SHE won the Mrs. Asia-USA title two years ago, but she looks more like a Miss Asia-USA titlist if there ever was such a pageant.
A fellow “Bisdak” (Bisayang dako or Visayan grown) because she speaks my language and is a native of Davao, Janet Picson-Hixon of Charlotte, North Carolina, was the first Fil-American to win the Mrs. Asia-USA title.
The Mrs. Asia USA Cultural Pageant is the premiere showcase for Asian women in the US, who trace their ancestry to the 58 countries considered part of the Asian continent.
The final 12 delegates then competed in the evening gown and national costume categories. Aside from being crowned pageant winner, Hixon also won the Best National Costume.
She wore a traditional Mindanao gown designed by Barba Martelle of Davao City. These days Hixon is busy raising funds and awareness on the plight of people hit by the October 15 earthquake in Bohol and Cebu provinces.
“I am sad with what happened to our fellow Filipinos,” she said. Hixon said she has a priest friend in Bohol who told her about the disaster. Married to a banker and a mother of two kids named Lyndzy and Lamoine, Hixon describes herself as a full-time housewife and student.
Hixon is studying dental science in one of the local community colleges in North Carolina. As the 2nd Vice-president of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas, Inc., she helps in the preparations for the forthcoming 26th Gala Night.
She's also a member of the board of directors for her community Home Owners Association. During her reign as Mrs. Asia-USA, Hixon was the ambassador of goodwill promoting Fil-American culture.
When asked which Asian culture she likes second to her own, Hixon said she admired the Vietnamese. “The Vietnamese like Filipinos, have closer family ties and they love karaoke,” she said.
Hixon enjoys shopping, gardening, dancing, karaoke, cooking, traveling and family activities. She shared to me her dream of distributing laptops among poor but deserving pupils in Davao.
She said she sees here in the US the opportunities available to students due to their ready access of the Internet.
As Mrs. Asia-USA, Hixon wanted to focus on her charity The Street Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the living conditions of impoverished Filipino children.
Born and raised in Sasa, Davao City, Hixon is the daughter of Edgar and Elma Pichon of Davao City and a former Sangguniang Kabataan (Village Youth) official.
She took up a dentistry course at the Mindanao Medical Foundation College and as a youth official sponsored school and sports activities to divert young people away from drug abuse. She went to the US in 1999.
Hixon was also elected president of the San Jose Youth Association, an organization affiliated with the San Jose Catholic Church.
The group works in fostering spiritual development of teenagers through community activities and service through Christ. With her zeal and energy, there's no stopping this beauty queen from fulfilling her dreams for herself and her loved ones.
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on October 27, 2013.
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