Pageants always seem to hold an air of glamour and national pride, but sometimes, beneath the hairspray and radiant smiles lies a tale of controversy and injustice. The Miss Grand International 2023 pageant, held on 25 October in Vietnam, was no exception. Luciana Fuster of Peru was crowned as the queen in this relatively new pageant, but the Miss Grand Trinidad and Tobago pageant the prior month shed light on the dark underbelly of xenophobia and racism.
A Debut for Trinidad and Tobago
This year’s Miss Grand International was not only about crowning a new queen but also about making history. Trinidad and Tobago made its debut at the pageant, with Rebekah Hislop, a 28-year-old from Saint Joseph, representing the nation. Miss Hislop, a stunning beauty, had originally secured the First Runner-up (1st RU) title in the Miss Grand Trinidad & Tobago pageant in September 2023. The crown was initially won by Mileidy Materano.
The Shocking Resignation
Mileidy Materano’s story took a cruel turn almost immediately after she was crowned Miss Grand Trinidad & Tobago on 10 September 2023, but she handled it with grace and confidence. Days later, she shocked the Carribean world by resigning from her position. The reason? Financial constraints. She alleges that she was promised that her flights to and from Vietnam would be sponsored, only for the Trinidad and Tobago pageant organizers, Stolen Productions Ltd, to retract their statement, leaving her to bear the unexpected financial burden herself. She and her legal team allege that other prizes were not awarded and that she would have to cover the costs of the national costume and evening gown as well. She claims that this is not what she was told before the pageant and that if she had known this ahead of time, she would not have competed.
Xenophobia Rears Its Ugly Head
Mileidy and her legal team say that surprise financial constraints are the sole reason for her resignation and that public pressure was not a factor. That begs the question of why there would be public pressure for Mileidy Materano to resign? She had not engaged in anything unbecoming. The shocking answer is rooted in xenophobia. Mileidy, despite not being born in Trinidad and Tobago, was entirely eligible to compete in their pageant. However, her Venezuelan origins made her the target of online attacks, hyper-critical articles in print media, and a hostile interview on the radio.
A Heartbreaking Display of Racism
The anti-immigrant sentiment that targeted Mileidy’s victory in the Trinidad and Tobago pageant is nothing short of heartbreaking. It’s a stark display of racism and xenophobia. Mileidy had fled the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro in search of a better life, and she had rebuilt her life in Trinidad and Tobago. However, instead of greeting her and seeing her as a representative of the T & T dream and a portrayal of a land of opportunity, she was made to feel like she didn’t belong.
The Viral Radio Interrogation
One particularly painful incident was Mileidy’s experience during a radio interview, where she was interrogated aggressively. She was belittled and humiliated, all for the simple fact that she was an immigrant representing a country she now calls home. It’s a poignant reminder that the darkness of prejudice and racism can creep into all arenas of pop culture and is even found in predominantly BIPOC countries.
In the end, Mileidy Materano’s resignation from her position as Miss Grand Trinidad & Tobago sheds light on the harsh reality of xenophobia and racism that continues to persist in our society. As we celebrate the beauty and talent showcased in pageants, let us also remember that true beauty lies in acceptance and inclusivity and not in divisive prejudice.
Now, for the nuance in this particular situation...
We have to remember that the public backlash against Mileidy was because of her country of origin. She was also ridiculed for not speaking English when she is, indeed, bilingual. But should she have been allowed to compete in the first place, or should another deserving applicant have been granted that privilege?
Below is a screenshot of the Miss Grand Trinidad and Tobago website. It spells out the requirements for participants. One requirement, Point #5, is that the delegate must be a citizen of the country she desires to represent.
I’ve found conflicting reports on Mileidy’s citizenship status. If she is not a T & T citizen, then she should have been disqualified from the pageant as soon as that was discovered, preferably with enough time to have another lady take that position in the national pageant AND before Mileidy made a significant investment in competing. If she is not a citizen, Stolen Productions Ltd has a certain amount of responsibility for not noticing that earlier. When I compete in Canadian pageants that require delegates to be Canadian citizens, we’re asked to send in a photocopy of our birth certificate or confirmation of naturalization with our application. The T & T pageant organizers should have also required applicants to submit proof of citizenship. This proactive approach would have spared Mileidy public ridicule and humiliation. It would have prevented her from being in a position where her “otherness” was rubbed in her face as a form of attack. T & T’s debut in the pageant would not be permanently marked by this dark cloud of scandal and prejudice. Stolen Productions Ltd would not be dealing with the allegations of their directorship making and reneging on promises of sponsorship.
Ultimately, I don’t know how to end this other than by sharing my grief at such a large public display of racism. As a member of the Caribbean Community diaspora, it hurts to see the community denigrate and disparage someone for seeking a better life simply because she was not born in a certain country. She was escaping a dictatorship. She wanted a better life, and she built that new life as a model and an entrepreneur. She has made it clear that she loves her chosen home, and I hope she will feel that love reflected at her. She has been praised by some for resigning and allowing her 1st RU to represent T & T at the international pageant, but in my opinion, Mileidy should not have been put in that position. And when the crown was placed on her head, she should have been celebrated. Diversity and inclusion should have been celebrated, especially in a multicultural country. In the short period that she was Miss T & T, she should have been treated with the same respect that her 1st RU received. The anti-immigrant sentiment was disheartening to see. I’m not saying that all people in Trinidad and Tobago were upset by Mileidy’s victory, but the ones who were upset were loud. Their xenophobia drowned out the reasonable voices. And I am deeply hurt by that.
Janice MacGregor 