Twenty-four-year-old Louise Wu, a Chinese American from Fremont, Calif., and Miss Chinatown USA 2006, was crowned Miss Asian America 2007 at the Palace of Fine Arts on Saturday. The runner-up princesses were Tiffani Frances Mah, Ayushka Singh Gharib and Amy Chu.

Twenty-one contestants from across the United States competed for the title of Miss Asian America by putting their best foot forward in the categories of Ethnic Costume/Self Introductions, Swimsuit, Evening Gown, Talent and Speech Presentation.

President and pageant founder Rose Chung said she hoped the pageant was not only a “much needed platform to project the voices of our community nationwide, but [would] also connect Asian America with Asia and the world.”

Now in its 22nd year, the pageant began with introductions from the contestants dressed in the traditional garb of the country of their ethnic heritage. The talent presentation showcased instrumental and vocal performances, traditional and contemporary dance, as well as a sword demonstration by contestant Amy Chu to the music of Evanescence. From Wu’s Spanish jazz dance performance to a piano rendition of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” to a stage exit with the “moonwalk” in heels, the talent portion of the pageant reflected the diverse interests and talents of the contestants.

Miss Asian America 2006, Jennifer Field, presented her crown to the next titleholder. In her farewell message, she described her personal growth through her experiences as Miss Asian America, which included visits to aboriginal tribes in Taiwan’s villages, as well as speaking at length with U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow in South Korea.

The pageant’s judges included: Jim Black, president and director of First National Bank; Purnima Jha, founder and artistic director of Dance and Rhythm of India; entrepreneur and philanthropist Man Kim; Nicha Kittitanaphan, producer of Macy’s West largest event productions; Lisa Lee, AsianWeek’s “Yin-Yang” columnist; Michael Toshio Nakamura, founder of Michael Toshio International; and Elizabeth Vo, Princess Asian USA 2006.

Sugar Bowl Bakery, Iridesse Pearls, La Princesse Salon and Spa, Monster cable and AsianWeek were among the top sponsors of the pageant.