On Nov. 20, Fatima Bosch of Mexico was crowned as Miss Universe 2025, and the reactions couldn’t be more divided. As a Mexican American, I have been following her journey since the preliminaries for Miss Universe Mexico earlier this year, and since then she has stood out to me as a beautiful and sincere woman. After seeing her almost-empty national coronation on stage, I empathized with her, and after her public confrontation with Miss Universe Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil, I gained respect for her as she showed the world that self-respect and dignity is deserved regardless of title or nationality.
I have also seen numerous racist and hurtful remarks come from other Latin American countries towards Bosch, and while I can understand disappointment in a national favorite not ranking as high as expected, it is even more disheartening seeing a community that should uplift each other tear a girl down because of a crown. Normally, a win for a Latina is a win for all of Latin America, but it seems this year’s pageant has drawn overwhelming amounts of hate and negativity, further separating a community that often relies on unity for support.
Fatima Bosch, 25, has spent over a decade volunteering at local hospitals in Tabasco, Mexico and using her platform to spread awareness about misconceptions and highlight the needs of neurodivergent students like herself. But while a lot of the criticism she is receiving now fuels the idea that her dad somehow managed to buy her the crown, the drama has overshadowed her very genuine and positive intentions – showcased through her volunteer work and sincerity throughout the pageant.
While many critics focus on the live Q&A portion of the pageant and mention other deserving candidates for the crown, they overlook that other aspects were taken into account for the final results. In the swimwear, evening gown and national costume portions, Bosch delivered steady, confident and captivating performances gathering millions of views online. And although her answers to the live questions were not as those of some other contestants, she seemed to speak honestly from her heart, addressing her answers to girls around the world rather than talking about herself. When considering the preliminaries, finals and attitude, she seems like a well-rounded candidate for the Miss Universe title.
Rather than hiding from the backlash, Bosch publicly shared several racist remarks and even death threats that she has received since her coronation. She also sat down for a Telemundo interview where she spoke up about her thoughts on the win and the rumors surrounding her. She shared that Miss Universe is evolving, and that the organization is no longer just looking for someone who looks good while modeling in swimwear or evening gowns, but for a role model girls around the world can identify with. She also broke down rumors regarding her political affiliation and business deals between her father and a Miss Universe co-owner Raul Rocha. To end the interview, she said, “The day that us women understand that when one woman advances in society, us as women can also advance as a community, that day will change a lot of things.”
Miss Universe is a platform designed to highlight women who are beautiful not only in terms of appearance, but in how they carry themselves and promote positivity for all women. Fatima Bosch has repeatedly shown her genuine heart, resilience and class amid all the negativity surrounding her win. A woman who uses her voice to defend herself may not win over every fan, but it earns her respect. Throughout all the disrespect Bosch had faced from her national competition up until the finals in Thailand, she has stayed strong and gracious – and I could not imagine anyone better to look up to as Miss Universe!
