nwasianweekly.com
Feb. 23, 2008

Photo by Joe Chen

Newly crowned 2008 Miss Chinatown USA, Ni Jiang (right), with her mother, Nancy Li.

It takes a village to raise a queen

Ni Jiang, of Bellevue, captured the crown of 2008 Miss Chinatown USA Feb. 16 in San Francisco, beating 13 other contestants.

Her victory surprised many, considering her age and her height. As the youngest contestant, Jiang, 19, outshone contestants as old as 26. And at 5 feet, 10 inches, Jiang was the tallest of the contestants.

While Jiang’s friends were excited and nervous during the announcement of the results of the pageant, according to Suana Chin, who was at the event, Jiang was calm and poised. Chin, co-chair of the Miss Chinese Seattle Pageant Committee, said her “heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would fall out” from the excitement.

It was only when Jiang heard her mother scream from the audience, “Jiang Ni, I love you!” that Jiang’s tears rolled down her cheeks, according to her mother, Nancy Li, who was also crying. Li was so moved by the whole experience that tears welled up her eyes when she shared the story with the Asian Weekly.

Immigrating to this country when she was 12, Jiang, a University of Washington student majoring in business, speaks and writes fluent Chinese. Her parents own the Seven Stars Pepper Restaurant on 12th Avenue South and South King Street.

Jiang’s talent was a Thai ethnic dance. With no foundation in Chinese dance, Hengda Li, (no relation to Nancy Li), trained her for six months from the basics.

Close to 30 family members and friends from Seattle, China and Hong Kong went to support Jiang at the Palace of Fine Arts theatre before a crowd of 400. Her 10-year-old sister, Shirley, designed signs to support Jiang during the pageant. Friends also held up signs and cheered for Jiang.

Christine Lee, owner of the Great Wall Mall, was at the pageant and said Jiang’s question-and-answer session was outstanding. Jiang’s question was how she could protect the environment. Jiang was able to give data to support her answer and listed specific ways to improve the environment.

Friends asked why Li was so calm when the master of ceremonies announced the first and second runners-up, while her daughter still had not been named. “Because in my heart, my daughter will always be the winner,” she said.

Li had ordered several Chinese costumes and tailor-made clothes for Jiang from Hong Kong and China. She said her daughter was lucky to have the famous Hong Kong designer Tse Bai Ming design her cheong sum (the Chinese national costume) through the connection of a friend. Tse doesn’t usually design for customers who give him less than a month’s notice. But he felt it was an honor to design for someone who had a chance to win such a prestigious title.

A waitress who works at Seven Stars Pepper said the amount of money Li spent in clothes and other preparations for the pageant probably exceeded the $10,000 scholarship award money received from the pageant.

Following tradition, Jiang and her court visited several Chinese family associations in San Francisco. Most of them gave her a 24-karat gold plaque pendant and red envelope of money, in addition to the jewelry she received from the pageant.

On Feb. 23, Jiang will head the court for the Chinatown parade, which draws as many as a quarter of a million watchers.

The day of the pageant, Feb. 16, was Shirley’s birthday and she told the Asian Weekly that her sister winning the Miss Chinatown USA title was the best birthday gift. Jiang’s accomplishment has inspired her little sister to start preparing for future pageants. Shirley is an accomplished pianist and dance performer.

Jiang was first runner-up and “Most Photogenic” in the Miss Chinese Seattle pageant last July. Samantha Chin (no relation to Suana), who won the Miss Chinese Seattle title, attended Jiang’s event and cried with joy when Jiang won.

Assunta Ng can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com

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