Indian first miss america faces racism

Mere seconds after the tiara had been placed atop her
head, a barrage of tweets criticising the new Miss
America flooded the Internet.
Nina Davuluri, 24, has become the first Indian-
American woman to wear the Miss America crown.
But the tweets that followed the Atlantic City pageant
did not focus on the judge's questions or the winner's
desire to become a physician.
Instead they focused on Ms Davuluri's heritage.
"If you're #Miss America you should have to be
American," one user wrote on Twitter.
Other tweeters wasted no time perpetuating
stereotypes.
"Miss America? You mean Miss 7-11," wrote Jalin
Leatherman, referring to a stereotype about Indian
people owning convenience stores.
Others connected her to the Islamist militant
organisation Al Qaeda, even though she is not Muslim.
"Miss America right now or miss Al Qaeda?" tweeted
Shannon McCann.
"How can a Muslim win Miss AMERICA," wrote Max Orr.
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However, many other Twitter users quickly hit back.
"She was born in New York and is just as American as
anyone else," said one.
"People freaking out about the Miss America pageant: If
I remember correctly the entire US was founded on
immigration, no?" wrote Eric Holloway.
History made
Ms Davuluri has not responded to the negative
comments. However, her answers during and after the
show focused on diversity.
Just before the results were announced, Ms Davuluri
said, "We are making history right here as Asian-
Americans."
"I'm so happy this organisation has celebrated diversity,
and, on this stage tonight, there was so much
diversity," she told reporters shortly after defeating
contestants from 49 other states, the District of
Columbia, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Ms Davuluri, who represented New York, performed a
Bollywood fusion dance and was asked about
revelations that American television personality Julie
Chen had plastic surgery on her eyes.
She answered that she personally was opposed to
plastic surgery and said that one's diversity should be
celebrated.
Contestants were judged on a personal interview, a
talent demonstration, an on-stage question, and their
appearance in evening gowns and swimwear during the
two-hour nationally televised event.
As the winner, Ms Davuluri will receive a US$50,000
scholarship. She said she would use the money to pay
for graduate school.
Several contestants made headlines during preliminary
competitions.
Miss Iowa, Nicole Kelly, was born without her left
forearm and said the competition helped her promote
a platform of overcoming disabilities.
Theresa Vail, Miss Kansas and a sergeant in the Army
National Guard, became the first contestant to display
tattoos.
Miss America has seen its popularity ebb and flow over
its nearly 100-year history and it has been the target of
critics who say the pageant format objectifies women.
The judges were former Miss America Deidre Downs
Gunn, the New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire, Lance
Bass from the boy band 'N Sync, comedian Mario
Cantone, violinist Joshua Bell and eliteink