Chicago Asian Women Empowerment

Miss Chinatown USA 2024

Alice Yu

余蕴资

Representing Chicago in

Miss Chinatown USA 2024

sponsored and trained by

Chicago Asian Women Empowerment

@chiasianwomenempowerment

@missasianchicago

our miss Asian chicago 2023 Queen and talent Alice Yu and miss asian chicago 2023 contestant stephanie li are representing us in Miss chinatown usa 2024!

Alice Yu

余蕴资

Stephanie Li

李 馨

What's in a name?

My name is Alice Yunzi Yu, or 余蕴资. When people hear my Chinese name, they assume it’s the feminine version 姿 (meaning “I have beauty”), but I was named the masculine 资, meaning “I have abilities and resources”.

This name feels fitting for my life, both personally and professionally. As a doctor, I use my “abilities and resources” every day to better the lives of children and their families. Even outside my role as a doctor, I advocate for improving mental health in children. I developed a unique mental health curriculum in Chicago’s Chinatown that will help Chinese-American parents and children talk about mental health by overcoming generational and cultural divides. Being true to my name allows me to live my life to the fullest, and I hope my time with MAC and MCU will further augment the positive impact I can have on the world!

‘馨’ means fragrant; it’s also part of the phrase that means carnation (康乃馨).

Carnations can turn just about any color of you dye the water you put them in. We are like that of a carnation — we can become anyone we want to be with the right resources/knowledge

Intro Videos

Stephanie Li

李 馨

Alice Yu

余蕴资

Alice Yu

余蕴资

Stephanie Li

李 馨

Alice Yu

余蕴资

My primary love language is words of affirmation . As a young female physician, I am always battling imposter syndrome in the traditional and hierarchical field of medicine. Imposter syndrome is not isolated to my career, however, and I sometimes question my value or performance as a daughter, friend, or partner. Thus, words of affirmation have become my primary love language. In particular, words that resonate with me include “I trust you” and “I’m so proud of you”.

There is a saying: “To love is to be changed.” To me, witnessing beauty can also change a person. Whether it’s witnessing an act of kindness or hearing a song that reflects your own experiences, beauty is a term that can go beyond visual experiences.

And, just like love, there is an infinite reserve of beauty within ourselves — it’s just a matter of discovering what that is and sharing it with those who are also still finding their unique beauty.

Stephanie Li

李 馨

Alice Yu

余蕴资

My Chinese heritage is filled with many beautiful traditions and ideals. In particular, I am very proud of our strong commitment to family. I remember when I was a child, dinner was ALWAYS a time when everyone sat together without distractions, no matter how busy you were that day! Our family quality time spent over delicious Chinese food was a pillar and example of how we prioritize our family above anything else.

Every day, I look forward to using my creativity to bring delight as many people in my circle as I can.

Hearing genuine reactions like, “You MADE this?” or “That looks so cool!” will always mean more to me than something like having a million followers on Instagram.

Stephanie Li

李 馨

Alice Yu

余蕴资

I am passionate about promoting health and wellness in my pediatric patients. In the short term, I strive to provide quality care to all of my patients every day. In addition to medical illnesses, many of my children have mental health needs as well. Thus, I hope to normalize and promote utilization of mental health resources in Asian populations, as I have seen instances where stigma (particularly among parents) is a barrier to care.

Nature, cute things, and

delicious food are all I need

to make it in this world!

Stephanie Li

李 馨

Prior to medical school, I volunteered for a year with AmeriCorps at a middle school, where I helped teach 8th grade math as well as run afterschool programming. Though I was in the role of the “teacher”, I found myself learning a lot from my students. They shared life experiences that broadened my understanding of the world. In turn, I shared my own experiences and passions, for example, leading Dance club, Cooking club, Science club, among others. My experience was deeply rewarding, despite it being also incredibly challenging, and contributed to my decision to pursue the medical field of pediatrics.

Alice Yu

余蕴资

Every time I wake up, I’m pumped that I get another day.

Between that and believing that the best is yet to come, it becomes so much easier to focus and remember what all of this is for.

Stephanie Li

李 馨

Alice Yu

余蕴资

My love of dance comes from my mom, who used to bring me to her Chinese dance rehearsals when I was younger. I grew up training in both Chinese classical dance and ballet. However, I remember a time when I was embarrassed to perform Chinese dances, because I was worried I didn’t “fit in” with my majority white friends and community. Now, I am overjoyed to proudly share the beauty of my Chinese heritage through dance! Dance has allowed me to love myself and embrace my identity.

Last year, I learned a lot about myself, especially with how I prefer (and don’t prefer) to spend my time. I also found out what habits made sense for me to practice and were sustainable in the long term. I look forward to putting all my new knowledge to use.

Stephanie Li

李 馨