On July 27, 2016, beating out 32 other native Michigan dwellers, an Asian girl was crowned for 2016 Miss Michigan and will represent the state to compete in the 2016 Miss America beauty pageant.

Originally from Beijing, China, this 23-year-old girl, Arianna Quan, moved to Metro Detroit at the age of 6 and became a naturalized citizen shortly afterwards. She might not even count as an Asian-American: she was not born on this land. Her mandarin is just as good as her English. She knows well of her homeland and she is an incredibly proficient piano player. Tall, perfectly toned body, and as any other contestant in any pageant in the US, she has a story to tell—typical first-generation immigrant’s story about a foreign, self-conscious and unsociable girl gradually gained confidence as she grew.

—Sounds like an immaculate resume that fits a Miss Michigan’s crown and ribbon. Why do I bother writing about this then? Because by the time she was crowned this position, the internet exploded—the Chinese internet, at least. People no doubt disputed over her race and nationality, but what they found more entertaining to talk about is her look.

Enthusiastic online critics immediately split into two groups. Well, one of them came up first. This group of people used up all the vocabulary they could think of to mock the girl’s appearance.

It seems to them that in a beauty pageant, a competent should at least be, well, a beauty. And as far as they’re concerned, Quan does not count as one. “Maybe the Americans do have different comprehension of beauty.” they remarked. They pointed out that the concept of “oriental beauty” may has been stereotyped by the western world as “round face, thin eyes and flat nose”, exactly opposite to what the Asians consider beautiful among their own race.

The other group of people intensively criticized the former party’s point of view. They emphasized the importance of “internal beauty” that, also agreed by the contest organizers, should be more of a determinant factor in the competition.

“Emphasis is placed on the importance of gaining self-confidence, learning new skills, learning good attitudes about competition, and setting and achieving personal goals. The pageant seeks to recognize the accomplishments of each girl while encouraging her to set goals for the future!” states NAM (National American Miss Pageant’s program). Ariana Quan is not the only example of their attempts to prove this point this year. Miss Teen California 2016 is a full-bodied African-American girl, and she is beloved by the whole state for showing this peculiar sense of beauty.

The latter party seems to be taking the moral high ground. Others argue: “Is it just so hard for you guys to admit that she is ugly? Is it really necessary to make a lecture out of everything?”

To be fair, Quan does not meet general aesthetic perspectives of a pretty girl. Not just according to the Asians, but the Americans as well. But I absolutely don't agree that a pageant should put all it’s focus on the contestants’ appearances. If so, the judges should have a tough time choosing a winner because there are plenty of pretty girls nowadays.

I also wouldn’t say her story of a tough childhood outweigh her appearance and she is nominated as Miss Michigan merely for her so-called “internal beauty.” Looking at her resume, I see cliché stuffs—community services, prizes from piano contests, sports and cheerleading. They sure depict a perfect image of a lively, bright teenage girl, but all other girls participating in this competition have similar achievements.

Having watched a great amount of American variety shows including some of the beauty pageants, I have seen people talking about their unique life experience to impress the judges all the time and I’m growing tired of it. “The beauty of one’s inner-self should not be overlooked”, so every girl is taught since centuries ago. Forming a good moral character and gain rich life experiences to surpass others is now common knowledge. Thus in this pageant, every contestant have involved in as much various social activities and are also leading unique and splendid lives.

What I do appreciate in her, and I believe the judges agreed, is the confidence in her laugh. Watching all her self-intro videos and seeing her on the stage, I am most impressed by her spontaneously revealed self-confidence in her every laugh. Despite that people mock her laughs for its not-so-appealing look, I am pleased to see how candid she is while facing the cameras. Not like other girls who rack their brains thinking of best poses in front of cameras, she was never concerned of revealing her true feelings through facial expressions. This kind of confidence is rare nowadays—it shows her complete self-awareness and confidence in her true self.

On the NAM official website, the word “confidence” appears on the headline, stressing that the major approach of this beauty pageant is to bring out confidence from teenage girls. Quan is one perfect illustration to this concept.

In addition, I do think we have to admit that one of the reasons Quan gets the nomination is that she tapped into a sweet spot of the United States—the disadvantaged minority.

Just hear the topic sentence of a report of her nomination:

“From China to Miss Michigan: Arianna Quan says America must embrace its diversity.” How can anyone argue with that?

Among all the girls with almost identical look, equally flawless body shapes and similar Resume, an identity of the minor social group certainly exceeds all else. An Asian-American vocalizing the rich diversity of the US—it is undeniable that the Michigan state would send a positive message to public through this.

Nevertheless, I can’t deny that Ariana Quan, as a public figure, truly is an inspiration to all Asian-American girls as well as all others who used to be self-conscious about their appearances. Now they're given a role model to look up to.

After all, it is a contest sponsored by the government that offers scholarship to help teenage girls finish college education. Maybe the judges need to make sure that money go to the girl who is most capable of contributing towards the society, rather than the girl who has the prettiest face.