18 Make Their Debuts at Winter Blossom Ball

Eighteen young women donned white gowns and joined a new generation of Chinese Americans to make their social debut--a Western rite of passage gaining acceptance among immigrants from the East.

The debs took their bows at the Winter Blossom Ball Sunday at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim by the Chinese-American Debutante Guild. About 400 guests paid $100 each to attend, netting more than $20,000 for the Asian-American Senior Citizen Service Center in Santa Ana.

East Meets West

Before the guild began holding the balls in 1990, debutantes were almost unknown to Chinese Americans.

“In Chinese society debutantes are a new idea, so everyone was real excited the first year,” said Sarah Mar, founding chairwoman of the guild. Indeed, the first ball attracted national media attention.

The ball involves all three generations--the young adults, their parents and grandparents. The eldest generation benefits directly because proceeds go to the senior center. In addition, each deb is encouraged to work at the center as part of her mandatory 100 hours of community service. Their parents are asked to make a donation of $1,000 to the center.

“We think we should give something back to our society. So we started with our old people first,” Mar said.

The center helps older Chinese immigrants feel at home in their new country, she said.

“Our parents who immigrated to this country don’t know how to drive. They don’t know the language. They become very lonely. And the second generation is too busy to help them,” she said. “The center provides day care so they can talk to each other and make friends.”

Blossoming Debs

Looking like winter princesses in their sparkling gowns, each deb entered the ballroom on the arm of her father and made her formal St. James bow before being escorted onto the dance floor for the traditional waltz. After guests dined on prime rib and salmon, they were treated to an exhibition of ballroom dancing and a performance of “April Shower,” a Chinese folk dance, by the Ci Ci Art Institute.

Making their debuts were Veronique Au, Emily Chen, Connie Cheng, Stephanie Hong, Larissa Lam, Lisa Lan, Jennifer Li, Jenny Lin, Susan Lin, Catherine Mar, Clarissa Ngo, Caroline Sung, Grace Wang, Penny and Shirley Wei, Monique Wong, Roxanne Wu and Merry Yen.

The debutantes are high school seniors and college students selected for their community involvement and academic records.

“It’s a big honor to be chosen,” said Annie Wei, ball co-chairwoman. “Only one debutante is chosen from each area (throughout Southern California). They’re all high achievers.”

“This is a way to upgrade the Chinese image. It lets people know we’ve sort of arrived,” said Catherine Kwan, ball vice-chairman, whose husband, Ben Kwan, was chairman.

Others attending included Ruth Ding, founding chairwoman of the ball; emcees Matt Fong and Olympic skater Tiffany Chin; Cy and Theresa Chang; Maxwell and Rose Cheung; Michael and Ann Chiang; Matt and Paula Fong; Michael and Ellen Ong; Frank and Pearl Sun, and Ben and Ann Wu.