Charlotte Peng 彭与涵

miss los angeles chinatown - 2nd princess

At 20 years old, Charlotte Peng is pursuing a graduate degree in Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California, aiming to channel her business knowledge into advocacy and create positive change through sustainable ventures. She also holds a B.A. in Communications and Public Relations from Loyola Marymount University.
Charlotte’s journey extends beyond academics; she has been a fashion model for four years and recently signed with Wilhelmina Models. Charlotte believes that modeling is a powerful way to celebrate self-expression and individuality. She’s walked runways at LA Fashion Week and OC Fashion Week, and has been featured in over 20 magazines.
To Charlotte, pageantry is more than just a stage—it’s a platform for change, resilience, and authenticity. She joined Miss LA Chinatown to support Chinese Americans through assimilation, promote understanding, and celebrate our diverse American identity.

Catherine Hang

2020 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown - 2nd princess

Hello, my name is Catherine Hang. Going into the Miss Los Angeles Chinatown 2020 competition, my platform was primarily focused on Asian American representation in American and Western media. Growing up, it wasn’t common to see Asians in American film, and because of that, I always felt as though Asians didn’t belong in media. It wasn’t until after the premier of 'Crazy Rich Asians' when I realized that Asian Americans deserve the same opportunities to express themselves in the mainstream industry. As Second Princess, I hope to set a good example for the Chinese community and be a positive role model kids could look up to. I want to use my voice to encourage younger Chinese Americans to pursue their dreams; big or small. As a vocalist, my goal is to help young individuals appreciate the importance of art, education, and perseverance. 
After searching through different organizations, I decided to work with Chinatown Community for Equitable Development because I appreciate their vision to maintain cultural integrity throughout the city, and their dedication towards quality education in their community. As a multi-ethnic and intergenerational organization, CCED aims to create a space where members are acknowledged for their individualism regardless of cultural or ethnic background. The demographic of Chinatown is constantly changing, but it’s reassuring to know that CCED has the community’s best interest in mind. The small city will always have a special place in my heart, so I’m glad I could find an organization dedicated to preserving its beauty. I have not yet had the opportunity to personally volunteer with CCED, but I plan to in the near future. I'm excited for what's to come, and although things may not have gone as planned, I'm excited for my remaining time on Court. Thank you!

Sela Wang

2019 miss los angeles chinatown - 2nd princess

2017 Second Princess, Sabrina Kaing

Born and raised in Alhambra, the last stop on her parents' harrowing journey from war-torn Cambodia to a land of peace and polla asada fries, Sabrina Kaing is the youngest of three children and still trying to achieve all the hopes and dreams that carried her family from afar. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in International Studies: Economics, Communications, and Chinese studies which, in addition to reinforcing how terrible she was at math, added perspective to the stories she had heard growing up, but both from her parents and from the people she had met while traveling the world with them. But it was those stories that impacted Sabrina most, connecting her with her roots and a constant reminder that the bigger (global) picture is still a mosaic of individuals and communities that also need to thrive. Sabrina yearns to be the ambassador for one such community here at home, Chinatown, to better understand how to become one for the larger Chinese-American community - most especially its women in the professional workplace. In her spare time, Sabrina loves rock climbing, drinking tea, contemplating whether she is too old to start figure skating again and listening to the rain. Her deepest shame is not knowing how to swim. In California. Working right next to the ocean.

Clarissa Liu is from the serene city of Walnut, California. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. During her academic years at USC, she was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad in Hong Kong, where she fulfilled a concentration in International Business. The time she spent abroad allowed her to form a deeper connection with her Chinese heritage, which opened her eyes to a culture that seemed so familiar yet so foreighn at the same time. She currently works in Banking Supervision and Regulation for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch, where she interacts with many Asian financial institutions. Her experiences at work and abroad helped her understand the importance that Asian-Americans play in maintaining relationship between the United States and Asia. These experiences motivated her to participate in the Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Pageant as a way to become deeper involved with the Chinese community and serve as a role model for other Chinese Americans like herself.

Dorothy Wong has lived in the quiet city of Diamond Bar since the age of five. She graduated from UC Irvine in Spring of 2012 with B.A. in Business Administration, double-specializing in Marketing and General Management. Aside from her academic endeavors, she was an active member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. As the philanthropy chair, she and her committee raised over $7,000 for CampFire USA, a non-profit youth organization for underprivileged children thatdevelops self-esteem, positive characteristics, and leadership skills. In the future, she hopes to continue to pursue activities and/or a career that will allow her to inspire younger generations and to help them grow with a positive and ambitious outlook. Currently, she is a sales manager for a German cosmetics company but has hopes of entering an MBA program this Fall. During her free time, Dorothy enjoys dancing, playing badminton, taking small adventures to Disneyland, and participating in obstacle course challenges.

Christina graduated from UC San Diego in 2010 earning her Bachelor's Degree with dual concentration in Mathematics and Economics and is currently involved in Healthcare Finance. She believes in open-mindness that we're not created to do everything, but we may not know our potential until we try different things. During her free time, she enjoys playing and watching sports, exploring new places to eat, networking, and managing her savings so that she can someday retire early to spend more time with friends and family and to travel and explore the world!

She feels strong and grateful for her Chinese heritage and her ancestors. The gift of legacy is evident when you value and consider it as a gift passed on to the next generation of your family. Being one of the first ABC in her family, it is knowing the sacrifice that her family made and the struggles with poverty, that she is truly able to appreciate the family, friends, and life that she is blessed with today.

2012 Second Princess, Jane Yap

Jane Yap was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the only daughter of Siong Yap and Bee Leong. Her interest and passion in leadership was developed at an early age when she was elected president of her elementary school in sixth grade. She has been involved in student government ever since. She has demonstrated her ability to plan and coordinate large scale events and programs. She is good in motivating her peers. Jane is currently a fourth year student at the University of California, Riverside. She has completed the University Honors Program and is majoring in Accounting and Financial Economics. As a student employee for UCR Housing Services, she utilized her leadership abilities by putting large scale events as a program coordinator in her second year and serves as a mentor and leader to first year students in her current role as resident advisor, a duty she proudly took on in her third year. After graduation, Jane will work to achieve her CPA and start full-time with Ernst & Young LLP. Her long-term career goal is to become an entrepreneur by starting her own business. Jane enjoys the company of her family, friends, trying new foods, bargain shopping , traveling, and supporting the Los Angeles Lakers. She is grateful to all her family, friends, and mentors for supporting her throughout her life and is excited to have their support as she goes through this experience.

Jane Sha

Jane Sha was born in Guangzhou, China and immigrated to the States at a young age. In June of 2010, Jane received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.  During her 4 years in college, Jane dedicated her time to China Care Bruins, a student group focused on mentoring Chinese American youth in the surrounding communities. She assumed a leadership role as Youth Coordinator, successfully starting a program that helps pre-teenage girls adopted from China develop positive self image and identity.

Currently, Jane is employed as a financial analyst for Northrop Grumman Corporation. Having an interest in entertainment, Jane pursued internships at Warner Bros. and Fox and aspires to delve back into the industry in the future. Always excited to experience new places, Jane spent a semester studying abroad at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where she made lifelong friends. She enjoys traveling, photography, musicals, dancing and nature. Jane thanks her family and friends for their unconditional love and continuous support.

Dow-Ning Kuo

2010 Miss los angeles chinatown - 2nd princess & miss photogenic

The past 8 months as second princess on the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Miss Los Angeles Chinatown court has truly opened my eyes and taught me a lot about the Chinese community and where I fit in as a Chinese American. From Chinese New Year events such as the LA Firecracker Run and the Golden Dragon Parade that showcases the rich history and spirit of Chinatown, to events that have expanded my Chinese American Network such meeting the successful businessmen of Hong Kong Benevolent Association Dinner or elected Asian American politicians, I have truly experienced the pride in being Chinese-American.

Not only has the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Miss LA Chinatown allowed us to grow culturally and personally, they have also given us the opportunity to give back to the community. By participating in events such as the APEX Youth Olympics, we were able to support and guide our younger generations. In addition, we were also able to raise money through raffle tickets for the many Chinatown Family Associations, as well as the Chinatown Public Safety Association. Although I was unable to attend the trip to China with the other court members, I still feel that the experiences here have changed me. Meeting so many successful Asian Americans who have broken stereotypes and racial barriers has taught me to always be persistent and follow my dreams. Anything is possible! In addition, the opportunity to be a goodwill ambassador and give back to my community makes me realize my fortunes and the importance of sharing it with others. I try to live by the saying, “Life is not about the number of breaths we take, but moments that take our breath away.” And, participating in Miss LA Chinatown has definitely taken my breath away.