The Miss America pageant is a must-see for people young and old across the country every year. This year, the new Miss America, Nina Davuluri, made history as the first Indian-American to win the title. Her victory has unleashed much criticism and disapproval, bringing to light the racism present in the perception of a “real” Miss America, but it has also promoted cultural unity and the evolving face of America.
Davuluri’s family immigrated to America from India thirty years ago. In various interviews, Davuluri has stated that she sees herself first and foremost as an American because she was born and raised here. However, she’s also adamant about celebrating her cultural roots, and performed a classical Bollywood fusion dance for her talent portion of the pageant.
Sophomore James Leroy said, “Her dance was really different, but it was nice. It was demonstrative of her Indian culture, but her performance in the other portions of the competition showed that she’s just as American as the rest of us.”
Some people were opposed to the win, and the second Davuluri was crowned racist tweets appeared by the hundreds. Some questioned Davuluri’s American identity, while others accused Davuluri of being a terrorist. Regardless, Davuluri’s win has raised various cultural and racial issues and broken barriers and previously held stigmas.
Reigning Miss Seminole High School and senior Divya Dhulipala said, “I am ecstatic that the Asian-American community is being increasingly represented in American entertainment and media. Nina Davuluri is truly breaking barriers as a Miss America of Indian origin. She is eloquent and intelligent, and I believe her win was well-deserved.”
Aside from the cultural aspect of Davuluri’s win, the issues that she advocates challenge the notion that Miss America is a looks-based pageant. Davuluri is a 2012 graduate from the University of Michigan with a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science. The money she’s won from the competition will fund her medical school tuition so she can pursue a career as a physician.
She’s a huge advocate of science and math, and education is her platform. Her biography for Miss New York includes her self-description as a nerd who loves science fiction. Davuluri’s openness in speaking about the importance of education has also broken the view that pageant winners cannot be both pretty and smart.
As America experiences an Indian-American Miss America for the first time, the coming year that Davuluri will spend touring the country is sure to defeat various racial stereotypes and the previously held perception of an unintelligent, pretty woman winning the pageant.
An anonymous freshman said, “I was never a fan of the pageant because it’s sexist. I still have things about it that I don’t like but I’m glad a pretty, slightly nerdy girl won. It shows girls that you can be both, and it also shows everyone that America is diverse and consists of people of multiple cultural backgrounds.”