A New Miss America: Nina Davuluri
Born in Syracuse, New York, and raised in Oklahoma and Michigan, it is hard to pick a more American story than that of Davuluri. The daughter of Indian doctors who immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s, Miss America embodies all ideas of the great American Dream. But an uneducated public is trying to crush that dream with their negativity. Misidentifying Davuluri as Muslim, Arab, Egyptian, and Indonesian, among other ethnicities, Twitter users did not Just stop at proclaiming hat, essentially, non-white participants of the pageant should be disqualified.
They also linked her to terrorist organizations, such as A1 Qaeda. Some took it even further, outraged that she should be crowned in the same week as September 1 1 . Those who correctly acknowledged her Indian heritage made racist Jokes, playing on the stereotype that Indian-Americans often work in the grocery and food industries. It is ironic that the 24-year-old New Yorker is bullied about her race after her answer in the question round of this weekend’s pageant. Asked by Miss America udge Carla Hall about TV host Julie Chen’s plastic surgery to appear “less Asian,” Davuluri responded, “I’ve always viewed Miss America as the girl next door.
And the girl next door is evolving as the diversity in America evolves… Definitely be confident in who you are. ” One has to question if Davuluri is staying confident after her crowning considering the negative feedback from the public, although she is putting on a brave face. “I’m so happy this organization has embraced diversity,” she told The Associated Press. “There are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America. Addressing her “non-American” haters, she said, “l always viewed myself as first and foremost American. ” Davuluri was not the only contestant rebuffed for her race.
Fellow Top 5 runners- up Miss California Crystal Lee and Miss Minnesota Rebecca Yeh got backlash for their Asian roots. Exactly thirty years after Vanessa Williams was crowned as the first black Miss America, it was refreshing to see the racial diversity at this year’s pageant, with 13 non-white contestants. It showed a forward-thinking Miss America, focused more on intelligence, drive, talent, and poise and an attempt to move the pageant into the 1st century. Yet the American people were not yet ready for the group of diverse, educated young women who are the face of the future America. According to Census Bureau reports, America will be much less white than it is today, with the percentage of blacks, Asians, and Hipics increasing in our population. ) These women are independent and strong, they represent many ditterent backgrounds, they are accessible, they are role models, they are real. They do not fit the stereotypical 1950s pageant queen archetype. They are more than that. The Judges could see that, choosing to focus on inner beauty and accomplishments. Some of those who verbally fought Miss America’s title were firmly set on who they believed should be queen bee: Miss Kansas Theresa Vail.
The 22-year-old blonde beauty is only the second military woman to participate in the pageant. As a sergeant in the U. S. Army and the first Miss America contestant to bear tattoos, Vail was a fan favorite long before the cameras starting rolling at the Atlantic City show. A humorous and highly talented young woman, Vail made it to the Top 10 but was cut from the competition after the talent round. Online, she was well-like because she mbodied the “real” American woman: she can sing, she has tattoos, she likes to hunt, she is poised but goofy and self-deprecating.
She represents middle America. But on closer inspection, she does not embody America as it is today. She embodies what an ideal America used to be: middle class, white, Christian, rural, the picture- perfect WASP woman. So for all the progress the pageant made to depict a well- rounded, diverse America, the public still gravitated, predictably, to the “All American Beauty. ” “l swear I’m not racist but this is America. ” How has this come to define America, a ountry renown for its opportunities, for its freedoms, and for being the greatest melting pot in the world?
How dare you deny Miss America, a talented and intelligent woman, her shot at the American dream? Why are we stuck in archaic mindsets of who deserves to be praised for their accomplishments and then rewarded with scholarship funds to pursue their passions? Who are we to Judge? To Twitter user @JAyres15 and to all of those ganging up on Nina Davuluri: you may swear you are not a racist, but I swear that you are. You hide behind prejudice and bigotry, you are close-minded, and you are the non-American.
