Nina Davuluri

Nina Davuluri Biography

Life of Nina Davuluri

Most of us Indians do not know about Nina Davuluri, the Miss America 2014 and Miss New York 2013. Incidentally she is the first Indian American chosen as Miss America and the only the first who performed a Bollywood dance on the Miss America stage. But most of her fame came from when she received racist comments about being a terrorist or Muslim extremist, as well as being of an Indian ethnic background, on different social media network.

Although, Nina Davuluri was born in  New York to Hindu Telugu parents from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh she was brought to Vijaywada when she was only one and half months old by her relatives and she stayed there until she was two and a half years old, then her parents brought her back to America.

Her mother Sheela Davuluri is an information technology specialist and her father Chaudhury Davuluri is famous Obstetrics and gynecology. Here is a brief life story of Nina Davuluri as a child she lived in Oklahoma and studied ballet, tap dance, and jazz dance etc. Later her family relocated to St. Joseph, Michigan when she was 10. 

Her achievements

Nina Davuluri won Miss Michigan's Outstanding Teen 2006, and was first runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007. Nina Davuluri again became active in pageant world in 2012 and was selected "Miss Greater Rochester", the second runner up in the Miss New York 2012. Nina Davuluri won the title of "Miss Syracuse" 2013. She then went on to win the title of "Miss New York" 2013, becoming the first Indian American to do so. Nina Davuluri was Miss America 2014 from September 15, 2013 to September 2014. 

Nina Davuluri performed a fusion of Bollywood dance with Indian classical dance as she is fully trained in Indian classic dances such as Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam and as mentioned above she choreographed "Dhoom Taana," from the Mumbai film, Om Shanti Om, for the first time a Indian dance was ever performed at the Miss America pageant. Shortly after Nina was crowned Miss America the racist comments related to nine-eleven anniversaries and anti-Indian sentiment was viral on social media. 

Her struggle

Many News agencies cited tweets that mistook her to be a Muslim or from an Arab country, or even associated her with terrorist groups but she took everything in her stride and kept on her year of service. Nina Davuluri spoke at various high schools and colleges to promote her platform, that says "Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency. 

Her program for future includes pursuing a Master of Public Policy or Master of Business Administration program with an emphasis on International Relations and Marketing in 2016. Nina Davuluri has the intention of returning to India every year to study various beautiful forms of Indian classic dances. 

Published: N/A

Updated: September 28, 2017