M A I N   N E W S

Special to the tribune
Ashish Kumar Sen in Washington
Indian-origin beauty wins Miss America crown, faces racist slur

Nina Davuluri made history on Sunday night by becoming the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America, but in doing so triggered a torrent of racist remarks on the social site, Twitter.

Miss Davuluri, 24, is from Syracuse in the New York state and was the reigning Miss New York. She performed a Bollywood fusion dance in her talent routine and in response to a question on the merits of plastic surgery, said: “Be confident in who you are!”

This Miss America pageant needs to have more background checks simple as that #mericaonly — Dayton If you’re #Miss America you should have to be American — Morgan

Miss Davuluri’s pageant platform was celebrating diversity through cultural competency. Besides the coveted Miss America crown, she walked away with a $50,000 scholarship, part of the pageant title.

“I’m so happy this organisation has embraced diversity,” she said at her first press conference after winning the crown. “I’m thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America.” But there were many who could not, and made it quite clear that they did not relate.

Here’s a sampling of just some of the offensive Twitter outburst that followed Miss Davuluri’s win: “Miss America right now or Miss Al-Qaida?” tweeted Shannon McCann. “This Miss America pageant needs to have more background checks simple as that #mericaonly” tweeted Dayton. “If you’re #Miss America you should have to be American,” tweeted Morgan.

“Miss America needs a red dot on her forehead #missamerica” tweeted Miles the Man.

“How can you be Miss AMERICA and look like you should be a gas station clerk or motel owner? This country though <<< #MissAmerica,” tweeted Matt Haney.

“Well they just picked a Muslim for Miss America. That must’ve made Obama happy. Maybe he had a vote,” vented Elizabeth.

President Barack Obama is neither a Muslim, nor does he have a vote in the pageant.