The OU Asian American Royalty Pageant took place on Sunday, April 2nd in Meachum Auditorium. Honors student Subah Chowdhury was crowned the 2023 Asian American pageant winner, along with fellow student Vivian Hu. The pageant, formerly known as Mr. & Miss Asian OU, is an annual scholarship event put together by the Asian American Student Association and Asian American Programs & Services. The event showcases scholarship, culture, community, and service. Honors @ OU caught up with Ms. Chowdhury to talk about this year’s pageant and the significance of her win.
Honors: Can you tell us what the Asian American Royalty Pageant is?
Chowdhury: It is a scholarship pageant to showcase a diverse group of Asian backgrounds and allow people to have a chance to be representatives for the Asian community here on campus, through being crowned.
Honors: Is this your first time being a part of the event?
Chowdhury: Yes, this is my first time being involved in the pageant!
Honors: What made you decide to enter the pageant?
Chowdhury: I decided to enter the pageant because I wanted to see more Bangladeshi/South Asian representation on campus, and I wanted to be a role model for our community. I also wanted to use my social work background to bring out my platform: to promote a holistic and better wellbeing for those on campus during life at OU and in their lives after OU.
Honors: I understand there are various categories that you must compete in. What are they and what did you do for each one?
Chowdhury: The various categories were the judges’ interviews, platform/introduction & cultural wear, talent, and an on-stage impromptu question. I answered a varied set of 10 questions during my interview focused on why I would be best to represent the Asian community. The cultural wear was tied into the introduction/platform. I walked in a saree, a traditional garment worn in the South Asian region, that was draped in a typical Bangladeshi way, along with traditional gold jewelry. At the end of my cultural walk, I introduced myself in Bengali and stated my platform in English. For my talent, I performed a Bengali Folk/Bharatanatyam fusion dance to a Bengali song called “Nitol Paye,” which is about a girl dancing freely and the jingle of her anklets. Last, we had the formal wear portion that included the impromptu question, and I tied my answer to a personal story and my platform.
Honors: What was the hardest part about competing? What was the most fun?
Chowdhury: The hardest part would have been relearning the Bengali language for my introduction. As a child, I used to be able to speak it really well while being around my grandmother, but I had lost a lot of the language growing up and being away from family. The most fun I had would have to be learning the group dance! I had lots of laughs and fun with the other contestants and we genuinely enjoyed being together.
Chowdhury: The hardest part would have been relearning the Bengali language for my introduction. As a child, I used to be able to speak it really well while being around my grandmother, but I had lost a lot of the language growing up and being away from family. The most fun I had would have to be learning the group dance! I had lots of laughs and fun with the other contestants and we genuinely enjoyed being together.
Honors: Is there anything you would like to achieve on campus and in the community during your reign?
Chowdhury: I hope to be able to represent the Asian community better and promote better overall well-being, whether it be financially, socially, physically, or mentally!
Honors: What advice do you have for future contestants?
Chowdhury: To know that whatever you hope to do and hope to achieve, to do so with intention but also make sure to give yourself some grace while doing so.
Subah Chowdhury is a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work and Biochemical Sciences. In addition to the Asian American Student organization she is involved in the Henderson Scholars Program, she is an outreach coordinator for the Honors Student Association, and she works as an undergraduate research assistant in the Masly Lab.
Congratulations, Subah!
