My father always said, "You don't know who you are until you know where you came from." That's one thing I always remembered. The other thing that my family always taught me was respect and reputation. You always respect yourself.

I'm not a party animal; I took my job as Miss USA very seriously Sometimes, of course, I want to let it all go. Even though I'm a beauty queen, you're also an unofficial ambassador, and there's a lot of pressure.

I understand there are a lot of people looking up to me.

Everyone should be proud of who they are and where they come from because America is a big melting pot of diverse ethnicities. It's great to be part of this wonderful country.

America is the land of opportunity, and people can live in America and be who they want to be. Don't deny your faith. Don't deny your ethnicity. Don't stereotype Muslim women, because as you can see with me, or in Lebanon, for example, beauty is appreciated.

My family is just an amazing melting pot of wonderful religions and faiths.

I consider myself to be blessed. I have a family that is a mix of different religions and different ethnicities. I hope everyone can look beyond the bikini or beyond the whole beauty pageant stereotype of Miss USA, and realize that what I'm doing is more significant than just that. It represents the United States as a country of opportunity, where you can do anything you want to, and ethnicity and religion cannot stop you.