As a first generation Filipino-American, I embrace my Filipino roots while thriving in a diverse American culture that I’ve been instilled with since birth.

That being said, I was disgusted to hear the backlash that the new Miss America received after being crowned.

Now the Miss America pageant may just be an overly publicized and overly glamorized show, but the bottom line is that it does present an opportunity for young women to earn scholarships to pursue their dreams.

Nina Davuluri, 24-year-old Miss New York, was crowned Miss America 2014 on Sept. 15.

According to a CNN from Sept. 17, she is the first woman of Indian heritage to win the competition. The Fayetteville, N.Y. native graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science.

From a Washington Post article from Sept. 16, Davuluri is planning to go to medical school to become a doctor with the help of the $50,000 scholarship she won for winning it all this year.

Today, the term “American” is still being subjected to a narrow-minded view, despite one’s accomplishments.

The Merriam- Webster definition of “American” is a person who is born, raised or living in the United States.

All of these qualities apply to Davuluri and yet there are some who have such a stereotypical view of what an American should look like today, and apparently she doesn’t fit the mold.

People in this modern and diverse nation still can’t seem to grasp fact that Americans can come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.

Her platform of “Celebrating Diversity Through Cultural Competency” is quite ironic due to the disdain people showed through social media sites, such as Twitter, towards her culture.

Some called her an Arab or a terrorist and others were in pure disbelief that an Indian-American could actually win because “this is America.”

By no means is this topic new, and maybe that’s the problem.

We’ve become accustomed to seeing and hearing stereotypical, racist remarks everyday. There are people who will be ignorant to the idea of an equal and mixed culture. Despite accomplishments and successes that most Americans value, the color of someone’s skin will always influence the opinion of others.

Maybe I’m just too optimistic, but I really do hope that there will be a day when things like this won’t matter anymore.

Wake up. It’s 2013. The world is evolving; why can’t we?