The History of Miss Chinatown U.S.A.

Miss Chinatown USA: An exhibit on the history and culture of the pageant on view at the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) in San Francisco through June, 30, 2007.

The Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) ushers in the Lunar New Year with - Miss Chinatown USA: An exhibit on the history and culture of the pageant on view through June 30, 2007.

For nearly a century, the Miss Chinatown pageant has been the crowning beauty achievement for many young Chinese American women. From its inception during the 1915 Panama-Pacific World Exposition's Chinatown Carnival festival to a 1940s "bathing beauty contest" fundraiser to its establishment by San Francisco's Chinese Chamber of Commerce as part of their Chinese New Year Festival in the 1950s, Miss Chinatown has been a steadfast tradition of glamour and grace.

When it officially went national in 1958, women from throughout the United States came to San Francisco to compete for prizes and scholarships in the annual contest. Featuring a combined beauty-talent-fashion and question-and-answer session, the pageant saw contestants performing Chinese folk-dances, ballet, painting, singing, or playing musical instruments. Throughout the 1960s, Miss Chinatown USA was the social event of the year for many Chinese Americans in San Francisco as they packed the sold-out event at the Masonic Auditorium, attended simulcasts in Chinatown, or eagerly listened on the radio.

Archival photos, gowns, shoes, tiaras, and other rarely seen and well-preserved items from past years are on view and the exhibition features interviews with Miss Chinatown queens, contestants, and pageant organizers. The opening coincides with the annual Miss Chinatown USA Pageant held on Saturday, February 24, at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts.

While promoting goodwill and tourism to the community, past participants have served as ambassadors of Chinese American heritage. Former Miss Chinatown USA contestants who are now highly visible include: Emmy-award television journalist Cynthia Gouw (1984); Hong Kong film director Crystal Lee Kwok (1987); Cantonese star Melissa Ng (1992); and Desperate Housewives actress Gwendoline Yeo (1998). No longer just a "bathing suit beauty" contest, the Miss Chinatown USA pageant has become a wide avenue for young women to distinguish themselves.

The Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) is the oldest and largest non-profit organization in the country dedicated to the documentation, study, and presentation of Chinese American history and culture. Since 1963, scholarly research and community involvement have sustained and promoted CHSA's institutional purpose.