‘I was asked if I worship cows, which tribe I belong to...’

Nina Davuluri created history in September 2013 when she was the first Indian-American to win Miss America. But not everyone was supportive about her win. Nina faced a barrage of racist comments on social media right after her victory. But Nina says, she wasn’t surprised at all. After all, she had witnessed similar reactions even when she had won the Miss New York title. And that is exactly why she chose “celebrating diversity through cultural competence” as her cause to work on during the pageant. “Personally, I have always viewed Miss America as the girl next door. The girl next door is evolving, as the diversity of America evolves. She’s not who she was 10 years ago, and she’s not going to be the same person 10 years down the road. As a kid, I wanted to be the first Indian Miss America and to let younger girls know that regardless of race, their socio-economic status, their religion, they can become anyone they want.” Nina was in conversation with writer Malavika Sangghvi to discuss the notions of beauty and its impact at an event organised by the Asia Society India Centre on Thursday.

Nina was raised by her grandparents for two and a half years in Vijaywada before travelling to her parents in Oklahoma, US as a four year old. Growing up, as the only Indian girl in school in a conservative white town for years together wasn’t easy, reveals Nina. She says, “I faced a lot of stereotypical questions about my identity. I was asked if I would opt for an arranged marriage, if we worship cows, which tribe I belong to the list goes on and on. Looking back, I realised that these doubts stemmed from ignorance; there wasn’t any maliciousness attached to it.”

Since she came from a family of doctors and engineers, she was expected to take the conventional route too. Having vied for the crown for too long, she decided to stick to her ground. On realising that the pageant grants scholarship assistance to its contestants, she decided to convince her parents to let her participate for the money. She says, “I wanted to participate in the pageant since I was a teenager. It doesn’t help that the swimsuit round is always the face of the competition, there’s much more to it. I too faced the perennial ‘what will people say’ question from my parents. Your parents obviously want the best for you but as responsible kids, we too need to communicate that we know what’s best for us. They have raised us the right way and they should be able to trust us with our decisions.” Today, Nina boasts of having graduated debt-free and has $62,000 saved, to pursue her Master’s degree.

The former Miss America wasn’t shy about discussing her battle with the bulge either. Nina, who grew up in Michigan found herself battling bulimia when she was in the first year of college. When she decided to contest for the competition during college, she knew she had to lose weight. She says, “I’m 5’4 and I knew it had to pull down if I intended to participate in the future. It took me two and a half years to lose all of it. During the pageant, it is easier to keep your weight off since you are pushing yourself. Keeping the weight off after the competition is a challenge. Thankfully, I now consciously make healthy lifestyle choices.”

While she openly speaks against fighting conventional notions of beauty, Nina maintains that joining the beauty pageant has been one of her best decisions. “I was a shy child. I never spoke to people as a child because I had my older sister doing all the talking for me. No classroom can teach you how to walk in a room, shake your hand and introduce yourself confidently. I learnt it with this pageant!”

After stepping down as Miss America, Nina is glad to find happiness in obscurity. She says, “After a year of service, you get your life back; you get a chance to be yourself. The crown is coveted and a heavy burden to carry. You have people looking up to you all the time. You need to camouflage what you want to say even if you are speaking your mind. It is almost like the weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It feels nice to be me again.”