What Miss America can teach us about diversity in books

Thank you our United States of America. You have stepped out of your box. For the first time, you have hand picked a beautiful American of Indian descent. But alas, you have people whom disagree with your decision.

I love that I was born to a country in which most women and men, are able to create strong futures for themselves. I love that I can claim a country that can have a beautiful dark skinned(by Bollywood's standards perhaps) AMERICAN of Indian descent as Miss America. But I do not love the backlash people of color constantly get.

Too many times in the United States of America, can you be called a foreigner in your own country of birth. Too many times in the United States of America, can one achieve a milestone win, only to be compared to a 7-11 clerk, as if there is something wrong with owning a business, and having a strong work ethic. 7-11? Really? Is that the best racist America has?

And even those with politically esteemed careers, can come out of their mouthes and blame it on the "liberalism" of the judges, and that the runner up actually didn't win because she actually had "American" values. So People of Color don't have American values? Last time I checked, there were Christians and Catholics, and all other religions that people of Indian descent may fall into. Why is "American" values something that can be categorized under one thing?

In 87 years, only 8 women of color have won this title. That means that 79 other winners have been White Americans. I really don't think a win can really take the privilege that is so embedded in racist America away. So why does it bother them so much to embrace diversity?

You may ask, what does this have to do with characters in books? Everything. Representation is EVERYTHING. Without we are invisible. LBGTQ, POC, differently abled, non-Christian and or Christian(not trying to leave anyone out), Plus sized, the like. We all need to be included. Period.