A woman of Indian descent gets the Miss America crown – a first in the pageant’s history.

Miss New York Nina Davuluri was crowned as Miss America 2014 Sunday night; the competition was held in Atlantic City. The 24-year-old Syracuse native wants to be a doctor and is applying for medical school with help from the $50,000 scholarship that is part of her prize when she won the crown.

Winning Streak

For two consecutive years, New York titlists went home bagging the Miss America crown.

The previous Miss America competition which took place January of this year had a New Yorker as the winner – Mallory Hagan. However, her tenure was cut short after the pageant moved back to Atlantic City from Las Vegas where it was held for the last six years and had the event held every January. Miss America officials have given the assurance, however, that Miss Hagan will be well compensated for her shortened reign.

But Sunday night saw a happy Mallory when the winner was announced – it was another New Yorker, Nina Davuluri! The two embraced tightly for a few seconds before Mallory handed the new winner her scepter and her crown.

Haters Always Hate

However, Nina’s win did not pass by without controversies. Shortly after the announcement of her victory, Twitter came alive with encouragements and congratulations for the newly crowned Miss America as well as hate tweets. Bashings came from viewers who were disappointed that someone of Indian descent had won the title. Some hate tweets even pointed out that Davuluri was “not American enough” and that she looked more like “a terrorist.”

But the beauty queen just shrugged the comments off. “I have to rise above that,” she said. “I always viewed myself as first and foremost American.”

She was not without supporters, though. “Congrats to the new #MissAmerica! A true, born in New York American!! And, to the ignorant & racist people out there, shame on you!!” tweeted one supporter.

On the other hand, some bashers were not against Davuluri’s ethnic background but with another controversy that had sprung up about her prior to the crowning event. She reportedly voiced a very controversial statement regarding the then reigning Miss America, Mallory Hagan, one week before the beauty pageant.

According to a news portal, Davuluri allegedly blasted Hagan with the words: “Fat as F***” and that there is a tape recording to prove it. After her win, a number of Twitter users voiced their criticisms in the social media.

One Proud Family

Still, many were fascinated with the beauty titlist. And moments after her win, Davuluri expressed her delight over the fact that the pageant accepted her and others like her, with open arms.

“I’m so happy this organization has embraced diversity. I’m thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America,” she said in her first press conference.

In fact, that is the very essence of the platform she presented during the pageant – celebrating diversity through cultural competency.