Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
March 22 2005

There she is — Miss Armenia

Glendale’s Silva Yesayan will compete in the Miss Asia USA pageant

April 23 at the Alex Theatre.
By Ryan Carter, News-Press and Leader

The beauty in a Pasadena car showroom didn’t come from the lines of
a fancy Jaguar or Porsche. It came from all over Asia, and Glendale.

Beautiful women representing countries from throughout Asia mingled
with about 90 guests, snacked on truffles and salad and listened to
jazz Saturday in the Rusnak Jaguar showroom in Pasadena.

Silva Yesayan of Glendale is Miss Armenia. The Glendale Community
College student won the event’s “Miss Rusnak Jaguar Queen for the Day”
award. Others represented Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand,
Iraq and Iran.

The event Saturday was to support the Miss Asia USA 2005 pageant,
which for the second time in its 17-year history will be in Glendale
on April 23 at the Alex Theatre. Twenty-five women who attended
the event Saturday will vie to become Miss Asia USA, ambassador for
culture and goodwill for the Asian American community.

“I was in shock,” Yesayan said of being queen for the day. “I
didn’t know I would be the one. I didn’t know to go up or sit down.
Everything came out perfect.”

The women brought smiles to the faces of guests, who included City
Councilman Dave Weaver, a member of the Miss Asia USA organizing
committee, said Liz Rusnak Arizmendi, spokeswoman for the Rusnak
Automotive Group, a sponsor of Miss Asia USA.

“It was an intelligent, beautiful, well-spoken, articulate group of
young women,” Rusnak Arizmendi said. “It was a fun way of interacting
with these gorgeous creatures.”

Miss Iraq, Carol Safa Nasi, is from Glendale, and Miss Philippines,
Jennifer Ball, is from Burbank, said Virgelia Villegas, Miss Asia
USA’s chairwoman.

Organizers are still looking for women to participate in the pageant
to round out representation from 50 Asian countries.

They are looking for women between 17 and 28 who have never been
married, who have never had children and have a pleasing personality.
There is no height requirement. A minimum 25% ancestry from an Asian
nation is required.

“We look at internal beauty and rally for that instead of outside
beauty,” Villegas said.