Military B.R.A.T.
Jessica Alba was born into a very diverse family. Her mother has Danish, Welsh, German, English and French ancestry. On her father’s side, her grandparents are both children of Mexican immigrants.
Her father was also in the U.S. Air Force and all before the age of 9, she moved several times domestically. According to a CNN interview, Alba said that she has lived in Biloxi, Miss., and Del Rio, Texas before settling back in Claremont, Calif. Multiple relocations qualify her as a Military B.R.A.T. which Culturs Magazine defines as “Children of military who move with parents to different places within or outside of their home country.”
Alba’s acting career began around the age of 13, and she lived in Australia part time to fulfill that dream. Despite all of the excitement of moving early on, this lifestyle caused her to feel frequent isolation.
To add to the isolation, Alba spent countless hours in the hospital while growing up.
According to the Queensland Times, Alba suffered partially collapsed lungs twice, terrible asthma and pneumonia four to five times a year. She also had a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst.
Despite the stress of chronic poor health, she continued to dream about alternate lives and how she wanted hers to turn out. This steadfast dreaming was what fueled her to be as successful as she is today.
Alba and her career
Alba is a U.S. actress and businesswoman. She is predominately recognized for starring in major U.S. films like “The Fantastic Four” series and “Dark Angel.” But she also owns The Honest Company, which sells over 100 variations of nontoxic household goods. She started the company in 2011 and it’s now worth $1.7 billion (~€1.64 billion).
In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Alba explained how her challenging childhood gave her the idea to start this brand. Alba wanted to make life easier for struggling mothers and military wives. She has recently gotten back into acting and considered her career far from being over.
Questions to Consider
Did you know Alba was a Military B.R.A.T.?
Do you think her success was fueled by being sick, isolated and moving a lot as a child?
Do you agree that with her childhood situation she was almost forced to grow up?
Do you think how she was raised influenced her brand and the products she uses to raise her children?
