The silver lining to the xenophobic and inappropriate tweets after Nina Davuluri became the first Indian-american to win the crown, People are talking about diversity and inclusiveness. Basically, what Nina Davuluri wanted. Miss America hopefuls must espouse a platform that will become the overarching theme for their yearlong speaking tour, if they win. Miss Davuluri's platform is "celebrating diversity through cultural competency" in other words, she wants to promote effective interaction in cross cultural contexts. Even though there was some radically charged online criticism of the choice, "America is willing to accept and celebrate her version of beauty."
Indian-Americans, especially those born here like Davuluri, are demonstrating a newfound comfort level in their country. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American," Davuluri told after her win the competition. There have been seven black Miss Americas, starting with Vanessa Williams 30 years ago. A Hawaii-born Filipina won in 2001. But Davuluri's win drew the attention "because it's so different, said Lakshmi Gandhi, editor of the Indian-American blog TheAerogram.com. Gandhi said Davuluri's choice to perform a Bollywood dance in the talent portion of the contest struck a chord with other Indians. That, and the fact that Davuluri's skin tone is a bit darker than what Indian culture often considers beautiful.
Vandana Kumar, publisher of India Currents magazine, likened those racist tweets to some of the racial resistance faced by President Barack Obama. "When people of different races break bariers, we get some scrutiny, some pushback. She saw Davuluri's win as a sign of promise. The sounds so cliche, but if you set your heart to do anything, don't let your skin or your religion or anything hold you back, and she told, "I loved the fact that she proved that the best woman wins." The second best woman in this year's Pageant/ Miss California Crystal Lee, who is Chinese-American, which makes Davuluri's prediction resonate even more deeply. The national conversation after Miss Davuluri's win has turned into a teachable moment. Let's hope other nations, including India, are also learning this lesson.