‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ crowns its first East Asian winner
By Ryan General
Drag queen Nymphia Wind made television history as the first East Asian winner of the main “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise.
Key points:
- On April 19, Nymphia Wind, also the first Taiwanese American queen on the show, became the first “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner of Asian descent since Indonesian Raja Gemini won in 2011.
- “Taiwan, this is for you,” she proclaimed after her win.
- Her victory shatters the “Asian curse” on the show, a trend where Asian queens often ended up as runners-up.
- Pundits hail her win as a significant step forward for Asian representation in reality television.
The details:
- Nymphia Wind is the drag persona of 28-year-old Taiwanese American fashion designer Leo Tsao. Her talent was nurtured at renowned Taipei drag bar Cafe Dalida.
- She stood out in the competition with her unique style blending camp, pop art and yellow banana motif. Her final lip sync to Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam” sealed her victory over fellow finalists Plane Jane and Sapphira Cristál.
- During her interview on online series “Whatcha Packin,” Nymphia Wind stated, “I’m here to break the Asian curse. I’m not gonna be out early on. I just wanted to come here and just show a really rich Asian culture in my drag.”
- Social media erupted with celebratory reactions after her win, with fans hailing her as the queen who “avenged” past near misses by Asian contestants.
- Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen congratulated Nymphia Wind, thanking her for bringing home the crown and representing Taiwan on the world stage.
- Artist Lady Gaga wrote “I love you” on Nymphia Wind’s Instagram.
- During her “Good Morning America” appearance, Wind emphasize her pride in representing Taiwan on a global stage.
Tangent:
- Nymphia Wind joins other Asian winners in reality TV like Erika Casupanan (“Survivor 41”), Derek Xiao (“The Amazing Race 34”) and Jagateshwar “Jag” Bains (“Big Brother 25”).
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