For me, as Yasmine, I do this every day. I wake up in the morning, and if I can do something to make someone feel better, I do it. I do not wait to be invited; I think that's the worst thing we can do. I make it my job to wake up every day and do one thing for one person and make them feel better.