The article about how China twists a Tibetan beauty pageant into a political ordeal is very interesting. The fact that the Chinese government wanted to call the pageant the "Miss Fashion Parade Evaluation" is even more interesting. The most beautiful women in work units were required to participate in this pageant. There were more judges than participants. The first place prize, a trip to Hong Kong, was vetoed by the CCP. Was this because the CCP were afraid that the first prize winner was going to flee China if she went to Hong Kong? Or possibly it could have been because Hong Kong is also a sovereign territory and the CCP didn't want the winner to get any ideas from visiting the city.
The occupation of Tibet by the Chinese began in the 1950s and has forced Tibet to become Chinese in many ways. Many Tibetans have been killed or imprisoned for protesting against the CCP. Many others fled to Nepal only to be sent back by the government.Certain aspects of minority culture seems to be fine with the government but other aspects are viewed as a threat. Journalists were even only allowed to take certain pictures at the pageant which was promptly ignored when a power failure occurred. The pageant that took place was not one of Tibetan values but of Chinese and Western values forced unto the Tibetans. The pageant was a political struggle between how the Chinese and the Westerns felt Tibet should be viewed.((I can't help but add that the author writes out the whole name of an article she quoted from. This would have annoyed my professor. Also starting that last sentence with "this" would have annoyed him as well))
The number of beauty pageants increased dramatically during the 90s in China. Every pageant had apolitical names yet were run by the government. Yet the westerns were able to push away the name "Miss Fashion Parade Evaluation" for "Miss Tibet". The cultures of minorities in China are seen as primitive to the Han. Only the women, who are seen as beautiful and "liberal". are admired. In this, the cultures are turned into visual representations of themselves. Allowing the pageant to be called "Miss Tibet" could suggest that Tibet is, in fact, a sovereign state.
The conclusion of the article states that the Chinese government tried to change the pageant from a political show to a cultural show. In order to keep the Tibetans from protesting against the CCP. Yet this whole situation was very political. Through the pageant "Miss Tibet" Chinese and Western ideas of Tibet are being forced on the Tibetans. They are being told what their identities are by outside sources.
McGanahan, Carole
Miss Tibet or Tibet Misrepresented
