Watch the recorded event here.
Ever since 1948 when Penny Wong became the first Miss Chinatown, hundreds of young women around the country have vied for the title to be recognized and serve as ambassadors of our Chinese culture and communities.
Join former Miss Chinatowns, Cynthia Yee (1967), Rose Chung (1981), Karen Yang (2017) and Lauren Yang (2020) Sunday, March 26, 2023, 6pm ET (3pm PT) as they share their experiences and perspectives on how the pageant has adapted to changes within Chinese American communities. Our conversation will be moderated by documentary film producer-director Felicia Lowe, Miss Congeniality (1965).
The short Documentary “Miss Penny Wong,” 13 minutes, will be available prior to and shown during the event. Registrants will receive a viewable link.
Cynthia Yee, Miss Chinatown SF 1967, is an active citizen of Chinatown and is the founder of the Grant Avenue Follies. Well recognized as an Ambassador of goodwill, Cynthia continues to project positive images of Chinese Americans and nourish talents in the community. Her creative gifts have helped tourists discover the unique Chinatown neighborhood as well as encourage locals that grew up in Chinatown to return.
Rose Chung, Miss Chinatown USA 1981, is a native of San Francisco Chinatown, the youngest daughter of five girls and raised by a widow who worked as a seamstress. Her childhood dream of becoming Miss Chinatown came true, and she continues her journey in pageantry by producing the Miss Asian Global Pageant which is going into its 38th year. After winning Miss Chinatown, doors opened for volunteering in the community including serving as Board Chair for APA Family Support Services, a board member of Portsmouth Square Garage, and as an officer in her family association. She is a retired radiologic technologist and keeps active by walking from Russian Hill to Chinatown to visit friends, buy fresh groceries, and to keeping up with the community.
Karen Yang, Miss Chinatown USA 2017 and Miss Chinatown Houston 2016, was born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, where the Chinese community played a huge role in shaping her upbringing and values. Karen attended Harvard, where she studied statistics and East Asian Studies and competed in the 2018 Miss Massachusetts pageant, placing second runner up. Karen now lives in New York City, where she works as a management consultant with fashion and beauty, economic development, and government clients. Karen is also heavily involved in the Asian American network at her company, particularly around the topics of racial equity and mental health awareness in the Asian community. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, fitness and nutrition, and exploring hole-in-the-wall restaurants and cafes in New York City.
Lauren Yang, Miss Chinatown USA 2020 and Miss Chinatown Houston 2019, was raised in Sugar Land, TX, and graduated as valedictorian of Dulles High School. She is a 2019 Coca-Cola Scholar and a 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholar. Lauren is currently a senior at Harvard pursuing a dual degree in Applied Mathematics and Sociology and writing an undergraduate thesis on the gender and racial implications of self-defense laws. Lauren has worked and volunteered for various organizations that address civil rights and liberties, gender-based violence, and refugee rights. Upon graduation, she will be working as a management consultant in Washington, DC. In her free time, she enjoys visiting art museums, studying at various coffee shops, and picking up the occasional tune on the piano.
Moderator Felicia Lowe is an award-winning independent media producer, director, and writer with more than forty years of production experience. Her documentaries: Chinese Couplets, Carved in Silence, Chinatown and China: Land of My Father reveal the unique experiences of Chinese in America while underscoring our common humanity. Lowe recently produced the animated video, A Journey Through Angel Island and led the creative team that produced seventeen videos for Sacramento's California Museum exhibit, Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories. In September 2022, Lowe was recognized by the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles as a History Maker and presented with the Societal Transformation Award for her body of work. In 1965, she was selected Miss Congeniality in the Miss Chinatown, USA pageant. A past board president of the Angel Island Immigration Foundation and descendant of Angel Island detainees, she is gratified to play a role in the preservation and restoration of this important National Historic Landmark.
David Uy is the Executive Director of the Chinese American Museum DC, the first and only museum in our nation’s capital dedicated to the Chinese American story. To learn more about the museum or to support its programs and initiatives, visit www.ChineseAmericanMuseum.org.
Watch the recorded event here.
Miss Penny Wong documentary is part of the documentary web series, Chinatown Shorts. Learn more at www.chinatownshorts.com
Learn more about the Miss Chinatown, USA pageant at https://www.misschinatownusa.org
If you would like to learn more about moderator Felicia Lowe's company, please visit www.lowedownproductions.com.
Follow the Grant Avenue Follies at http://grantavenuefollies.com.
This event is hosted by the Chinese American Museum DC and brought to you in collaboration with the Chinese North American History Network including:
Chinese American Museum DC
Museum of Chinese in America
Wing Luke Museum
Chinese American Museum of Chicago
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
Chinese American Heritage Foundation
Chinese American Citizens Alliance
Chinese Historical Society of America
Chinese American Museum Los Angeles
