Cecilia Chiang
When Cecilia Chiang (September 18, 1920-October 28, 2020) arrived in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1960, authentic Chinese food was difficult to find. What was seen in the United States as Chinese food (dishes like moo goo gai pan and chop suey) was completely foreign to her. Even after retiring, the imperial Chiang still commanded authority. “I don’t like to follow, I like to do something different,” Chiang said.
Cecilia Chiang
Leanza Cornett
When she entered the Miss Florida pageant in 1992, Leanza Cornett (June 10, 1971-October 28, 2020) had already volunteered for Serenity House, a pediatric foster home for children with AIDS in Orlando. She proposed AIDS prevention when asked what cause she wanted to support if she were to win. Local pageant directors asked if she would reconsider the cause she would be supporting, to which she replied that she wouldn’t. In 1993, she was named Miss America after winning Miss Florida and became the first pageant winner to make her platform conscious of AIDS.
Leanza Cornett
