In an earlier Instagram post, Miss Universe Canada 2020 Nova Stevens addressed the comments of Filipino netizens regarding the color of her skin together with screenshots and translations. Some of those were “katakot” (scary), “tostadong tostado na nga, nasunog pa” (she is toasted and burnt), and “akala ko engkanto” (I thought she was a ghost).
In the caption, Stevens talked about how advocacies like “black lives matter” and “Asians are human” were supposed to bring people together but figured that some are still “stuck in the ignorant and racist ideologies.” She wrote:
Here we go again. I’ve been receiving this picture in my inbox a lot lately.
With all that has been going on in the world ‘black lives matter’ ‘Asians are human’ you would think this would bring us together. Instead, looks like some people are still stuck in their ignorant and racist ideologies. I’m really disappointed with some Pagaent fans from certain countries. Your hate takes away the fun and enjoyment from this once in a lifetime experience. Is it really that difficult to spread love instead of hate?
The Miss Universe 2020 candidate emphasized how bringing others down is unnecessary in supporting one’s delegate, and preached about how much the world has evolved to recognize and appreciate all forms of beauty.
No one is saying you HAVE to support all contestants, all we’re saying is that you support your delegate without bringing others down. You don’t need to dim someone’s light in order for you to shine.
The world is evolving, people are realizing that beauty is not exclusive to one specific group of people. The definition of beauty applies to all; because beauty can be seen in different shapes, shades and sizes. Please see the beauty that is in this world. We don’t need to look the same, we just need to treat eachother the same.
Later on, Stevens clarified that her reason for sharing this was to use her experience as a teaching moment. She assured her fans that she is okay and then cleared up that the said post was not meant to generalize Filipinos. She continued:
Hi everyone, thank you for the kind comments and messages. Please know that I am ok. This post is not a generalization, which is why I said “some”. Also, I was not sure of the language these comments are from until reading some of the comments. In case it’s not clear. I don’t think all Filipinos are racist. That would be ridiculous to say. This picture with texts was constantly being sent to me recently which is why I shared it. I’m well aware that there are multiple countries that think this way. I’m sharing this as a teaching moment so that we can make Pageants fun and enjoyable for all. All the girls competing have worked hard for this moment and deserve to have the best experience. Cheer for your girls with love and respect for the other delegates because they too are deserving of the ‘Miss Universe’ crown. Spread love, not hate.
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The next day, Miss Universe Canada 2020 followed up with a message to her Filipino fans where she apologized and explained her intentions behind the controversial post. She also asked the public to stop bashing or generalizing Filipino fans.
Let’s end things on a positive note.
To my Filipino fans: I’m sorry if my previous post caused you any harm. My post wasn’t intended to incite more hate; rather shed light on the toxicity that sometimes hails from fans (from all over the world). The last thing I want is for anyone to experience hate so please don’t bash or generalize the Filipino fans; not all are racist. Some of my closest friends who also happen to be some of the nicest people I know are Filipino . In every group of people; whether black, white, green, yellow, red, purple, there are always a few bad apples. I know for a fact there is more good than evil in this world; Which is why it’s important to shed light on the darkness so that our collective light can illuminate the world.
Attached to it were screenshots of positive comments from Filipinos showing their support to the candidate.
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Stevens is set to compete at Miss Universe 2020 on May 16.
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