DENVER — Three years ago, Marybel Gonzalez stood onstage at the Miss USA Pageant as the reigning Miss Colorado USA.
"My experience was amazing," she said. "Miss USA telecast is a culmination of all of that hard work."
Now, Gonzalez is on a platform of a different kind — after her post on Instagram called out businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for comments he made about Mexican immigrants during a speech launching his campaign.
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"When Mexico sends its people they're not sending their best," Trump said. "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists and some, I assume, are good people."
Gonzalez said his comments about Mexicans caught her off guard.
"The first thing I felt was just hurt," she said. "I'm Mexican American. My parents were immigrants and I felt it was such a generalization that implicated hate, implicated discrimination and was completely unfounded."
Instagram | @marybelg_
@RealDonaldTrump One individual's views is not indicative of an entire organization. Miss USA is comprised of intelligent, and socially conscious professionals. I am not taking a stand against @MissUSA or @MissUniverse. Rather, I want to make clear that racism and cultural exclusion is not what I condone. That said, I am torn by the decision @Univision has made to cut @missusa from their programming. The better part of me applauds Univision's conviction in not supporting an organization co-owned by someone who voices such vicious and racist remarks. Another part of me, however, feels utterly sad and disappointed. As a former Miss Colorado USA, I know how important it was for me to represent not only my beloved home state, but also my Mexican culture. Your actions will deprive other girls like me the opportunity to represent a minority publicly, to give us a platform in which we can share our rich culture and background with the world. I am sad that other young Latina girls who are @Univision viewers will not have the chance to see another girl on TV that looks like them, one that they can relate to and aspire to be.... When I watched your ill worded and completely erroneous speech, the only thing that resonated with me was the level of ignorance in your words. You say that Mexicans who come to the USA are all rapists. However, your argument is not only unsubstantiated but also completely hypocritical. See, a rapist is "one who abuses something or treats something improperly." A rapist is a violator, and exploiter to be more precise. When you singled out a community and ignorantly generalized a population for the benefit of your campaign, you committed the worst exploitation. When you belittled the people of a country for the sake of a vote or an applause you acted in an unjustly manner to benefit your needs. Further, when you now negate other girls the opportunity to be present and heard in a public forum you are blatantly robbing them... if I am a rapist by the simple fact of being Mexican, then what do these actions speak of you? Sincerely, Marybel González A very Mexican, not rapist, Miss Colorado USA 2012, Top 10 Miss USA finalist.
In her Instagram post, which went viral this past week, Gonzalez wrote to Trump, "When you belittled the people of a country for the sake of a vote or an applause, you acted in an unjustly manner to benefit your needs."
Gonzalez finished in the top 10 at the Miss USA Pageant and said she spoke to Trump on several occasions during her time competing there.
"I think that it's OK to voice your opinions and — especially if you're vying for a presidential candidacy — to have opinions about international relations and immigration reform," Gonzalez said. "And I think that's what a lot of people are mistaking: that's not why the Latino community is upset. We are upset because you're attributing negative and hateful comments to a group."
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Gonzalez added that she also feels bad for the current Miss USA contestants. Since NBC and Univision will no longer be airing the pageant, she believes those women won't get the same opportunities and exposure as contestants have in the past.
For his part, Donald Trump is standing by his comments. He's in second place among Republicans in a national poll and in polls in the two key, caucus and primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
