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The newly crowned Miss America is now a subject of praise, poise, controversy and prejudice all wrapped up in a package. Some say that she is not American enough and went on to link her with Al-Qaeda, terrorism and racial slurs.
We conducted an interview targeting youth as to what they think of Nina Duluvari’s win and the racist tweets that followed it.
Here is what they had to say candidly when asked about it randomly:
Ivan, 27, working in the IT field said,” The comments Americans have made about her win are hilarious. "With due respect, this is America" etc etc. If it's worth anything, at least one can be assured of the fact that Americans are perhaps the most animated people on earth!!!”
Hema, 22, a journalism student said that Americans are legendary for being insular and the win of a South Asian on an American platform with the odium that ensued is another proof of Americans living under a coconut shell or in denial of a globalized world where diversity is the key factor.
“She's a freaking Indian for Pete’s sake and some people are calling her Arab! And, she's born in America, which makes her an American. As for those who say she is too dark skinned to be a beauty queen should get a life,” she says.
Divyan, 21, a student said drily,”What do you expect from a bunch of racist, obese morons..”
Another pointed out that why is this even an issue, saying that youngsters should pay more attention on issues that matter, national and world issues that affect humanity in a bigger way. He added, “Syria is screwed up and look at what we are giving eminence for..”
Another one said that all Indians are celebrating the Indian origin Miss America as their blood sister, saying that her victory is a victory against racism when this woman had to prance around wearing a two piece bikini, parading her body to be judged for her beauty. He smugly added, “It’s okay not to be racist but it’s okay to be sexist I suppose.” He also sighed that the woman had to parade around in front of millions in a bikini. which is in his opinion, is as bad as racism itself.
Others brushed off the racist comments as trifle.
Sanmugan, a media professional said, “She has already won the coveted price. No need for us to defend her anymore. Sore losers will always make noises. Let them bark the whole day. Who cares.”
A law student, Thevan opined that she already won the title and sees all these libels as useless which doesn't affect the crown. “Nina nailed it. All I'm saying is, she won. End of story. Whatever people say ain't gonna mean anything. Let it be any competition at all. There will be people opposing the final decision. Anyhow, somehow someone will oppose. She being an Indian is simply an excuse used,” he shrugged.
Prakash, 31, an IT professional had this to say,” I'm amused by the beauty with brains bullcrap. Out of so many capable Indian women out there, only the pageant winners who talk in scripts are regarded highly. I rest my case.”
Another student, Angeline Dass, took on a different dimension and said that the issue is not about being female or being a beauty queen; it is about celebrating diversity and fighting racial prejudice. She further stressed her stand,“ Given that my ethnicity is Indian, the general presumption will be that I am supporting Nina Duluvari because she is of my race. It’s a gross misjudgement. I would have rooted the same if a Chinese gets the same treatment in a whole lot of different circumstances, not just a beauty pageant. I concur that brains don't always come in a package with brawn but in this case, Nina is a straight As student and holds a degree in Brain Behaviour and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan and aspires to be a doctor. Beauty pageants are an isolated case. It is called beauty pageants because the emphasis is on beauty, brains take a backseat So, yeah, I admire Kalpana Chawla and Indra Nooyi more than Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra for that matter as notable Indian women.
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