Grace Ellzey 玉龙平

2024 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown - Miss Friendship

Born in Shenzhen and adopted as a baby, Grace has lived in LA ever since. While she never learned Chinese, her love for Chinese culture has always been strong—whether it’s watching Chinese TV shows on YouTube or enjoying meals at her favorite Chinese restaurant. She’s proud of her birth country and where she comes from!
Serving as Miss Friendship has given Grace the opportunity to be a leader and proudly represent the Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce, while upholding the rich values and history of Chinatown’s vibrant community.
When a friend suggested she compete in Miss LA Chinatown, Grace saw it as a meaningful way to represent the thousands of children adopted from China, just like her. It’s been an honor to serve on the 2024 Court alongside inspiring women who share her passion for leadership, community, and friendship.

Esther Ho 何詠璋

2024 miss los angeles chinatown - miss friendship

Esther is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities, dedicating her career to breaking cycles of generational poverty as a program coordinator for a growing nonprofit. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Cal Poly Pomona and an M.A. in Linguistics from Cal State Long Beach, and is currently training for her Community Counselor Certification in Watts to better serve her community.
In her downtime, Esther enjoys cooking for loved ones, cuddling with her cat, reading fantasy novels, and adding to her rock collection. But her favorite part of being on the Miss LA Chinatown Court? The unbreakable bonds she’s formed with her fellow court members.
Esther joined the pageant to amplify the voices of her community and bring accessibility to elders, especially after becoming the primary caretaker for her father. She’s been volunteering with local Chinese American organizations since she was 13 and applied to MLAC to continue serving with her newfound passions.
The CCCLA has been a cornerstone of Chinese American history in LA, and Esther deeply values their commitment to preserving cultural traditions and supporting local businesses.

Kathryn Yip 葉天恩

2024 miss los angeles chinatown - miss friendship

Kathryn is a Hospitality Management student at Cal Poly Pomona, set to graduate in May 2025. Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Kathryn was deeply moved when she connected with other Chinese Americans, discovering a deeper understanding of her heritage. This experience sparked her passion for community service and spreading awareness of Chinese culture, particularly within underprivileged communities.
Her favorite part of being on the 2024 Miss LA Chinatown court? Making a difference in underprivileged communities and bringing attention to the issues that matter. Kathryn encourages everyone to get involved in service because together, we can create lasting change.
From admiring Miss Hong Kong pageants with her mother to embracing leadership through MLAC, Kathryn’s journey celebrates both culture and courage. She believes in the power of community and is beyond grateful for this opportunity to serve alongside the incredible 2024 court.

Nicole Moc

2020 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown - Miss Friendship

I am most concerned about the state of the world we are leaving to our future generations, which is why I championed the platform of sustainability. My carbon footprint, our deteriorating environment, and integrating sustainability into everyday life have always been concerns of mine. Overconsumption of single-use plastics, wasteful fast-fashion practices in the fashion industry, and excessive burning of fossil fuels are just a few contributors to our declining environment...the list is endless! The most vulnerable are recovering countries who do not have the access/ability to outsource resources that industrialized countries have. Coming from a first-world country, most of our communities around us may not sense the urgency of this issue because we have not been heavily affected yet, but the environmental crisis affects many U.S. citizens disproportionately everyday. An example is how the pollution surrounding many large cities like Los Angeles can cause medical issues like asthma in children growing up in neighboring, poorer communities and those living in these communities often cannot afford the proper medical care needed to sustain a safe, and healthy life. Environmental advocacy is not separate from working towards social justice because we all live under the same sky and breathe the same air. Humans need to practice more sustainability to preserve our environment and ensure that the generations that come after us will still have access to the natural, finite resources that we had. And so, I had selected the Sierra Club Foundation to be my nonprofit, a California based grassroots environmental organization that provides funding to a variety of organizations nationwide with a shared environmental goal. 
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted why we need to fight for environmental justice, now more so than ever.  A side effect of quarantining ourselves to stop the spread of the virus has been a reduction in carbon emissions on a global level, reducing a large portion of smog and pollution in many major cities. It also showed us how imperative accessibility to clean outdoor environments are to mental health. While in quarantine, our connection to the outdoors was cut off in fear of easily transmitting and spreading the deadly virus. What happened in turn was many people yearning to be outside again, be it a walk alongside the beach, playing in the park, or camping in the vast wilderness of national parks. Environmental justice has always been about the connection of people with the land, so we must continue to fight to preserve our natural resources in any way we can, no matter how small the action. 
Events in 2020 have brought out the best and worst in us as we continue to learn how to navigate these unprecedented events. The pandemic hit the Asian and Asian American community so hard that the Federal Bureau of Investigations issued a warning announcing an increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. 2020 has been a true test of humanity. Even though the amount of violence and ethically immoral behavior has exponentially grown in the Asian American community and other BIPOC communities like the increase in police brutality on our black and brown brothers and sisters, so has community work and grassroots movements. More and more people are taking the time to help their neighbors and strangers from across the country, such as donating food to an unparalleled unemployment population and donating PPE to healthcare professionals so that they can protect themselves while fighting for the lives our citizens, because at the core of our humanity is compassion and empathy above all else. That is why over the next year as Miss Friendship, I hope to not only advocate for sustainable lifestyles/choices, but to offer my full support in projects that our court members may partake in for their platforms to serve the community

Barbra Wong

2019 miss los angeles chinatown - miss friendship

Born in Guangdong, China, Ana Chen moved to Los Angeles, California at the young age of 8. Moving to a completely new environment was difficult, and her biggest challenge became one from within: would she stick to her Chinese roots or abandon them for an American identity? By constantly learning and taking the time for personal growth, she realized that she did not have to choose sides. Her unique background became her greatest strength. Through volunteering with her community in Chinatown, she had the opportunity to provide assistance for those linguistically isolated and bridged the gap between two cultures. By combining her love for medicine and passion for helping her community, she pursued a degree in Nursing at Mount St. Mary's University. Ana is currently working as a Registered Nurse in a long-term acute care hospital. Her professional interest focus on providing excellent patient care and advocating for under-served minorities with minimal health literacy.  

Tracy Jung

Tracy Connie Jung was born at Pacific Alliance Medical Center in Chinatown. She was raised in Van Nuys and then later moved to South Pasadena, where she currently resides. Tracy works as a Senior Assistant Buyer for a fashion manufacturing company in Downtown Los Angeles and is currently studying to receive a degree in Business Administration. She hopes to start her own business in the near future. Tracy loves exploring different parts of Los Angeles and spends her free time trying out new restaurants, activities, and social events with her family and friends. Tracy is a wanderlust who was traveled all around the world including South Korea, Singapore, France, England, Switzerland, Thailand, the Netherlands, and her parent's home country, China. She also has plans to explore more of China in order to gain a deeper understanding of her roots. She entered the Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Pageant in order to get in touch with her Chinese-American community she was born into and cherishes with all her heart. 

Becky Lam was raised in the beautiful suburb of San Dimas. She graduated from Laguna College of Arts & Design in May 2013, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. During her time at LCAD, she attained the leadership role of Student Body President, where she was able to coordinate student events that encouraged participation in activities such as volunteering within the community. It was through her leadership position that she developed an aspiration to explore and be more involved with the city she calls her home. Having had the incredible support from her family and friends in her pursuit of art, she is currently in the process of publishing her first children's book. With this passion in art, she hopes to use her talent as an inspiring revelation that creativity can also be healing and an innovation beyond entertainment purposes for the ever-changing culture of Los Angeles. In addition to her accomplishments, Becky enjoys volunteering, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets.

Elizabeth An is pursuing her Master's Degree in Educational & Clinical Counseling at Azusa Pacific University after attaining her Bachelor's in English. She works as a residential counselor at a facility for at-risk young women and children. Her desire to help the youth has spanned from over seven years of tutoring in the San Gabriel Valley to Hong Kong where she volunteered to teach English upon completing her undergraduate studies. Elizabeth aspires to become a middle school or high school counselor. She hopes to help mold her future students into good people, assist them in their personal problems, and lend a helping hand in achieving their personal and professional goals. Throughout the past few years, Elizabeth has stayed active in the community by volunteering and fundraising for different philanthropic organizations that benefit cancer research and at risk youths in the area. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys cooking, traveling, baking, and spending time with her loved ones.

Stacey Cheung was born and raised in the beautiful suburb of San Marino. She graduated with a double major in Economics and Chinese from UCLA. In her leisure, she enjoys travelling, dancing, and volunteering. Her outgoing personality and inclination to be a positive role model inspired Stacey to be an active member of the American Cancer Society, a Resident Assistant at UCLA, and a mentor for young adopted children from China. Stacey finds personal strength in the words of wisdom taught by her parents, one motto being, "Nothing in life worth having come easy." It is through her parents' support and compassion that have given her the confidence to accomplish anything she puts her mind to. She is now currently working full-time as a Customer Service Manager at Update International, a leading supplier in the food service industry, and pursuing her MBA at USC's Marshall School of Business.

Elizabeth Yan

2010 Miss los angeles chinatown - Miss Friendship