DHAKA: Nina Davuluri, who was 24 when she became the first Miss America of Indian origin last year, has come a long way since the night of her win.

Although she’s been hard at work to promote cultural diversity even after her year-long reign ended, the racial slurs that stemmed from her victory are still something we remember.

Davuluri says that she was prepared for the backlash, and expected it too, reports The Times of India.

Most importantly, Davuluri feels that her win was really timely for the Miss America organisation to celebrate diversity and reach out to a new demographic, given the stereotype of a blonde, blue-eyed winner over the years.

‘I grew up feeling I could never win because I looked different. So, when I won, it was great for that young girl who was watching the show and thinking. Wow, this year Miss America looks like me,’ she says.

‘Miss America is a very service-oriented job. Everyone wants to win Miss America, but no one wants to do the job. It’s not as glamorous as people might think. I’m at the forefront a speaker and an advocate for my platform, which is celebrating diversity,’ she explains, adding, ‘Now that my reign is over, I’m looking forward to transitioning and doing a lot more social work in India itself’.

BDST: 1652 HRS, JAN 03, 2015