How Obama and Lupita inspired Kenyan immigrant

Face of Kenya USA Pageant winner Trina Wambui Njoroge, 19. PHOTO | COURTESY |

What you need to know:

  • She beat 10 other contestants to win the first-ever Face of Kenya pageant in the US held in Los Angeles on April 4.
  • Ms Njoroge was born and raised in Bakersfield, California.

PHILADELPHIA

When she stood up to give her acceptance speech soon after being declared the winner of the inaugural Face of Kenya USA Pageant, Trina Wambui Njoroge, 19, of Bakersfield, California, was clear about her source of inspiration: The election of Barack Obama as the first black President of America in 2008 and last year’s Oscars triumph for Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o.   

“If there is anything most black American children born of black immigrant parents have learned from the election of President Obama, it is the mere fact that everything is possible,” she told the Sunday Nation in an interview.

Ms Njoroge said the successes of Lupita Nyong’o in Hollywood for her role in the movie 12 Years a Slave had also affirmed that “you can be black in America and still emerge from the receding cloud of racism and discrimination to achieve your dreams and aspirations”.

The teenager is an America born to Kenyan parents and took the title following a hotly contested three-hour competition involving red carpet cat-walking, personal presentation and articulation of issues.

TOUGH BATTLE

She beat 10 other contestants to win the first-ever Face of Kenya pageant in the US held in Los Angeles on April 4.

The contest is founded by UK-based Janet Wainaina and attracted an audience of about 300 people. 

“We had planned for 250 people. So you can imagine our excitement when close to 300 showed up. This was a clear indication by Kenyans living in Los Angeles that they support our efforts to raise funds to help charities in Kenya,” said Wacu Ndirangu, the manager of Face of Kenya USA.

Among the most notable in the audience were those born to Kenyans in the US, who some consider a “lost generation” that has weak links with their parents’ home country.

“Being born in America to Kenyan parents means you occupy two worlds and two identities. That is why they are sometimes referred to as the ‘lost generation’ because they are lost in between two worlds, complete with contrasting cultures and identities,” said Jack Ambuka of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ms Njoroge was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. She is a first-year student at Cypress College in Santa Ana pursuing a degree in Biology. Ms Njoroge says her roots as a Kenyan American, and having studied in Kenya for one year at Mt Kenya Academy, helped shape her worldview and made her understand that her confidence was key to success.