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Miss America speaks about cultural competency

By Guest PostFebruary 9, 2014Cultureaacc, american enough, battell chapel, beauty in america, bharatnatyam style dance, brown town, circles of unity, combating ignorance, cultural competency, India, indian, miss america, miss america 2014, miss america pageant, miss new york, nina davaluri, sas, traditional, university of michigan

Before an audience of roughly 100 Yale students, faculty, and staff on Feb. 4 in Battell Chapel, Nina Davaluri — Miss America 2014 — shared her goal of spreading cross-cultural understanding and combating ignorance.

Last September, 24-year old Nina Davaluri became the first woman of South Asian decent to win the Miss America pageant. Following the crowning, some critics called Davaluri a “terrorist” while others stated that she was not “American enough” to represent the United States. Students from the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) and the South Asian Society (SAS) responded to the racist commentary by organizing a dialogue to promote cross-cultural understanding. (more…)

Ask questions and ‘explore like a bird,’ advises Justice Sotomayor

There is no shame in ignorance, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor told a packed crowd in Woolsey Hall during a campus visit to Yale on Feb. 3. In her talk, the alumnus (’79 J.D.) candidly shared situations in her own life when she boldly asked questions if she had no idea what someone was talking about.

Sotomayor told her audience, which included an overflow crowd in Battell Chapel, that the adage commonly stated by teachers — that “there is no stupid question” — is true. (more…)

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Miss America speaks about cultural competency

Ask questions and ‘explore like a bird,’ advises Justice Sotomayor