Skip to main content
A New Era of Leadership

Meet Our 2010
Queen and Court

2010 Miss Asian America Pageant
Tabitha Wong – Miss Asian Entrepreneur
Alexandra Calingo – Miss Asian Photogenic & Miss Asian Talent
Liza Chu – Miss Asian Congeniality
Angellica Yi – Miss Asian Scholastic Achievement & Miss Asian Popularity
Amanda Lee – Miss Asian First Princess & Miss Asian California
Sarah Liu – Miss Asian America
Nancy Kwong – Miss Asian Second Princess & Best in Ethnic Costume
Brijal Vadgama – Miss Asian Third Princess & Miss Asian San Francisco
Melanie Wong – Miss Asian Community Service

Sarah Liu

About the Reign

San Francisco August 7, 2010

SARAH LIU, 19, was crowned Miss Asian America at the 25th Annual Pageant held on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco.

more

Sarah Liu is a student of University of California, Berkeley Class of 2013 majoring in Business Administration. Working currently as a Financial Advisory Intern, she is from the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. She aspires to pursue a career in finance.

First runner up and Miss Asian California was Amanda Lee, 23, a 2009 graduate of San Francisco State University where she majored in Communications Studies and is currently a Client Services Representative. Second runner up and Best in Ethnic Costume, Nancy Kwong of Los Angeles is a USC graduate in business and a cutting- edge sustainable Packaging Project Director. Brijal Vadgama, 19 is a FIDM student and was crowned Third runner up and Miss Asian San Francisco.

Alexandra Calingo, 22, a UC Berkeley graduate in Anthropology was awarded Miss Photogenic and Miss Talent. Angellica Yi, 26, a Federal agent was crowned Miss Scholastic Achievement and Miss Popularity. Liza Chu was crowned Miss Congeniality. Coming from the Aloha State, Melanie Wong, 27, a Land Planner and a Doctor of Architecture was crowned Miss Community Service. And Tabitha Wong, 25, was crowned Miss Entrepreneur.

The competition is one of the longest running Asian American events in the United States. Twenty contestants from all over the United States competed, including contestants from Mississippi, Arizona, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Massachusetts, Florida, and California.

Historically, pageants play a crucial role in the immigrant experience of Chinese Americans in the West. After decades of mob rule, forced repatriation, and even lynchings which rocked San Francisco’s Chinatown, family associations (wui goon) and clan groups in San Francisco came together in the World War II period to begin a process of reconciling the community. Here were people that came to the understanding that America was to become home, and Chinatown the center of life. Opportunities to integrate with mainstream society were unprecedented the Chinese were fighting a war with Americans, side by side, and a sense of patriotism swept the community. It was during this tumultuous time that the Chinese utilized a uniquely American and popular medium the beauty pageant to celebrate and represent the community: pageantry.

Sarah Liu

Miss Asian America

  • Amanda Lee – Miss Asian First Princess & Miss Asian California
  • Nancy Kwong – Miss Asian Second Princess & Best in Ethnic Costume
  • Brijal Vadgama – Miss Asian Third Princess & Miss Asian San Francisco
  • Alexandra Calingo – Miss Asian Photogenic & Miss Asian Talent
  • Angellica Yi – Miss Asian Scholastic Achievement & Miss Asian Popularity
  • Liza Chu – Miss Asian Congeniality
  • Melanie Wong – Miss Asian Community Service
  • Tabitha Wong – Miss Asian Entrepreneur
Pageant Night and Activities

Treasured Memories

Photography by David Yu, Tina Do, & Kevin Nguyen

Each Delegate has a Story to Share

Meet the Delegates

Legacy Keepsakes

Commemorate Pageant Night

Saturday, August 7, 2010
Palace of Fine Arts
San Francisco, CA

Thank you to our event supporters

Our 2010 Sponsors

Alexandra Calingo
Filipina American · Age 22 · Greenbrae, CA

Angela Chan
Chinese American · Age 18 · Pleasanton, CA

Liza Chu
Vietnamese American · Age 19 · Stockton, CA

Rachanee Jaurequi
Thai American · Age 25 · Chandler, AZ

Nancy Kwong
Chinese American · Age 27 · Los Angeles, CA

Amanda Lee
Chinese American · Age 23 · Davis, CA

Susan Lin
Chinese American · Age 23 · Davis, CA

Sarah Liu
Chinese American · Age 19 · Fremont, CA

Helena Nguyen
Vietnamese American · Age 19 · Cupertino, CA

Kristie Nguyen
Vietnamese American · Age 25 · Garden Grove, CA

Mijin Park
Korean American · Age 23 · Philadelphia, PA

Dolene Simmalavong
Laotian American · Age 19 · San Francisco, CA

Sharon Song
Korean American · Age 23 · Colorado Springs, CO

Lisa Soohoo
Chinese American · Age 22 · Quincy, MA

Tiffany Tsui
Chinese American · Age 23 · San Francisco, CA

Brijal Vadgama
Indian American · Age 19 · Lincoln, CA

Yang Wang
Chinese American · Age 22 · Savannah, GA

Melanie Bow Yuk Wong
Chinese American · Age 27 · Honolulu, HI

Tabitha Wong
Chinese American · Age 25 · San Francisco, CA

Angellica Yi
Korean American · Age 26 · Concord, CA

Our Legacy

A Look Back at Our Past Queens & Delegates