"Miss America is evolving. And she's not going to look the same anymore." So predicted Nina Davuluri during her quest to become the first Indian-American winner of the quintessential American beauty pageant. Then Davuluri backed it up by whirling through a Bollywood dance in a sari, baring her nut-brown skin in a bikini, and championing the kind of diversity that made her milestone seem inevitable. So why did her victory make such a splash among those who rarely pay attention to the contest, when America already has its fair share of Indian-American governors, CEOs, scientists, actors and other high achievers? For many Americans of Indian heritage, it showed the unique promise of America, the way the nation and its new immigrants are responding to each other — and the challenges that remain as America changes in deeper ways than black and white. Amardeep Singh, an English professor at Lehigh University, said Miss America is a symbol of national identity, who represents the society as a whole. So when an Indian woman wins, "that really resonates." Even though there was some racially charged online criticism of the choice, he said that overall, "America is willing to accept and celebrate her version of beauty." And Indian-Americans, especially those born here like Davuluri, are demonstrating a newfound comfort level in their country. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American," Davuluri said after her win. "It's a relatively new phenomenon that Indian-American women would even think of themselves as potentially having a chance," Singh said. "It's the way things are changing in America. The Indian community is becoming more comfortable in its skin." There have been seven black Miss Americas, starting with Vanessa Williams 30 years ago. A Hawaii-born Filipina won in 2001.
