At just 21 years old, Yityish Aynaw has gone on a remarkable life journey from a little girl playing barefoot in an Ethiopian village to an Israeli beauty queen who's ready to shine on the world stage. Last February, the stunning 21-year-old grabbed international attention after becoming the first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss Israel at the country's beauty pageant. "To be first, you have all the attention focused on you and I have to represent my whole ethnic group because through me they see the models," says Aynaw, who will represent Israel at the next Miss Universe contest. "Through me they see and discover our whole ethnic group."
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Yityish Aynaw, 21, is the first woman of African descent to win Miss Israel pageant
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She moved to Israel aged 12 after the death of her parents
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Aynaw served in the Israeli army before a friend entered her in the competition
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She met Barack Obama at a state dinner in honor of his first visit to Israel as president
As the first ever black Miss @placeholder, Aynaw is seen by some as a beacon of hope that racial prejudice is beginning to fade away in the country.