Now she logs 20,000 airline miles per month traveling around the country sharing her platform on how to celebrate diversity through cultural competency by asking questions and learning about other cultures, and also to promote awareness of STEM education. She says she is proud of how her own parents have adapted. “It came down to the point where I said you can either accept this and be a part of it and … take the opportunity to get to know him, or we can just pretend that it’s not happening. She has learned that lesson in her personal life, like when she introduced her traditional parents, whose marriage was arranged, to the boyfriend she had been dating for more than a year. Opinion: Miss America, Julie Chen and the beauty of choice And that’s what I encourage – assimilation has to happen from both sides, it can’t be one-sided.” “And so for my parents it was really difficult for them to assimilate with the American culture. “I was raised in a very Indian household,” she said. Growing up in a predominantly white Midwest town, she had become accustomed to answering questions about arranged marriages, cow worship and the meaning of “red dots on foreheads.” “And that’s still very true, even in my interactions in this past month on the road with various people, just so many positive, positive remarks.” “or every negative comment or post or tweet that I received, I received hundreds and thousands of words of encouragement and support,” said Davuluri, a graduate of the University of Michigan. After all, she faced that when she won Miss New York, too. Davuluri says she expected some of that reaction. Negative responses on social media made headlines after her win.
Her historic win introduced Bollywood dance into the talent portion of the contest that, up until 60 years ago, required contestants to be in “ good health and of the white race.”īut not everyone appreciated the history she was making. Nina Davuluri changed the face of the American girl next door after she became the first Miss America of Indian descent.
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