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Volume 13, Issue #3. Published on February 28, 2005
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Photo courtesy of Miss Chinatown USA Pageant
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People throughout the country compete for Miss Chinatown.
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AND THE WINNER IS... MISS CHINATOWN USA
Carol Chen is crowned Miss Chinatown at Palace of Fine Arts
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Harim Martinez
Asian Pacific Review
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Continuing an almost half-century Chinese American tradition, Carol Chen was crowned Miss Chinatown USA 2005 at San Francisco's famed Palace of Fine Arts on Feb 18, 2005. A native Texan, Chen beat out other contestants with a combination of talent, poise and intelligence to become the 47th woman to earn the crown.
In this yearly Lunar New Year celebration, cities from all over the country, such as New York and Houston, sent eligible candidates to compete for top honors and prizes, including a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to Asia. This year approximately 1,000 enthusiastic onlookers rooted for the contestants.
Andrew Ishibashi, the principal of George Washington High School, took pride in alumni Flora Wang who won the title of Miss San Francisco Chinatown. "I have seen her around the school," he exclaimed. "Wow!"
Charlene Wang, Miss Chinese Chamber of Commerce who also won the title of Miss Asian America for 2004, said it was a personal tradition for her. "I attended the Chinatown pageant 10 years ago (age 13)," she reminisced. "I followed it and wanted to participate."
Chen's royal court includes Princesses Melissa Yen-Ching Lo, Nicole Chiu, Karen Wong and Dana-Li Dung.
Stories of beauties and legends such as the Moon Goddess have always been part of Chinese literature and history for over four thousand years. It was only after World War II that public acclamation of grace, beauty and talent became an official event.
In 1948, a Chinese organization, at a July 4th picnic, had a "Miss Chinatown" bathing beauty contest. This continued through 1952. In 1953, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce combined the contest with the Chinese New Year Festival.
Since it was a local competition, up through 1957, the title was given only to San Francisco women.
Pat Kan, daughter of restaurateur Johnny Kan, was crowned the first "Miss Chinatown," of 1953. Her first publicity photo, used by wire services internationally, showed her not wearing a traditional cheong-sam, but a string of firecrackers.
By 1958, the Chinese New Year Festival reached a huge level of popularity, enjoyed by not only local San Franciscans, but from visitors from many parts of the country as well. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce decided to convert the local contest into a national one, renaming the event "Miss Chinatown, U.S.A. Pageant."
The pageant is a combined beauty, talent, fashion and quiz show. In the first competition, held in a Chinese theater, beauty suits were taboo. In the talent contest, contestants perform folk-dances, sing, or play musical instruments.
Physical beauty, is naturally considered, but personality and some understanding of Chinese language and customs are additionally judged. Many of the contestants come from areas around the country where very few Chinese people live, so they may be coached phonetically to answer questions in Chinese. Key questions are asked in both Chinese and English.
Every autumn the Chinese Chamber of Commerce begins the search for contestants. Chinese organizations, business groups and colleges are invited to send competitors. Many cities send their own local contest winner to San Francisco to compete.
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