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First Asian American Miss Texas has message for Gov. Greg Abbott on diversity: 'Y'all means all' [1]
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Date: 2023-07-12
When Averie Bishop became the first Asian American to be chosen Miss Texas in the pageant’s 85-year history last year, she was determined to be more than seen but not heard. She devoted her tenure to teaching about the importance of diversity and inclusion, taking her “y’all means all” platform to communities across the Lone Star State while making history as the most well-traveled Miss Texas.
She wrote: “If our politicians continue to shut out, ignore and oppress marginalized and minority Texans, the state will never become the socio-economic and political powerhouse it wants to become.” ... “I worry that without DEI departments and policies in our universities, we will ostracize our most vulnerable populations and open them to discrimination. Legislation that protects minority communities isn’t simply `woke’ liberal propaganda. These efforts are necessary to ensure the futures of our young people, and lay the groundwork for Texas to reach its truest potential. They should be considered bipartisan efforts, not divisive wedges issues used to score cheap political points. I became Miss Texas to advocate for the people of color, immigrants and LGTBQ people who hold up every community from Galveston to Waco. Now more than ever, it is crucial to hold our leaders and institutions accountable. And I think most Texans agree with me. Whether you vote red, white or blue, the colors of our flag come together to symbolize the simple, human desire of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. And if Texas truly desires to be “bigger and better,” Gov. Greg Abbott and state leadership must cease its assault on DEI policy and focus on improving the economic and social livelihood of all of us.” Bishop also noted that she’s seen Texas grow and solidify its status as a majority minority state. Its population is 40.2% Hispanic, 39.4% white, 11.6% Black, and 5.1% Asian. Bishop grew up in McKinney, a not-so-small-anymore town north of Dallas. Her father is a conservative white bus driver and fifth generation Texan and Cherokee Indian, and her mother is a Filipina maid who emigrated to the U.S. after responding to his newspaper ad looking for a bride, according to The Washington Post and Texas Tribune, which reprinted the piece. She was one of only two recognizably Asian American students in her public school classes. Bishop said she was drawn to enter beauty pageants because of the opportunity to win scholarship prize money that would help pay off her student debt. She won about $90,000. She supports student loan forgiveness. The Washington Post profile noted: “The fact that Bishop has professed her liberal views on race, abortion, immigration, voting, same-sex marriage, school shootings and comprehensive sex education — which Texas public schools don’t require — may not be surprising considering she’s 26.” “What is startling is that Bishop has spoken out while competing for, and as, Miss Texas. The perch has normally been occupied by apolitical women, but in Bishop’s case, the pageant queen has used it to push back against the far-right policies supported by Texas’s white male leaders.” Autumn Keiser, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, told the Post that Bishop is “a hero.” Bishop has supported Planned Parenthood in social media posts.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/12/2180490/-First-Asian-American-Miss-Texas-has-message-for-Gov-Greg-Abbott-on-diversity-Y-all-means-all
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