Salma Hayek Talks To 'Vogue Arabia' About Her Arab Origins
The accompanying interview was very candid, as Salma – who was born in Mexico and is the daughter of a Lebanese descendent father from Baabdat – opened up about a number of different topics; one of which being her Arab upbringing.
Talking to the interviewer, who just so happened to be best friend and fellow actress Penélope Cruz, about living in between American, Mexican, and Arab cultures, Salma said: "I've always been an immigrant my entire life, I don't know another experience. I was born in Mexico, so I feel Mexican, but I grew up in a Lebanese community. When you are a Lebanese immigrant, there is a Lebanese community everywhere you go that will extend a hand."
Talking about her first experiences in Hollywood "as a Latina and an Arab woman," Salma said: "As a tourist coming to the U.S., in a privileged situation, I did not feel discrimination. We were staying in the nice hotels, going to the nice restaurants, so it was different. And then coming here to act, it was like cold water… My brother attended university here, so we could be together. But every time we traveled to the U.S. from Mexico because our name was Arab, and we were coming from Mexico, immigration would pull us in a room for hours. They didn't understand why we were Mexican and why we had these names."
Salma is often dressed in some of the most sought-after high-fashion pieces; but it wasn't always that way. She also spoke about not having access to the top designers when she first started out, telling the mag: "I didn't have access to a lot of designers. They didn't want to dress me and so I had to be creative or find something last minute."
Fan Comments
Vogue Arabia uploaded several pictures and videos of Salma on Instagram – and her adoring fans understandably flooded all of the comments sections with compliments! "So so so good!" exclaimed one approving fan. "Our Arab queen," praised another. "She looks better than ever," gushed another fan, followed by several hand clapping emojis, as another said: "Now that's a Vogue cover."
Commenting on Salma's own post from her Vogue Arabia shoot, one fan said: "Salma is even more gorgeous now than when she was young!" "Girl, you can do it all," raved another, followed by the fire emoji, as a third called her the "most beautiful" followed by a red heart emoji. "Beauty inside and out," added another, as someone else called her a "goddess." We couldn't agree more!