Miss America Crowned, Hit With Racist Tweets

Nina Davuluri is first winner of Indian heritage
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 16, 2013 5:59 AM CDT
Miss America Crowned, Hit With Racist Tweets
Miss New York Nina Davuluri smiles for the crowd during the Miss America Shoe Parade at the Atlantic City boardwalk, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, in Atlantic City, NJ.   (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

For the first time, we have a Miss America of Indian descent. "I'm so happy this organization has embraced diversity," said Nina Davuluri in a press conference after winning last night. "I'm thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America." Davuluri, 24, is the second consecutive Miss New York to win the crown, the AP reports. But moments after her victory, the haters got on Twitter, Time reports. The "rather appalling display of ignorance," as the magazine calls it, included references to terrorism, convenience stores, and Davuluri not being American enough.

"I have to rise above that," Davuluri said of the comments. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American." Time notes that two of the other top 5 finalists (Miss California Crystal Lee and Miss Minnesota Rebecca Yeh) have Asian roots. The last two: Miss Oklahoma Kelsey Griswold, and Miss Florida Myrrhanda Jones, who tore knee ligaments during rehearsals Thursday and wore a sparkling knee brace during the competition, yet still carried out her baton-twirling routine perfectly. Miss Kansas Theresa Vail, the Army sergeant who got a lot of attention due to her tattoos, didn't make it into the top 10. What's next for Davuluri? She's applying to medical school. (More Nina Davuluri stories.)

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