General

First Arab-American Miss USA?

24-year-old Michigan woman takes crown

Rima “Miss Michigan” Fakih won the 2010 Miss USA pageant last night. The 24-year-old Arab American was born in Lebanon, and raised in New York after her family emigrated to the United States when she was a young girl; she moved to Dearborn, Mich., in 2003. During the question segment of pageant, Fakih, who is Muslim but attended a Catholic high school and also celebrates Christian holidays, said that she believes birth control should be covered by health insurance. Fakih says she knew she’d won even before her name was called by the look Donald Trump, who co-owns the pageant, gave her: “That’s the same look that he gives them when he says, ‘You’re hired,’ ” on The Apprentice, his reality TV show. After winning the title, Fakih tripped and nearly fell on the train of her long white gown while taking her victory strut. When asked how she felt, Fakih replied, “Ask me after I’ve had a pizza.”

Toronto Star

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