Kiana N. Nadonza (University of Oregon)
In the Philippines, beauty pageantry is a national sport and a major facet of everyday life. Locally, pageants are held in every barangay (district), amounting to at least 42,046 local pageants annually. The cultural magnitude of beauty pageantry is observed not only through these spectacular events, but embedded within observable day-to-day practices, ideas, and symbols. By examining its origins with Manila Carnival during the U.S. colonial period of the Philippines, wherein the Queens of the Occident and Orient were crowned, I present findings on the sociopolitical implications of today’s beauty pageants through ethnography and archival research.
Part of 07-12 Directions in Carnival Studies, Saturday, November 04, 8:30 am–10:00 am