# Miss Chinatown USA

The Miss Chinatown USA pageant, based on Chinese communities within the U.S., greets delegates around the country. The pageant has been an annual Lunar New Year event since 1958. The winners of this pageant represent the Chinese community and act as ambassadors promoting Chinese culture and heritage.

## History

A local beauty pageant had been held by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) and the San Francisco Lodge around Independence Day since 1948,$^{:42}$ with Penny (Lee) Wong as the first winner (CACA). The 1948 pageant was held in Pleasanton. Other winners included Lotus Wong (1948, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association or CCBA), Fanny Don (1949, CACA), Lena Jane Chin (1950), Dorothy Lee (1951), and Annie Chow (1952).
Following the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the first official Lunar New Year Parade in San Francisco's Chinatown was held in 1953 to project that community as "patriotic, assimilated [and] compatible with American values". That year Pat Kan, the daughter of noted Chinatown restaurateur Johnny Kan, was chosen as "Miss Firecracker" by non-Chinese reporters and posed with "nothing but a string of firecrackers".$^{:41}$ In 1954, the local beauty pageant was rolled into the parade as a contest to select the Festival Queen and the parade expanded into a multi-day event. Chinese New Year Parade / Festival Queens included Bernice Woong (1954), Carolyn Lim (1955), Estelle Dong (1956), and Ruby Kwong (1957).
In 1958, the pageant was opened to seventeen competitors from around the United States and the first winner was June Gong,$^{:216}$ a 21-year old originally from Miami who previously had won the 1957 Miss New York Chinatown pageant and was runner-up for the 1957 Miss New Hampshire title. Gong was a senior majoring in Home Economics at the University of New Hampshire.$^{:5}$ Judges at the 1958 contest included Chin Yang Lee, Joseph Fields, Richard Pollard, Mrs. K. L. Kwong, Mrs. John Yu, and Sally Lee Thompson; the judges since then have been a mix of prominent citizens, both Asian and non-Asian. Throughout the years, proponents of Miss Chinatown claimed that this contest helped young woman overcome class divisions to receive necessary economic support to better themselves.
Kem K. Lee was the first official photographer of the pageant and photographed the event until his death in 1986; he also covered the earlier pageants dating back to 1948. In 1961, the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas announced plans to hold its own "Miss Chinatown USA" pageant, but changed the name of its contest to "Miss East Bay" after a protest from the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SFCCC).$^{:58}$ That year, contestants included representatives from Durham, North Carolina, Fresno, California, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Minnesota, New York City, Phoenix, Arizona, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Whittier, California.
Today, the Miss Chinatown USA pageant pulls contestants from all around the world as they advance past their city-level pageants. For example, the winner of Miss Chinatown Houston would win a sponsorship to compete in the Miss Chinatown USA pageant.

### Criticism

The signature evening gown is a tightly fitted cheongsam, chosen by the New Year Festival's organizer, H.K. Wong, to exoticize the contestants as "the perfect blend of East and West" and draw tourists to Chinatown.$^{:64}$$^{:7}$ Although the earlier (1948–1953) local beauty pageant featured western dresses, author Chiou-Ling Yeh asserts the new pageant served to reinforce stereotypes: the choice of the cheongsam reinforced sexualized perception of Chinese women through its extra high-cut side slit, and early publicity emphasized the value of traditional, patriarchal ideals for female behavior, referring to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.$^{:42–44}$$^{:332}$ The winners were seen as cultural ambassadors to bridge the gap between Chinese-American immigrants and western society; in one instance, a restriction on the use of firecrackers in San Francisco was lifted after San Francisco Mayor George Christopher kissed the reigning Miss Chinatown in 1956.$^{:47–48}$
Additional criticisms of the pageant, including it being not truly representative of the Chinatown population, reinforcing Caucasian beauty standards, and perpetuating the model minority stereotype have arisen since its origins.$^{:6,13–17}$ Pageants affirmed the model minority stereotype by affirming the importance of education as well as how woman were expected to assimilate into society. Contestants also tended to be middle class woman, further pushing the ideal during the Cold War. Additionally, by picking winners of the elite middle class, critics argued that the beauty queens were not representative of the Chinatown population. Furthermore, participants were not even expected to speak Chinese, the only part of them that was distinctly Chinese was their bodies. The Holiday Inn Chinatown sponsored one of the 1971 contestants; as a publicity stunt, she jumped out of a giant fortune cookie for the opening of the hotel, later drawing jeers and eggs when she rode on a float during the Lunar New Year parade.$^{:14}$
Performance artist Kristina Wong has crashed numerous events in costume as the character "Fannie Wong, former Miss Chinatown 2nd runner up" since 2002; parodying the stereotype of a quiet, demure Asian woman, Wong describes Fannie as a "cigar chomping, leg humping fast talking beauty queen" that was "often escorted out of venues". Wong grew up in San Francisco idolizing Miss Chinatown, but admits she was "nervous because she did not know how she'd transition from being 'completely sexually repressed and totally awkward' to someone who was beautiful and self-assured. 'I felt like such an embarrassment to my family.'"

### Pageant rules

Eligibility is limited to unmarried United States citizens of Chinese descent between the ages of 17 and 26, which means the entrant's father or mother must be of Chinese descent. Local Chinatown beauty contests were won by the contestant that raised the most funds or sold the most raffle tickets for their family association, but these rules were changed. Initially, contestants were required to answer questions posed in Chinese, but by 1965, it was recognized that some, especially those who had not grown up in Chinatown, did not possess the necessary bilingual skills and the committee stopped factoring the Chinese language responses into the results.$^{:70}$$^{:15}$ As of 2014, the four scored segments are introduction, talent, swimsuit, and question-and-answer. As of 2024, the swimsuit portion was replaced with a form & fitness section.
The winner of the Miss Chinatown USA title receives a US$10,000 scholarship and, during her reigning year, travels to meet with family associations, officials, and politicians in the United States and abroad as a goodwill ambassador. As a national pageant, the titleholder of Miss Chinatown USA also is eligible to enter the Miss Chinese International Pageant, a contest for women of Chinese descent not residing in China. For instance, Ni Jiang won Miss Chinatown USA in 2008, then competed in Miss Chinese International in early 2009.
The first runner-up for Miss Chinatown USA holds the simultaneous titles of First Princess and Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Third place is named Second Princess. There is a separate award for Miss Talent, given to the contestant who receives the highest talent score.

### Venue

The first Miss Chinatown pageant was held on February 15, 1958, at the Great China Theater. The theater, now renamed as the Great Star, was completed in 1925 to stage Chinese operas and is still showing limited engagements and live performances. Since then, pageants have been held at larger event locations in San Francisco, including the SF Masonic Auditorium (starting in 1959),$^{:57}$ Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, and Hyatt Regency San Francisco.
Traditionally, a separate coronation ball is staged at a separate venue after the pageant; in 2012, the coronation ball was held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. In 2020, the coronation ball was held at the InterContinental San Francisco. For 2022, the pageant and coronation ball occurred on the same night, in the same venue.

## List of Miss Chinatown USA titleholders

| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 1958 | June Gong | 周轉娣 | Miami, FL |
| 1959 | Leona Lee | 李麗卿 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1960 | Carole Ng | 吳惠芳 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1961 | Irene Tsu | 諸慧荷 | New York, NY |
| 1962 | Darrah Lau | 劉淑卿 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1963 | Shirley Fong | 鄺秋娥 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1964 | Josie Leong | 梁雁玲 | Sacramento, CA |
| 1965 | Mary Tom | 譚雅倫 | Jamaica, NY |
| 1966 | Jacquelyn Chun | 陳韻媛 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1967 | Marilyn Lew | 劉嫚蘭 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1968 | Betty Wong | 黃珍瓊 | Sacramento, CA |
| 1969 | Carole Young | 楊小薇 | San Francisco, CA |
| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 1970 | Marion Lee | 李金燕 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1971 | Linda Shen | 沈元元 | Minneapolis, MN |
| 1972 | Trudy Young | 容蓮愛 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1973 | Sandra L. Wong | 黃艷愛 | Oakland, CA |
| 1974 | Pamela Fong | 鄺素蘭 | Sacramento, CA |
| 1975 | Jeannie Fung | 馮亦明 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1976 | Linda Sue Chun | 陳桂媛 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1977 | Sandra L.Q. Mew | 繆麗昆 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1978 | Stephanie Ann Lee | 李儀寶 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1979 | Glenda Tang | 鄧靜雯 | Columbia, SC |
| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 1980 | Ronda Ching | 程慧珍 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1981 | Rose Chung | 張艷珍 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1982 | Stephanie L. Shiu | 邵小媚 | Lemoore, CA |
| 1983 | Sandra Young | 楊碧聯 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1984 | Cynthia Gouw | 吳義菊 | Westwood, CA |
| 1985 | Audrey R. Liao | 廖瑞曼 | Baltimore, MD |
| 1986 | Amy Mae Woo | 胡丁美 | Sunnyvale, CA |
| 1987 | Crystal Lee Kwok | 郭錦恩 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1988 | Sylvia Shim | 沈睡蓮 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1989 | Lisa Chen | 陳毓英 | Montebello, CA |
| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 1990 | Evelyn Ding | 丁嘉靜 | Houston, TX |
| 1991 | Jennifer Tung | 滕廣霞 | Rodeo, CA |
| 1992 | Melissa M. Wu | 吳美珩 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1993 | Melissa Yeh | 葉貞靖 | Spring, TX |
| 1994 | Ivy Hsu | 許慧馨 | San Jose, CA |
| 1995 | Jamie Chou | 周潔明 | Berkeley, CA |
| 1996 | Grace Maa | 馬友慈 | Belle Mead, NJ |
| 1997 | Lori Young | 楊兆妍 | Honolulu, HI |
| 1998 | Gwendoline Yeo | 楊時賢 | San Francisco, CA |
| 1999 | Karen Chen | 陳 媛 | Union City, CA |
| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 2000 | Jennifer Lin Hong | 項德慧 | Pearl City, HI |
| 2001 | Pamela Woon | 溫美玲 | Seattle, WA |
| 2002 | Andra Chung | 張 慧 | Cupertino, CA |
| 2003 | Darah Annette Dung | 鄧貴美 | Honolulu, HI |
| 2004 | Shan Chen | 陳 珊 | New York, NY |
| 2005 | Carol Chen | 陳盈璉 | Dallas, TX |
| 2006 | Louise Suzanna Wu | 吳如意 | Fremont, CA |
| 2007 | Betty Hsu | 徐仁惠 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2008 | Ni Jiang | 蔣 妮 | Bellevue, WA |
| 2009 | Cindy Wu (aka:Cindy Yen) | 吳欣雲/ 袁詠琳 | Houston, TX |
| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 2010 | Crystal Lee | 李萬晴 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2011 | June Quan | 關蓮珠 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2012 | Steffi Hu | 胡瑞欣 | Sugar Land, TX |
| 2013 | Leah Li | 李卓兒 | Mercer Island, WA |
| 2014 | Karen Li | 李凱若 | Houston, TX |
| 2015 | Rose Li | 李思佳 | Houston, TX |
| 2016 | Stephanie Wong | 黃嘉穎 | Millbrae, CA |
| 2017 | Karen Lynn Yang | 楊開潤 | Sugar Land, TX |
| 2018 | Jasmine Lee | 李萬莉 | San Francisco, CA |
| 2019 | Katherine Wu | 吳沛琳 | San Francisco, CA |
| Year | Miss Chinatown USA | Miss Chinatown USA | Origin City & State |
| 2020 | Lauren Yang | 楊若潤 | Sugar Land, TX |
| 2021 | Event cancelled | Event cancelled | Event cancelled |
| 2022 | Crystal Lee | 李詩濤 | Castro Valley, CA |
| 2023 | Ashlyn Tsui | 徐莊婕 | Redwood City, CA |
| 2024 | Tara Wong-Nash | 黃美華 | Foster City, CA |
| 2025 | Sidney Yee Siu | 肖美兰 | Hercules, CA |

## Progress in Miss Chinese International

| Year | Representative | Representing City & State | Placement/Progress in MCI | Placement in MCU | Year in MCU |
| 1988 | Tammy Lee | Seattle, WA | 1st Runner-Up | Tammy Lee (Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 1988) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1988. | Tammy Lee (Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 1988) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1988. |
| 1989 | Yu Ping Fan | Seattle, WA | Top 5 | Yu Ping Fan (unplaced in MCU 1989) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1989. | Yu Ping Fan (unplaced in MCU 1989) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1989. |
| 1990 | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held |
| 1991 | Deanna Leung | Seattle, WA | | Deanna Leung (unplaced in MCU 1990) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1990. | Deanna Leung (unplaced in MCU 1990) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1990. |
| 1992 | | | | | |
| 1993 | Stephanie Chang | Seattle, WA | Top 12 | Stephanie Chang (Miss Chinatown USA Third Princess 1992) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1992. | Stephanie Chang (Miss Chinatown USA Third Princess 1992) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1992. |
| 1994 | I-Man Chao | Seattle, WA | 2nd Runner-Up | I-Man Chao (Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 1993) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1993. | I-Man Chao (Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 1993) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1993. |
| 1995 | Susan Chao | Seattle, WA | | Susan Chao (unplaced in MCU 1994) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1994. | Susan Chao (unplaced in MCU 1994) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1994. |
| 1996 | Melissa M. Wu | San Francisco, CA | 1st Runner-Up | Winner | 1992 |
| 1996 | Winnie Young | Hong Kong, HK | Top 10 | Winnie Young (Miss San Francisco 1991) competed as Miss Hong Kong 1995. | Winnie Young (Miss San Francisco 1991) competed as Miss Hong Kong 1995. |
| 1996 | Wen Sun | Seattle, WA | | Wen Sun (unplaced in MCU 1995) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1995. | Wen Sun (unplaced in MCU 1995) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1995. |
| 1997 | Jamie Chou | San Francisco, CA | | Winner | 1995 |
| 1998 | Louisa Luk | San Francisco, CA | Winner | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 1997 |
| 1999 | Alice Tam | San Francisco, CA | | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 1994 |
| 1999 | Yan Wang | Seattle, WA | | Yan Wang (unplaced in MCU 1998) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1998. | Yan Wang (unplaced in MCU 1998) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 1998. |
| 2000 | Karen Chen | San Francisco, CA | | Winner | 1999 |
| 2001 | Valerie Foo | San Francisco, CA | | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2000 |
| 2002 | Pamela Woon | Seattle, WA | | Winner | 2001 |
| 2002 | Michelle Lum | San Francisco, CA | | 3rd Princess | 2001 |
| 2003 | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative |
| 2004 | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative |
| 2005 | Annie Chang | San Francisco, CA | Top 5 | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2004 |
| 2005 | Fala Chen | New York, NY | 1st Runner-Up | Fala Chen (Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 2003) competed as Miss Chinese New York 2005. | Fala Chen (Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce 2003) competed as Miss Chinese New York 2005. |
| 2006 | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative |
| 2007 | Louise Wu | San Francisco, CA | Top 10 | Winner | 2006 |
| 2008 | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative |
| 2009 | Ni Jiang | Seattle, WA | Top 5 | Winner | 2008 |
| 2009 | Louisa Liu | San Francisco, CA | | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2007 |
| 2010 | Amy Chu | San Francisco, CA | | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2009 |
| 2011 | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held | No Pageant Held |
| 2012 | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative |
| 2013 | Samantha Ark Chin | Seattle, WA | | Samantha Ark Chin (unplaced in MCU 2010) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 2007. | Samantha Ark Chin (unplaced in MCU 2010) competed as Miss Seattle Chinatown 2007. |
| 2014 | Amanda Lee | San Francisco, CA | | Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce (1st Runner-Up) | 2012 |
| 2015 | Leah Li | Seattle, WA | Top 3 in National Costume | Winner | 2013 |
| 2015 | Shirley Liu | San Francisco, CA | | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2014 |
| 2016 | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative | No Representative |
| 2017 | Stephanie Wong | San Francisco, CA | Top 10 Top 4 in Talent Performance | Winner | 2016 |
| 2018 | Rose Li | New York, NY | Winner | Rose Li (Miss Chinatown USA 2015) competed as Miss Chinese Beauty 2017 (formerly known as Miss Chinese New York). | Rose Li (Miss Chinatown USA 2015) competed as Miss Chinese Beauty 2017 (formerly known as Miss Chinese New York). |
| 2018 | Elisa Santos-Ko | San Francisco, CA | Top 10 Live Audience Most Liked Performance Award (Miss Talent) | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2017 |
| 2019 | Stephanie Wang | Honolulu, HI | 1st Runner-Up | Stephanie Wang (Miss Chinatown USA Second Princess 2017) competed as Miss Chinatown Hawaii 2017. | Stephanie Wang (Miss Chinatown USA Second Princess 2017) competed as Miss Chinatown Hawaii 2017. |
| 2019 | Maggie Huang | San Francisco, CA | | Miss San Francisco (2nd Runner-Up) | 2018 |
| 2020 | Pageant deferred to 2021 | Pageant deferred to 2021 | Pageant deferred to 2021 | Pageant deferred to 2021 | Pageant deferred to 2021 |