On Sunday Nina Davuluri, 24, won the Miss America pageant in historic fashion when she became the first contestant of Indian heritage to win the crown. The New York native’s win came with a bit of controversy on social media. Many tweeted the Miss America pageant winner looked like a terrorist or wasn’t American enough -despite her being born upstate in Syracuse.
Davuluri was unphased by the negative comments on social media sites though. "I have to rise above that," she said. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American." When websites like the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed posted the egregious tweets, she received an outpouring amount of support. As of last night her supporters still overwhelmed twitter.
“I'm rather late,” one person tweeted. “But I wanted after reading so much hate, I wanted to extend a warm and heartfelt congratulations! Badhai!”
“Local Americans need to brush up on geography,” Another tweeted. “Don't know the simple difference between their own and the rest. Go Nina Davuluri!”
Some of the criticism against her also came as a result of comments she made about the last Miss America winner, Mallory Hagan. The New York Post reported that a tape-recording of Davuluri showed her insulting Hagan by calling her fat.
Davuluri apologized on Facebook. “I want to apologize for the awful statements made by people in my room. There were people who claimed to be my supporters and said things I never agreed with, nor supported. I was never a part of the words or statements that may have been hurtful. I’m sorry if someone said something that was inappropriate.”
Following her win Davuluri, the second consecutive Miss New York winner to wear the crown, now plans on applying to medical school with help from the $50,000 scholarship she won in the pageant. The Miss America winner will also be visiting the Seaside Boardwalk devestating by last Thursday’s fire. She cancelled her Monday afternoon appearance after learning Governor Chris Christie was making his cabinet officials available to business owners suffering from the blaze.
[Source: Nina Davuluri Facebook, Fox News, New York Post]