Carole Gist Dept: Ms. Fakih is also the first practising Muslim to win the pageant, owned by Donald Trump, according to The Globe and Mail. Ms. Fakih adds to the list of firsts that began with Mai Shanley, the first Eurasian woman to win Miss USA, in 1984; followed by Laura Martinez-Herring, the first Hispanic to win, in 1985; and Carole Gist, the first African American to win, in 1990. After a few days of indecision about whether Ms. Fakih actually is the first Arab American – some observers thought winner Julie Hayek might have been, but it turned out her surname is Czech-Norwegian – she claims the honour and to the extent that one of the most vapid symbols of 1950s America can still hold up a mirror to the modern world, the Miss USA pageant this week produced something like a turning-point moment. Miss Michigan, Rima Fakih, a 24-year-old beauty with raven hair, is the first Arab American to win the sparkly honour. Her family's religious observances include both Islamic and Christian elements. The Story So Far As
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