Page 16 - Manila Up Vol3#7

GLASS TO FIL BY NAIIA LAJOIE

PAMELA SAGUINSIN cultural background; pageantry encourages inner
Asian American titleholders are no strangers to beauty and does not solely rely on the physicality of its
deriving a positive from their pan-ethnic identities. contestants. “Anyone can join a pageant. You don’t have
Philippine-born Pamela Saguinsin was raised in to be the ‘prettiest’ girl, the tallest girl, the skinniest
Oman, returned to the Philippines, and finally settled girl – you just need to have that personality within you
in the U.S. Her multiculturalism is responsible for her and that confidence”. Pamela is the current Miss FCC/
easy-going nature, which garnered her the title of Miss FACLA 2018 (Filipino Cultural Center and Filipino
Congeniality in the Binibining Pilipinas USA 2017 American Community of Los Angeles respectively).
pageant.
She was described as a mother figure by her pageant
sisters. “If you can help, help out. If you’re a blessing,
be a blessing to everybody else”. She goes on to assert JUANNE ELISHA AQUINO
that competing as an Asian American is not just about Juanne Elisha Aquino, also Philippine-born, spent
her childhood years in Africa and
the Philippines before relocating
to California at age 7, expands on
Pamela’s thoughts. “As an Asian
American, it’s really important to
embrace ALL of your backgrounds”.
The Binibining Pilipinas USA 2015
continues, “It’s important to keep an
open mind and an open heart towards
people because that’s the only way
we can really live in harmony with
everyone else”.

GAYLE VELASCO
In the case of first generation
American Gayle Velasco, a runner-
up for Miss Philippines USA 2018,
it was her mother who made the
journey to America, while pregnant
with Gayle. Through stories of her
mother’s struggles, she ascertained
that Filipinos were hard workers. She
applies that generational knowledge
and work ethic in her approach to
pageantry. Given this is her debut
into the pageant world where she is
met with a barrage of new challenges.
When faltering, she draws inspiration
from her mother’s hardships and
presses forward. “That’s something
that I really connect with from our
culture. That, I’m proud of”.

Pamela Saguinsin and Juanne Elisha Aquino

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