Racists target Filipina who was crowned as Miss Belgium

Miss Belgium 2018: Angeline Flor Pua

IT'S A DREAM come true for Angeline Flor Pua when she was crowned Miss Belgium and will represent that country in the Miss Universe and Miss World contests.

But that dream was tainted by the online racists who couldn't wrap their puny brains around the idea that a brown woman could represent their country.

Pua, 22, was born and raised in Belgium, won the beauty crown on Jan. 13.  Her parents are immigrants from the Philippines -- part of the Philippine diaspora sending workers around the world -- who met and married in Antwerp.

While most Belgians accepted her victory and celebrated the tolerance and diversity of Belgium, the racist trolls came out of the woodwork to use the Internet to anonymously attack the beauty queen.

Many of the critics questioned her nationality and asked why someone with Asian heritage won. Some said the crown should have been awarded to a blonde, blue-eyed Belgian.

In an interview with BBC News, Pua - speaking English with a Belgian accent - sought to address such comments.

"I've heard about the negative comments. Of course, it hurts a lot to read those things about myself because I know those things are not true," she said. "I can show my ID, my birth certificate to prove that I am a Belgian."

When asked if she had faced such racism when growing up, Pua replied that she hadn't.

"Never, that's why I'm very shocked about the news happening these few days because I've never been confronted with those topics. I've always been accepted by the people at work, at school, everywhere," she said.

Pua told the BBC that "racism is a very sensitive subject. It's not only in Belgium, I think it's worldwide."

Anyone following the U.S. cultural and political scene can only nod their head in agreement.

Nevertheless, she was upbeat and sent a message to victims of racist taunts: "You should not feel sorry because you should be proud of who you are, or what you are and where you come from."

“I am proud of my Filipino roots, but actually I feel first and foremost Belgian. I was born and raised here,” she told the Belgian website HLN.

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