Asia Trend article: http://issuu.com/asiatrend/docs/atm_aug2014/8?e=1143408%2F7862153
Before I share the interview, I must say I'm a huge fan of our current Miss America. She is extremely articulate and I would love watching her interviews on Youtube because it was the things that she said that broke the concept and idea of a superficial pageant queen. My friend and fellow scholar Rungrote was sweet enough to get me a signed autograph of her and I was in tears. I also joined a Google Hangout with her on behalf of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals so I could promote my Model 4 Miracles Fashion Show and Miss Miracle Charity Pageant. She was at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant, the little sister program of the Miss America Organization, where I was able to finally meet her in person and tell her how much I adore her!
I was also able to interview her for Asia Trend Magazine, a Florida based magazine focused on Asian-American lifestyle and more. I figured since she is the first Indian Miss America, this would be a perfect fit. However, I had to condense that interview into 599 words, which I thought was impossible after a 30 minute interview.
So without further ado, here is the entire interview with Miss America!
AT: Many Asian-Americans look up to you. What
advice would you give them if they were picked on at school for their race?
ND: Well I always say no matter what, whatever
your race, ethnicity, socio-economic status is, is to always stay true to
yourself. I know that it’s easier said than done, and it’s very easy to lose
yourself in today’s society. But know who you are, love who you are, and stand
up for who you are.
AT: In many Asian-American families, the parents
expect a lot from their children academically and limit them from other
extra-curriculars. How did your parents feel when you got involved in pageants?
ND: Well, I have to say I’m very lucky to have
parents who really promoted being well rounded, so as much as there was a very
significant emphasis on academics, there was also an equal emphasis on having
those extra-curricular activities that were important. I was a cheerleader, I
was a tennis player, I was on varsity for all four years, I was in the marching
band, colorguard, I was in Science Olympiad, I was in Student Senate. I was
just one of those students that tried to excel in as many fields as I could.
That being said, I think there is a certain stigma surrounding the pageant
world unfortunately, and with so many Toddlers and Tiaras and the way reality
TV makes it out to be which is really not it. But I started competing for
scholarship money. My parents were always supportive, not necessarily
encouraging. But I think when they realized what the Miss America Organization
is all about, the values that it was founded upon, what it really stood for,
the scholarship, the education, when I competed in the teen program, I walked
away with $25,000 in scholarship money which they were very appreciative of. I
took a five year hiatus from the Miss America Organization. Graduated from the
University of Michigan debt free with support of my parents and the scholarship
money and found myself competing again. I wanted to go to graduate school, and
get scholarship money. So through this organization, I’ve earned a little over
$90,000, and I have 60 of that left to put in my graduate degree. So it’s
absolutely something that any parent, any student, any person can really
appreciate in the scholarship aspect especially since student loans and the
cost of education is astronomically expensive. This is definitely one way for
women to further their education, promote a cause that their passionate about,
and be really well rounded and balanced.
How do you feel about people that do not support
the organization?
Well I can only speak for the Miss America
Organization, and I will say it’s not for everyone. But there is a place if
that’s the route that you choose. What I really like about this organization is
the emphasis on the interview portion of the competition. My job by no means is
walking around in a gown and wearing a swimsuit, it’s not a glamorous
lifestyle. It’s first and foremost, a spokesperson, and the goal is to promote
not only myself but America, my platform, Children’s Miracle Network, STEM
education. Because there’s such an emphasis on education it aligns with my
values, my morals.
AT: How do you advise second generation,
children with immigrant parents, the
proper balance between their traditional values
and American culture?
ND: It is hard, and for me, one of the ways I
was able to express myself is through dance. I grew up classically trained in
Indian dance called Bharatanatyam and for Miss America I performed a Bollywood dance for, I
compare it to being trained in classical ballet pointe and performing something
like hip hop. That was the route to go because Bollywood is more mainstream now
in American culture and it made sense to tie that in but in terms of growing up
in my journey, I realized that assimilation really has to happen on both sides.
And for me, being able to share my talent, my culture, with my peers is
something that I love to do. They were always curious and wanted to know what
it meant. And I felt my community was very accepting of that. I was able to
teach and vice versa. Once my sister and I performed it in our high school
talent show we saw other groups performing cultural dances and we had Asian performances,
Hispanic performances, and seeing that coming together, I think it takes one
person to start something. This is what I believe in, this is where I come
from. Seeing everyone’s backgrounds come together a lot of people are really
receptive.
AT: With you saying both cultures
have to assimilate, how can we tell people not as accepting to look into it?
ND: It is hard, the reality of the
situation is my parents emigrated here thirty years ago to provide a life for
my sister and I that they had never had. To chase the American dream that so
many immigrant parents and pioneers come to this country for in search. And I
am truly a living testament to that, becoming the first Indian Miss America is something
that could only happen here. That being said it is difficult. Your parents want
what’s best for you, and they want you to be happy, so I think starting a
conversation, opening that door of honesty, is one of the best things I could’ve
done. If you approach them saying this is what I want to do and this is why it’s
important to me and this is how I’m going to achieve it and how it aligns with our family values is
how I presented it to my parents. It’s hard to have that conversation because
we respect our parents so much and we don’t know how they’re going to react,
you’ll be surprised, as surprised as I was and they are willing to listen
AT: Do you think American cultures and traditional
values should intertwine or be respectfully separated?
ND: Absolutely intertwined, and that’s why I
gravitated to the Miss America Organization. Miss America has always been a
role model, and iconic image of the nation, of the girl-next-door. I think in
today’s society, with so many Miley Cyrus’s and Lindsay Lohans and the
Kardashians-don’t get me wrong it’s my guilty pleasure too- but I think our
country has fallen so far on one side of the pendulum, people are ready, people
are hungry, to see it swing back and for that good wholesome role models, and
that’s exactly who Miss America is and why we’re so relevant. Whatever you’re
putting out there, young girls and young people are looking at, and sometimes
my generation tends to forget that.
AT: With the issues occurring recently with Miss
Delaware being too old and Miss Florida crowning the wrong queen, how do you
feel?
ND: You’re actually the first person who has
asked me about it. No one has said anything to me, but I truly believe the Miss
America Organization has handled it in the most appropriate manner and we have
addressed the issues and that shows a testament to our organization and the
integrity of our organization because we did the right thing.
AT: How were you able to overcome the obstacle
of xenophobic tweets and social media backlash after you were crowned Miss
America?
ND: Unfortunately it was something I experienced
on a much smaller scale when I was Miss New York, and I knew if I were to win
Miss America it would probably happen again, I actually remember talking about
it in my Miss America interview and telling the judges those remarks might
happen again and I now know how to handle that, especially since it was my
platform. I’ve promoted it my entire life, officially for three years. Being
able to promote it on an international scale and spark a global conversation
really launched my year on the right path in a weird kind of way. For every
negative post, I received thousands of positive notes.
AT: What is something you want those xenophobic
people to know?
ND: I hope they learn from it. I’ve always
viewed myself as first and foremost, American, to address those remarks, I hope
they learn from it and understand that is really the beauty of our country.
Diversity really is a strength not only as an educational standpoint, but from
a business standpoint, global standpoint, it really is important and I hope
they get out there and start talking to more people.
AT: Do you believe you encourage women’s
empowerment?
ND: Absolutely! That’s what this organization
has been doing for years and years and years! So you know, I think there is a
question of that, which will always exist, I suppose, but it really depends on
how you take it.
AT: Explain to me your platform, Circles of
Unity
ND: I started that two years ago as a local
titleholder, I’ve launched it nationally, so I’ve asked people to post or tweet
me their thoughts, pictures, about what they think it means to be culturally
aware and #circlesofunity, and hoping to create a positive and enlightening
discussion via social media. Keep them coming, I do see them and retweet, I
really appreciate it.
AT: How do Miss America sponsors like Joseph
Ribkoff support you in your reign?
ND: Joseph Ribkoff has been absolutely amazing
this year. As Miss America, we have a wonderful wardrobe provider, so every
appearance I’m in I’m wearing their clothes and it’s really wonderful because
they will ship me clothes since I’m always on the road. They ship me shipments
monthly, you never know what’s in the box. What’s so great is since I’m
traveling so much, I put them in a suitcase, pull them out, put them on, not
have to worry about ironing them, they’re just good to go the whole day clean
and pressed. They’re really good from day to night, especially because a typical
day starts at 7 a.m. all the way to midnight sometimes. So with a quick change
in accessories you can turn a day business outfit to more of a cocktail look,
so that makes my life easy. They’ve also supported Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
this year. I can visit sometimes on behalf of them. There’s always an
appropriate article of clothing to wear.
AT: What do you plan to do after Miss America?
ND: This year, I will actually be continuing my
speaking engagements and traveling, I’ve been booking through April of 2015, so
my life is shaping up to be very similar to my life now. I will be applying to graduate
schools this year. I will be going back to school to get my MBA in the fall of
2015. I have another year to continue all the momentum of this year and do more
things that Nina wants to do and focus more on my platform and I will go back
to school and start my career, and being a real person I suppose.
http://asiatrendmagazine.com/
http://www.missamerica.org/
Photos by Vincent Tejada. vmtphoto.com
Photos by Vincent Tejada. vmtphoto.com
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