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The South
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Contents Adventure
Art
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Dongria Kondh
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Nina
Davuluri became the first Miss America of Indian descent. Her historic win
also introduced Bollywood dance into a contest that, up until 60 years ago,
required contestants to be in "good health and of the white race." Twenty-four-year-old Nina Davuluri from Syracuse was
crowned Miss America 2014 in Atlantic City in September 2013. She was also
Miss New York 2013 and is the first woman of Indian descent to win both
titles. Never before has Miss America generated so much interest among media
and public – Nina is perhaps one of the most popular Miss Americas in years.
The 92-year-old pageant has, in the near past, been criticized as stagnant
and outdated. But no longer. “Nina has inspired more interest than any Miss
America in a long time.” (It is the Donald Trump-owned Miss USA pageant, not
Miss America that produces a competitor for Miss Universe.) She charmed the judges with her grace and for the
talent part of the show, Davuluri performed a fusion of Bharat Natyam and a
Bollywood dance routine, wowing the audience who gave her a thunderous
standing ovation. Wearing a glittering crimson and turquoise lehnga choli
outfit, and dancing barefoot with a set of ghungroos (anklet bells), Nina
gave the kind of performance the pageant has rarely seen. Davuluri’s win signifies mainstream acceptance of
second-generation Indian-Americans – it carries a special significance. At
her press conference, Nina remarked "I'm so happy this organization has
embraced diversity. I'm thankful there are children watching at home who can
finally relate to a new Miss America.” But not everyone appreciated the history she was
making. Negative comments on social media made headlines after her win. Nina
says she expected some of that reaction - she had faced a similar situation
when she won Miss New York. She, however, stumped the onslaught of racist
jokes that followed her title, with poise and dignity. She commented, with
her characteristic graciousness, “A lot of the remarks weren’t meant to be
malicious, but just due to the fact of ignorance.” The relevance of beauty pageants is beginning to
change. Nina’s platform, very aptly, is called “Celebrating Diversity
Through Cultural Competency.” She has also launched “Circles of Unity,” a
social-media campaign to promote multiculturalism and civil discourse.
Having grown up in the US with so many stereotypes, she knew she wanted to
advocate multiculturalism. Nina graduated from the University of Michigan,
where she earned a degree in behaviour and cognitive science. She was a
Dean’s List and National Honor Society student at U of M. She is an aspiring
physician – and hopes to pursue her medical studies at SUNY Upstate - and is
planning on becoming a cardiologist. Her older sister, Meena, is a
third-year medical student and her father works as an
obstetrician/gynaecologist in New York. From a very traditional Telugu-speaking Indian
family, Nina found it difficult to speak to her parents, who had an arranged
marriage, about the gentleman she had been dating for a year-and-a-half. Nina hopes to travel to
India during her reign – her grandparents live in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh
and she is no stranger to the city.
She
learnt Kuchipudi and Bharat Natyam dances as part of her plan to pursue the
dream of becoming Miss America. She is interested in connecting with a beauty
campaign called Dark Is Beautiful.’ “It would be a wonderful message for
younger girls, that regardless of how dark or light they are, it doesn’t
have to matter.”
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