Hala Gorani
“How can people find a sense of belonging, when they have never felt part of a ‘tribe’?”
Who Am I?
Hala Gorani was born in Seattle, Washington, but was mainly raised in Paris, France, by her Syrian and French parents. She became an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of experience, covering history-defining stories around the world. As an anchor for CNN’s Hala Gorani Tonight, she became the first Arab American to host a primetime show. Hala speaks three languages fluently: English, French and Arabic. She is also an Emmy Award-winning journalist and author of the memoir, But You Don’t Look Arab: And Other Tales of Unbelonging.
What Am I Known For?
Hala Gorani has covered some of the world’s most important events, including elections, revolutions and conflicts across five continents. She has interviewed major world leaders, and her brave reporting earned CNN an Edward R. Murrow Award, particularly for her coverage of the 2006 Lebanon War.
Throughout her career, Hala has shown courage in her reporting from dangerous war zones. On a personal level, her courage helped her persist in journalism despite facing early career discrimination because of her Arabic background. This discrimination led her to change her name and hide her language skills. Her resilience has helped her not to give up but find ways to succeed. Her memoir, But You Don’t Look Arab, explores the complex experience of never quite belonging anywhere. It demonstrates her empathy in helping others who feel like outsiders to understand that they can find strength in their unique identity. She turned her feelings of unbelonging into a superpower that makes her a better storyteller and journalist.
How About You?
Hala Gorani speaks three different languages and has lived in several countries. How do you think this might help someone be a better journalist? What would you be curious to learn about other countries?
In Gorani’s book, she talks about feeling like she didn’t fully belong in any one place or culture—not American enough, not Arab enough, not European enough. Many young people today feel like they don’t fit into neat categories either. How might feeling “in-between” actually be a superpower rather than a problem? How could someone use this experience to better understand and help others?
Other Amazing People (you can find them on the website)
Mary Seacole, Zumbi dos Palmares and Wang Zhenyi showed resilience by overcoming barriers in the face of adversity. You can read their inspiring stories on our website.
Other Amazing Contemporary Role Models
Yusra Mardini and Tima Deryan share the character strengths of courage and resilience, using their platforms to inspire change, overcome challenges and advocate for those without a voice. You can find their stories on our site.
Other Useful Resources (available on the website)
Our Amazing People from the Middle East and Amazing Women of the World resources feature many amazing people who had to overcome difficult situations to achieve their goals. Subscribers can find these helpful resources by logging in and going to the Search page. If you are not a subscriber, you can access these resources, and many more, by starting a free trial.
Photo: Association for International Broadcasting, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons