Record number of Fil-Ams vying for Miss USA 2022 title

The contestants of Filipino American heritage are Suzanne Perez of New Mexico, Kiana Yamat of Hawaii, and R’Bonney Gabriel of Texas. INSTAGRAM

A record number of Filipina Americans are vying for the Miss USA 2022 crown. The winner of the pageant’s 71st edition will represent USA at Miss Universe 2022.

The contestants of Filipino American heritage are Kiana Yamat of Hawaii, Suzanne Perez of New Mexico and R’Bonney Gabriel of Texas.

Kiana Yamat, Miss Hawaii USA 2022

Kiana Yamat earned a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and later worked as a design engineer in San Francisco before moving back to Hawaii to work as a construction engineer. She excelled in track and field, wrestling and cheerleading.

Suzanne Perez Miss, New Mexico USA 2022

Suzanne Perez, 25, studied Communication Sciences and Disorders-Speech Language Pathology at California State University, Fullerton and is pursuing master’s degree (MS) in Speech and Language Pathology at Eastern New Mexico University.

R’Bonney Gabriel Miss Texas USA 2022

R’Bonney Gabriel is an independent designer and fashion model who lives and works in Houston, Texas. Her passion for designing began when she started sewing at age 15. USA 2022 crown.