In 1958, the pageant was opened to seventeen competitors from around the United States and the first winner was June Gong, a 21-year old originally from Miami who previously had won the 1957 Miss New York Chinatown pageant and was runner-up for the 1957 Miss New Hampshire title. Gong was a senior majoring in Home Economics at the University of New Hampshire. Judges at the 1958 contest included Chin Yang Lee, Joseph Fields, Richard Pollard, Mrs. K. L. Kwong, Mrs. John Yu, and Sally Lee Thompson; the judges since then have been a mix of prominent citizens, both Asian and non-Asian.
