Camila Cabello shares her success story: 'I want to be what people think of when they think of America'

Camila Cabello shares her success story: 'I want to be what people think
of when they think of America'
hola.com April 6, 2017

Long before her pop star days, Camila Cabello was a young girl looking
to start a new life in the United States. The singer and her mother
Sinuhe candidly opened up about their journey from Cuba to America in a
new interview with Glamour magazine. "We flew from Cuba to Mexico, and
went by bus to the American border; it took a month. We left everyone
behind, my friends, my family," Camila's mom recalled. "It was really
hard. I came here with no money and left everything that was familiar.
But I just made a list of goals, and every time I scratched one off, I
felt that everything was worth it."

Relocating from her native Cuba to Miami was an adjustment for the
former Fifth Harmony member. She explained, "In Cuba there were days in
class where we would just watch cartoons. We weren't learning. But when
I came to the U.S., it was like: homework. A lot of things were suddenly
so ­different—being at a new school without my friends, I didn't speak
the language, and I missed my dad." Though her father reunited with
Camila and her mother a year and a half later.
MORE: Camila talks the scariest part of leaving Fifth Harmony
While the Bad Things singer was admittedly shy as a child, she used
music as a way to connect with others. "I was very introverted as a kid.
But I started bringing my CDs to the YMCA after school; I'd ask for the
boom box and go play my music in the corner and people would come over,"
she said. "And I created a little YouTube channel doing covers—I must
have posted 50. Even though I'd be like, 'Oh my god, this is so bad,'
music was the thing I was passionate enough about to get over being
shy." The 20-year-old was also inspired by a famous boy band, One
Direction, to pursue her passion. She shared, "After seeing a One
Direction 'tips on auditioning for The X Factor (USA)' video, I asked
Mom if I could audition" — and the rest is history.

Camila joined Fifth Harmony in 2012 on the competition show and left in
2016. Now as a solo artist the Work from Home singer said, "Right now
I'm in the process of writing about our whole journey. I want to make a
love song for immigrants. That word, immigrant, has such a negative
connotation—I can just imagine all the little girls who have dreams of
coming here and feel unwanted."
She continued, "It inspires me in my music to do my best to give [them]
the light that I have. I want to be what people think of when they think
of America—a person who, no matter what her first language was or what
her religion is, can see her dreams come to life if she works hard enough."

Source: Camila Cabello shares her success story: 'I want to be what
people think of when they think of America' -
https://www.yahoo.com/news/camila-cabello-shares-her-success-125422431.html