Tiffany Chang (張芳瑜) is a force to be reckoned with. Crowned Miss Taiwanese American in 2022, she made history last year as the first Taiwanese winner of Miss Asia USA. She’s also a STEM student at Stanford and an aspiring philanthropist — the kind of impressive accolades that has earned her the moniker “light of Taiwan.”
At the end of March, Chang returned to Taipei, to “see the people that support me because ultimately that’s what made me win.”
She says her Taiwanese supporters shower her with praise: “you inspire us, and you make us feel proud of our Taiwanese heritage,” making her “feel proud and sort of validated that I’m doing the right thing.”
Photo: Hollie Younger
Following our preliminary interview, I spent a Saturday morning at a meet-and-greet for her; I needed to see for myself, who are these 47,000 Instagram followers? Who are her adoring Taiwanese fans? I anticipated bright-eyed young girls proclaiming their adulation for their role model, inspired by Tiffany’s grace, intelligence, kindness.
The reality? I am met by a troupe of gangling, bespectacled gamer boys. The sort that look like they rarely pry themselves away from their computer screen. As I reluctantly pose for selfies — my face filtered beyond all recognition — they claim to value Chang’s personality and intelligence. Hmmm.
In the bookstore of a Buddhist center, the event is hastily arranged, attended by some journalists but mostly Tiffany’s nearest and dearest: parents, grandma, her LA posture coach and Vera Yang, organizer of Miss Taiwanese American, not to be confused with the fashion designer.
Photo: Hollie Younger
Front and center is Chang’s mother, Lucy Huang: the ultimate helicopter parent. I noted her presence at our earlier interview, chiming in to name-drop President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and today she’s certainly no wallflower, parading for the newscasters and working the room like a true professional. During Chang’s speech, she barks cues like her personal teleprompter, before it’s her turn to grab the mic. Transcending your typical Tiger Mom, Chang’s performance is a work of art written and directed by her mother.
Treating the event as makeup artist audition, one attendee wields a well-used dirty sponge and packs thick stage powder onto my cheeks, and those of Chang and her mother. We share a moment of stunned silence, too mortified to protest. She’s using the same lipstick on all three of us, for God’s sake.
Next in the circus parade, an older lady in a bedazzling fuchsia dress and wide-brim sunhat, jostling herself, smiling for the camera, into any attempt at a candid shot of Tiffany. She’s here to promote her daughter’s pageant dream and spares no detail, from her prodigy’s conception to her zither-playing proficiency.
I spot two girls towards the back. Could they be my bright-eyed young fangirls? Nope, more Instagram it-girls, cheerleaders for Brothers baseball team. One identifies as a pageant queen herself. Now, I’m no expert, but her next endeavor is a pageant that surely nobody has heard of. They pout and peace-sign for a selfie with our VIP, and luckily for them Chang later shares it on Instagram. Nice work girls.
Now, the question on everyone’s lips: are there any actual fans at this thing? Yes, and some dedicated ones at that. According to staff, they arrived an hour early, not including Chang’s 30-minute delay. But Chang takes one look at our gaggle of socially inept, and balks.
Their meet-and-greet finally arrives, 10 minutes before Chang is rushed to her next engagement. They pose with sweaty palms pressed against hers, and she remains remarkably stoic. A cheerleader squeals and recoils from the selfie camera of one particularly terrifying young man. Finally, an obligatory photo with the staff who’ve never heard of her, and the paltry turnout disperses.
The event gives a sobering insight into Chang’s brand. Pageantry is accused of performing for the male gaze. Evidently, she’s eating right into their hands. Maybe young girls, the target audience, aren’t buying what she’s selling. And the actual audience? Lecherous men and unabashed social climbers. Is this really “the light of Taiwan?”
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