Miss Malaysia Universe says "they chose to be born as a 'colored' person in America"

KUALA LUMPUR: The backlash against former Miss Malaysia Universe Samantha Katie James over her social media comments appear to be rising, with an online campaign mounted to strip her of her crown and title.

More than 15,000 people have so far signed a petition on Change.org in less than 24-hours as a show of outrage against James' comments on the riots in the United States sparked by the death of African American civilian George Floyd, under police restraint.

The petition against James claimed that she was unfit to represent Malaysia and seeks to compel the pageant runners to strip the latter of her crown and title.

The fact that the crown and title was no longer her's nevertheless did not deter the petition from invoking former Miss Malaysia Universe Elaine Daly to get involved.

The fact that the crown and title were no longer hers nevertheless did not deter the petitioners from invoking the national director of the pageant and former Miss Malaysia Universe Elaine Daly to get involved.

"Her ignorance and lack of self and privilege awareness do not reflect the Miss Universe Malaysia title and with this petition we hope she will be stripped of her title," read the petition.

The petition was updated with a posting of the Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation (MUMO) statement in which MUMO had distanced itself from James and her remarks.

MUMO asserted that she has not represented the organisation since June 2018.

The petition, however, said MUMO's stand was "unsatisfactory" and said further action must be taken against James if the organisation was truly 'anti-racist' .

"If they strongly condemn all acts of racism and prejudice, they would've stripped her of her crown and title.

"Stripping James' crown and title would serve as an example that your organisation will not tolerate any forms of prejudice be it past, present or future winners," said the petition.

James, 25, has come under fire after taking to Instagram telling African Americans protesting Floyd's death to "relax" following his brutal and public death.

She had said "to the black people, relax, take it as a challenge, makes you stronger."

She also claimed that they "chose to be born as a 'colored' person in America for a reason. To learn a certain lesson."

The Malaysian model of Chinese-Brazillian descent also defended herself against criticism pointing out her privilege by claiming that she had experienced discrimination as a "white girl in a local Malaysian school."

Meanwhile, homegrown makeup company Velvet Vanity has severed ties with James.
It issued a statement on Instagram last night after social media users had tagged them over her remarks. One user had also pointedly told them to "stop sponsoring racists".

Velvet Vanity said they catered to people of all skin colours and supporting James would be contradictory.

"Any posts featuring (James) was made way before this case and we are not affiliated with her anymore.

"As a brand, we support #blacklivesmatter and we would never associate ourselves with racist behaviour in any way," read the statement.

James had earlier modelled one of their lipsticks in a post on her Instagram feed.

Petition to strip former Miss Malaysia Universe of crown and title | New Straits Times

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Originally Posted by TheRealKW

The Malaysian model of Chinese-Brazillian descent

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...no pic of what this self-proclaimed white girl looks like?...

She looks like half Chinese, half Brazilian Caucasian/Italian.

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Originally Posted by TheRealKW

The Malaysian model of Chinese-Brazillian descent also defended herself against criticism pointing out her privilege by claiming that she had experienced discrimination as a "white girl in a local Malaysian school."

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People are having a go at her for saying this but it is real - perhaps a bit insensitive in this context.

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Originally Posted by panama hat

perhaps a bit insensitive in this context.

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...you think? Chinese-Brazilians for human rights!...

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Originally Posted by tomcat

Chinese-Brazilians for human rights!...

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Are you referring to Chinese with brazlilians or Chinese from Brazil?

:chitown:

I've just googled how Ms Malaysia/ Ms James looks like. To me, she looks like a typical luk kreung (we call them mestizo/ mestiza here). I think that her comments were not PC. As a "woke" millenial and ambassador/ endorser for several brands, she should have been more careful with her words.

This reminds me of the case of a Kuwaiti beauty blogger who received backlash because she said that Filipino maids shouldn't have a day off (per week) and that the maids' passports should be kept by their employers. As a result of the online furor, several companies stopped associating with her.

Had to find the link:
Kuwait influencer in storm after 'racist' comments about Filipino maids - Gulf Business

Re: Ms. James, I don't know if she experienced racism in school because she looks white. As I've seen, Malaysians also like their beauties/ celebrities to be on the fair-skinned side, as seen I've seen from their ads, cosmetic products & TV personalities. Similar with other SE Asian countries, I think. Here in PI, most of the celebrities are fair skinned. In recent years, it's been good to see more actors who are darker - more diverse faces.

In my school years, I've had classmates who were half or 1/4 Caucasian. They were usually chosen to be the muse/ beauty representative in school events. They were also taller than average, so that was another factor. That's just the way it is...

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Originally Posted by tomcat

..no pic of what this self-proclaimed white girl looks like?..

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I'd rather see katie in a bikini

^lol. Not gonna happen - I'm no bikini beauty! :D

we could be the judge of that

Expecting intelligence from sportspeople and beauty queens makes about as much sense as expecting fancy football skillz from Richard Dawkins. The sooner we stop pretending that their opinions on anything are important then the better it will be for all parties.

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the rocks seem to have fallen out of her head and gathered on her neck

I'm astounded that people post their inner most thoughts for all to see.

Bit silly really...

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Originally Posted by katie23

I don't know if she experienced racism in school because she looks white.

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Our girls are half Chinese, half northern European - and yes, they had a tough time at school, mainly from the Chinese teachers and children - racist little cvnts . . . oh and one Indian teacher who had a go because she didn't want our girls to think they're 'special'. We have one blonde/blue-eyed and one wavy-haired brunette with hazel-eyes.

So yes. She probably did experience racism in school and then at work

Well I for one am willing to forgive her.

I'm sure the racist comments she used to get from people prejudiced against white skinned stunners must have been a massive handicap. :D

Heck, I might even rub tiger balm on the awful mozzie bites she must have got from that photo shoot.

Just as long as she doesn't say 'gotten'.

Stupidity is an irresistible force driving pretty much everything. If it could be converted into propulsion we'd be travelling at the speed of light.

That binte has the look of a katoey - very masculine set to her face and not at all appealing.

the belgian boiler room fluffer seems to have hacked genticles' account

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Originally Posted by panama hat

So yes. She probably did experience racism in school and then at work

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Bigotry, not racism.

@panama hat - thanks for the input. Very interesting. I'm sorry your kuds got bullied. Here in PI, it's mostly an advantage to be fairer skinned. We don't have a lot of Chinese-ancestry people in my community, so I (or my classmates) didn't experience that kind of bigotry or racism. The whiter looking kids were sometimes more favored or deemed more beautiful. Examples are the high number of half-white people in showbiz here.

There are some Chinese schools in Manila, Cebu, etc (e.g. Chiang Kai Shek school) which cater to rich Chinese-Filipino kids. I would assume that if a brown person like me enrolled my kid there, the kid would get bullied (and I wouldn't enroll my kid there in the first place).

The ones who experience more racism here are the darker ones, whether they're native/ indigenous (we have the indigenous Negrito or African-looking groups like the Aeta, Mangyan, Ati, etc) or those who are half black.

Apl d' Ap of Black Eyed Peas is half Filipino, half black American. He was adopted by a white American man and brought to the US as a teen, where he became friends with Will I Am (also of BEP). Apl has stated in interviews that he was teased/ bullied as a kid because he was darker than the majority.

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Originally Posted by TheRealKW

Bigotry, not racism.

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Nope. Racism. Being bi-racial they weren't treated equal to Chinese.

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Originally Posted by katie23

I'm sorry your kuds got bullied. Here in PI, it's mostly an advantage to be fairer skinned.

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No worries, we set that straight - luckily my wife can be very persuasive and she's a lawyer, so a few lawsuits later = peace.

Of course, that's fairly well the norm that darker people are disadvantaged or the recipients of racist behaviour, but they aren't the only ones. Both did modelling work in Malaysia because of their pan-Asian looks (well, the non-blondie one for that reason) and it evens itself out . . . but doesn't detract from having had a hard time for a while

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Originally Posted by panama hat

and it evens itself out . . .

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No, it does a lot more than 'even itself out'.

They were light skinned, from privileged backgrounds and were envied for their advantages.

To suggest, as is inevitable in the current atmosphere, that their situation was in any way comparable to those genuinely suffering from prejudice is utterly laughable.

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Originally Posted by cyrille

They were light skinned, from privileged backgrounds and were envied for their advantages.

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Chinese are lighter-skinned than ours and from wealthy backgrounds - private International schools.

What advantages do you think they have? Remember, we are talking about Malaysia not the US or Thailand.

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Originally Posted by cyrille

that their situation was in any way comparable to those genuinely suffering from prejudice is utterly laughable.

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Never said it was, Cyrille. Never said it was. The few words you cherry-picked referred to equal/unequal treatment based on their looks vis-a-vis their school experience.

One is fair-skinned the other darker.

Attachment 51763

^interesting mix of genes with regards to their hair color, PH. Most of the Filipino- Caucasian ppl that I know have very dark hair.

Just curious re: the wavy-haired one - does she like her curls? Many of the girls whom I know here with curly hair don't like their curls and have their hair straightened.

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Originally Posted by katie23

^interesting mix of genes with regards to their hair color, PH. Most of the Filipino- Caucasian ppl that I know have very dark hair.

Just curious re: the wavy-haired one - does she like her curls? Many of the girls whom I know here with curly hair don't like their curls and have their hair straightened.

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Friends of ours, he is Japanese and she is French, have two daughters who have blonde hair and blue eyes as well . . . but Japanese features. The lottery of genes.


Our younger one hates her curls and wants straight hair while the older one wants more body and waves . . . sigh. Eyes are accepted, hazel and blue seem ok to them.

They're both tall, the elder one topped out at 172cm while the younger one is still going strong at 174cm at age 14.

Females :rolleyes:

^wow, 172 and 174 cm - they are very tall! I'd feel like a dwarf beside them. :)

Has the youngest been approached for ramp/ catwalk modelling or beauty pageants?

Re: beauty pageants, the recent international beauty contest winners here have been half-white: Pia Wurtzbach (German), Catriona Gray (Scottish/Aussie), Megan Young (American). No surprise that Ms Malaysia (in the OP) is half-Brazilian (who looks more Euro).

Re: hair, I have somewhat straight hair. I've had it permed and straightened, long vs short hair, at different times. For me it was just experimenting with various looks/ hairstyles. Cheers! :)