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'My story is an American story,' Trump's UN pick Nikki Haley tells Senators

If confirmed by the US Senate, Haley, 44, would be the first Indian-American to serve in a Cabinet-level position in any presidential administration.

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"My story is an American story", Indian-American Nikki Haley said as she shared her experience of growing up in the US and challenges faced by her family over the years during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday for the position of US Ambassador to the UN.

"My story is an American story," the South Carolina Governor said in her opening remarks as she testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"I was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, the daughter of immigrants from Punjab, India. My parents had comfortable lives in India, but they chose to give up those comforts and move to America with just eight dollars because of the freedoms and opportunities this country offers," she said.

"Our family's experience is unique, but it is also familiar, because it is one that has been repeated many times, by many people, in American history," she said.
Her parents, husband and son were present at the hearing at the US Capitol.
A long queue was seen outside the room where her confirmation hearing was held.

Growing up in a small rural community in the South, Haley, the highest ranking Indian-American to have been nominated in any presidential administration, said her family was different.

"We were not white enough to be white, not black enough to be black. My father wore a turban, my mother a sari. Our new neighbors didn't quite know what to make of us, and so we faced challenges. But those challenges paled next to the abundance of opportunities in front of us," she said.
"My Dad was a professor at a small, historically black college. My Mom was a social studies teacher and started a clothing store from scratch. I started doing the books for the family business when I was thirteen," she said.

"It wasn't until I got to college that I realised that wasn't normal, but it was normal to me in my family, we worked. I was also privileged to take advantage of the educational opportunities America affords. I am painfully aware that the chance for thirteen-year old girls to read and learn and grow is something that does not exist in far too many places around the world today," Haley said.

Thereafter she went on to serve in the South Carolina General Assembly and to be elected and reelected governor of South Carolina.
While South Carolina will always be her home, Haley said she is eager to begin this new chapter.

"International diplomacy is a new area for me. There is much I am learning about the intricacies of the UN and its associated agencies. I don't claim that I know everything, or that leadership at the UN is the same as leading South Carolina," she acknowledged. But diplomacy, she asserted itself is not new to her.

"In fact, I would suggest there is nothing more important to a governor's success than her ability to unite those with different backgrounds, viewpoints, and objectives behind a common purpose. For six years that has been my work, day after day, in times of celebration and in times of great tragedy," she said.

Seeking her confirmation, Haley said most government agencies, the United Nations could benefit from a fresh set of eyes.
"I will take an outsider's look at the institution. As I have in every challenge in my life, I will come to the UN to work and to work smart," Haley said.

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