Miss USA Alicia Machado Opens Up About Racism, Diversity in Pageantry
“A lot of people thought I should be Miss Africa USA not Miss USA.”
There’s been a lot of controversy over beauty pageant contestants lately, after Donald Trump’s comments about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado resurfaced during the first presidential debate. Trump called Alicia Miss Piggy to shame her body and Miss Housekeeping in reference to her being Latina.
These offensive and stupid comments don’t stop at Alicia, though. She is just one example of the incorrect stereotypes pageant contestants face, according to current Miss USA Deshauna Barber. Deshauna told People that many assume pageant contestants should look, act and be a certain way, but the reality is they come in all different forms.
“In pageantry, there are the stereotypes that women are airheads or that they’re not educated,” Deshauna told People. “By winning the Miss USA pageant, I was really able to show that a lot of women have so many backgrounds. We’re all so very unique and diverse so I’m so excited that I’m able to represent that, especially as a woman in the military.”
Deshauna is the first Miss USA crowned while actively serving in the United States Army Reserves. She’s also a black woman, which she told People made her the target of a lot of gross comments as she worked her way up in the pageant world.
“I was called tar and monkey and the N word. A lot of people thought I should be Miss Africa USA not Miss USA,” she said.
By staying positive and strong, Deshauna was able to beat the haters, becoming Miss USA and representing the United States at the Miss Universe pageant. She’s also carrying out her mission of getting better PTSD treatment for soldiers and focusing on suicide prevention in the Armed Forces by working with Homefront, an organization that helps military families.
Basically, Deshauna is doing great things and she’s living proof that Miss USA doesn’t have to fit into anyone’s expectations.
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/miss-usa-alicia-machado-racist-comments
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