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MISS KOREA CROWNED MISS
ASIA USA 2008
Miss Asia USA 2008 – 20th Annual Cultural
Pageant – Alex Theatre
 Record
heat could not keep an anxious crowd of over 1400 people from filling
the Alex Theatre on Saturday night to see who would be crowned Miss Asia
USA 2008. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as the premiere pageant for
young Asian women in the USA, the Miss Asia USA 2008 Cultural Pageant
once again played to another sold out audience. Electricity filled the
air as 31 beautiful, intelligent and talented young Asian-American women
proudly represented various countries from around the Asian continent.
Throughout the show, they dazzled the audience and judges with their
eye-popping national costumes, Scala eveningwear, Malibu Girl swimwear
and evening gowns as they vied for the coveted title of Miss Asia USA
2008.
 After
five categories of intense competition, our distinguished panel of
judges selected the stunning 26 year old Diane Yoo representing Korea to
be the Queen. Inspired by her interest in diverse cultures and deeply
held belief in cross-cultural unity, Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sociology from the prestigious Baylor University and also
attended the Mayo Hill School of Modeling. She calls Houston, Texas home, where she
is Vice-President of Business Development of JDDA Concessions Management
at the Houston Intercontinental Airport. Because she believes so strongly in
honoring her civic and social responsibilities, Diane dedicates herself
to assisting her others through charitable work and political
involvement. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to inspire and
organize others to serve with her.
Appointed as the Asian Community Liaison
and Special Projects Director by the Houston City Council, Diane
successfully organized numerous volunteer and fundraising efforts within
the Korean community as well as with members of many other minority
communities. She earned special honors from the Texas House of
Representatives and the Houston City Council for her dedication and
contributions to the Asian and other minority communities.
 Diane
also was given recognition for her efforts to assist victims of the
Hurricane Katrina Disaster working with Houston Mayor Bill White’s
Command Center. Expanding her political involvement on a national level,
Diane contributed towards a draft legislative bill initiated by
Congressman Mike Honda of California to provide disaster relief services
affecting the Asian community nationally.
Currently she is a representative for the
Asian American Giving Circle, a founding member of Korean Young
Professionals, and a Board Member of the Korean Chamber of Commerce.
When she finally had a chance to catch her breath after the pageant,
Diane said; “Being crowned Miss Asia USA 2008 means so much to me
because this incredible pageant represents so much that I believe in
about unifying our various cultures.
To serve as the Ambassador of Culture and
Goodwill among all the Asian communities is an honor and welcome
responsibility, and I truly look forward to fulfilling it with all my
heart and dedication.” In keeping with her commitment to fulfilling this
responsibility, Diane's future plans include relocating to Los Angeles.
“The title Miss
Asia USA is earned through dedication, hard work and the demonstration
of self-confidence, intelligence, beauty and elegance,” according to
Virgelia Villegas, President of Virgelia Productions, Inc and the
producer and director of Miss Asia USA. Diane Yoo showed the judges and
the audience that she has all of those qualities in abundance. We are
proud to have her representing the mission of Miss Asia USA to unite the
communities of the 58 countries of the Asian continent because has
already proven to be an outstanding role model for young Asian women in
America. Her total commitment was what impressed me the most. Even
though she lives in Houston, she never missed a rehearsal or pre-pageant
event. It takes that kind of dedication to earn the crown. I look
forward to introducing her to all the Asian communities this coming
year.”
Virgelia went on
to say, “I am extremely pleased and proud of all of our wonderful
delegates and I offer them my sincerest gratitude for their
participation and hard work. Our 20th Anniversary was unforgettable,
and we couldn’t have done it without them. The same is true for our
generous sponsors, our staff and our fantastic hosts, Pilar Lastra and
Hector Luis Bustamante.”
Virgelia also
announced the Queen’s Court and the winners of the special recognition
awards:
Brittany Chen –
Miss Taiwan – 1st Runner-up
Linda Tram Nguyen – Miss Vietnam – 2nd Runner-up
Liane Valenzuela – Miss Philippines – 3rd Runner-up
Tamanno Kamiljanova – Miss Uzbekistan – 4th Runner-up
Best National
Costume – Diane Yoo – Miss Korea
Miss Photogenic – Chanita Thinrat – Miss Thailand
Miss Congeniality – Ouch Chourp – Miss Cambodia
Miss Popularity – Brittany Chen – Miss Taiwan
Miss Friendship – Sophia Garsevanian – Miss Armenia
Award of Courage – Ayako Kosuge – Miss Japan
The newly crowned
Miss Asia USA 2008 has already received an official invitation from the
Consul General for the Republic of Korea to participate in a cultural
tour of her country of heritage. Details of the official visit have not
yet been finalized and will be made available in the near future.
About Virgelia
Productions Inc.
Virgelia Productions, Inc., often referred
to as “Queen-maker,” is a professional full-service event planner and
producer of: Miss Asia USA, Miss Latina Global, Mrs. Asia USA and Miss
Teen Asia USA. We are committed to delivering creative, high quality and
memorable events that will continue to surpass expectations. For more
information about our upcoming events, please contact:
Virgelia
Productions, Inc.
14300 Terra Bella Street, Suite 19
Panorama City, California 91402
Tel: 818-891-5556
Fax: 818-830-7691
Email:
virgelia@missasiausa.org
Website:
www.missasiausa.org |
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