SYNOPSIS
"Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown"
Three Women Set Out to be Miss Chinatown, and Wound Up Finding Themselves
Ever since the very first Miss Chinatown was crowned in 1958, the
titleholder has been a highly recognizable Asian American icon at once
admired and reviled. At the center of the storm are the women themselves,
who get just a few seconds to speak on stage. What are these women really
like? Who are they beneath the glossy facade?
Set against the backdrop of glittering crowns, colorful dresses, and lively
dance music in one of the oldest and biggest ethnic pageants in the United
States, "Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown" features the intimate stories of some
unforgettable young women who vie for the title Miss Los Angeles Chinatown,
while struggling to define themselves in two cultures with different values
and expectations. The crown is a link to the past, while the women's lives
are a sign of the changing times.
A beautiful and poised teacher is the perfect candidate but a disappointment
in her father's eyes because her boyfriend is African American; a half
White, half Chinese tomboy joins the pageant because she thinks it will make
her more Chinese. Meanwhile, a Miss Chinatown imposter shows up around town
- she wears a sash and gown, but sports a cigar, granny glasses, and tells
bad jokes. Turns out she is really performance artist Kristina Wong, who
grew up in the shadow of Miss Chinatown but found that she could never live
up to this ideal image. If she couldn't beat them, she figured, she would
still join them.
Documentary cameras follow the lives of these three subjects for several
years, at a pivotal time as they are just starting to find out who they are
as women. As the drama of their lives unfold, so do frank conversations
about about romantic relationships, familial dynamics, body image, mental
health, career, and identity. What emerges are some of the rarely heard
voices of young Asian American women at the turn of the 21st century.
World Premiere at the Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival on Saturday,
May 3rd, at 4pm To purchase tickets, go to
<http://www.vconline.org/festival/program.cfm?program_id=15>
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