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The 25th Miss Asian American Pageant was held last night at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. Contestants came from around the country for an event that was actually much more than a beauty contest.

There were 22 contestants, ages 17 to 27, from across the country competing in the Miss Asian American Pageant and the winning lady was Sarah Liu was crowned Queen for 2010.

The pageant was started 25 years ago as a showcase of the culture, intelligence and talent of the women.

"What we're looking for is the person who has the potential or desire to become a community leader, a person who is confident, just really a caring and compassionate person," pageant founder and director Rose Chung said.

Chung was a former Miss Chinatown when she began the pageant in 1985. This spectacle is about opportunities, growth and inspiration.

It all culminates in the big night when a new Miss Asian America is crowned. It's about sense of community more than a beauty pageant. It is about social relevance.

More pictures by David Yu

The Asian-American community of Hmong women in California carries a stunning burden of cervical cancer and resulting mortality four times as high as non-Hispanic white women in California do.

In possibly the first study to document a baseline in the Hmong community for women undergoing screening for cervical cancer, researchers found that “only 74 percent have had a Pap test and only 61 percent have had this test within the past three years,” said lead author Dao Moua Fang.

“When you compare this with California women overall — at 91 percent and 86 percent respectively — there is great disparity,” said Fang, program manager at the Hmong Women’s Heritage Association in Sacramento.

Single, often American-born, educated, English-speaking Hmong women were least likely to get a Pap test. “Some are in denial, wanting the Pap test for their mothers — but not themselves.” Fang said. “Others are just unaware that they need a Pap test, because they were never advised to get one from their mothers or primary care physicians.”

This study, which appears in the August issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, includes all 402 women receiving services at the Heritage Association between mid-September and mid-December in 2006.

Many Hmong women avoid screening and even treatment for cervical cancer for numerous reasons, among them cultural barriers and stigma, said Fang, who is herself Hmong. “Older women are shy and find physical exams and invasive therapies embarrassing. But they also are afraid that their spouse might leave them if they are diagnosed with human papillomavirus, an abnormal Pap smear, cervical cancer or anything that suggests they might have been unfaithful. And if women are not unfaithful, then they suspect that their spouse might be.”

Because of this study, Fang and her colleagues developed a patient navigator program to make appointments, translate and provide one-on-one education about cervical cancer.

This is an important study, because there is a serious lack of data on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health, said Roxanna Bautista, chronic diseases program director at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

“The data that do exist usually lump us all together as Asians,” Bautista said. “This study demonstrates that keeping America’s women and families healthy starts with outreach and education programs that take into account differences in language and culture.”

According to the latest U.S. Census bureau report, about 206,000 Hmong live in the United States at this time.

Chinese-American designer, Jason Wu will not be showing his collection this season at New York Fashion Week’s new home.

Wu, who’s most well known for designing Michelle Obama’s gown at the President’s inauguration, has decided not to show at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. This is the first year Fashion Week is showing there. According to WWD, Wu and will be showing at 82 Mercer Street in Soho. Nicole Miller will also be showing at that location. No word on which other designers will follow suit.