The Miss Vietnam California – Hoa Hậu Áo Dài California pageant was held on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The pageant featured contestants throughout California vying to compete for the titles of Miss Vietnam California, Miss Teen Vietnam California and Miss Saigon.
The pageant carries on a tradition started in 1972 in Saigon by the former First Lady of the Republic of Vietnam, Nguyen Van Thieu, as a fundraiser for Vi Dan (For The People) hospital. Since that initial pageant, Miss Áo Dài has become a tradition of the Vietnamese Community around the world.
The winners at the 2019 Miss Vietnam California pageant (left to right): Miss Teen Vietnam California Maggie Ly (17) from Milpitas, Á Hậu Khả Ái Kateryn Kim Diep (25) from San Jose, Á Hậu Kiều Diễm Alexandra Uyen Vo (17) from Sacramento, Miss Saigon Tran Thi My Ngoc (16) from San Jose, Miss Vietnam California Nguyen Kim Dieu Thy Mary (27) from Fremont, Á Hậu Hoàn Mỹ Truong Thien Kim (22) from Anaheim, Á Hậu II Rane Nguyen (24) from Mountain View, Á Hậu III Diana Thao Nguyen (24) from Santa Clara, and Á Hậu IV Nguyen Bao Tran (26) from San Jose. For more information on the Miss Vietnam California pageant, visit their website hoahau.org.