A 24-year-old from New York, Nina Davuluri, has become the first Miss America of Indian heritage.
Nina Davuluri, the first Miss America of Indian heritage.
Moments after winning the 2014 crown, Miss Davuluri said she was delighted
that the nearly century-old pageant sees beauty and talent of all kinds.
"I'm so happy this organisation has embraced diversity," she said in
her first press conference after winning the crown in Atlantic City, New
Jersey's Boardwalk Hall. "I'm thankful there are children watching at
home who can finally relate to a new Miss America."
Her pageant platform was "celebrating diversity through cultural
competency."
The native of Syracuse, New York wants to be a doctor, and is applying to
medical school, with the help of a $50,000 (£31,000) scholarship she won as
part of the pageant title.
Miss Davuluri's victory led to some negative comments on Twitter from users upset that someone of Indian heritage had won the pageant. She brushed those aside.
"I have to rise above that," she said. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American."
She had planned to go to the scene of a devastating boardwalk fire in the New Jersey communities of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights on Monday afternoon. But pageant officials cancelled that visit after learning that Gov. Chris Christie was making cabinet officials available at that same time to business owners victimised by the fire.
Her first runner-up was Miss California, Crystal Lee. Other top 5 finalists included Miss Minnesota, Rebecca Yeh; Miss Florida, Myrrhanda Jones, and Miss Oklahoma, Kelsey Griswold.
In the run-up to the pageant, much attention was given to Miss Kansas, Theresa Vail, the Army sergeant who was believed to have been the first Miss America contestant to openly display tattoos. She has the Serenity Prayer on her rib cage, and a smaller military insignia on the back of one shoulder.
