Hanna Jaff debuts in Netflix reality series 'Made in Mexico'

Jaff, who earned her master’s at Harvard University, has spoken at more than 80 universities which is part of the work of her non-profit NGO, the Jaff Foundation. She also speaks at TED events, including TEDxNishtiman in Erbil in 2017.

"I'm a philanthropist and I help refugees and immigrants and I have an NGO. We teach English and have non-discrimination campaigns so that's what I've been doing for the last five years," she explained.

She's written three self-taught English language learning books and has donated 22,000 of them to refugees and displaced persons in Kurdistan.

"I'm very passionate about what I do so maybe sometimes people who have discrimination in their heart might not agree with that that," she explained. "I'm very pro world peace and pro nondiscrimination and there's a lot of that in the countries that I've lived in.

"Whether it's religious beliefs, political tolerance, women and gender equality, whether it's sexual orientation, whether it's wars, bans, and racism or skin color diversity. You name it, I've touched it.”

Hanna Jaff poses during a photo shoot for the upcoming reality series highlighting Mexico City's socialites entitled 'Made in Mexico.' Photo: Netflix

Jaff believes there are similarities between Mexico and Kurdistan.

"We [Mexico] don't have a war per se going on, but we have had the same amounts of death tolls per year compared to Iraq so I think the Kurdish people can sympathize and be understanding that you can have a brother abroad that's not so different from them, so that's what they're going to see, and go 'Oh, like I had no idea that Mexicans are so similar to us.'"

Jaff is equally proud of both of her Mexican and Kurdish heritages. One of the reasons she's so passionate about activism is because of her Kurdish father.

"My father always taught me the importance and practice of charity with him being Muslim," she explained. "And always having this bi-national, bi-religious, bi-cultural, bi-language, bi-everything in my house, it was always respect and my parents managed to keep their marriage together and happy because they respect each other's views and beliefs and ways of life."

One of her favorite aspects of her background is family.

"I grew up in the States and lived in Europe so it's very different," she explained. "Family is everything, you know, and loyalty in the family and constantly being there for the family. And I think that's something that pops into my head when I think of both Mexico and Kurdistan."

Jaff's family name is Kurdish and belongs to a tribe in the Kurdistan Region also known for its involvement in politics. Sherwana Castle in Kalar, where her father was born, is their ancestral home. Her mother's ancestors are originally from France but migrated to Canada and then later Mexico in the 1800s. Her parents met when her father was studying for his master's degree in California.

A trailer of the Netflix original series 'Made in Mexico.' Video: Netflix


Although she is transparent about the fact that she isn't fluent in Kurdish, she does communicate some with her father in his native tongue, and said she proudly mentions that heritage often in the series.

She wants the audience to know where she came from as both nations have influenced her ambition to help refugees and do humanitarian work. Jaff organized the largest Kurdish culture festival in the world in Mexico in 2013.

"I think they're going to be happy and surprised because people usually have a different impression of Mexico,” she said. “They always put the worst of us on TV and this is sort of something showing the contrary.

"I think that people are going to want to go visit Mexico after seeing the show.”

Netflix will release the first season of 'Made in Mexico' on September 28.