Making History With Grace: Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Amy Vang-Thao And The Evolution Of Hmong Women’s Leadership

As the son of General Vang Pao, I was raised with a deep understanding that leadership is not merely about authority or recognition, but about service, responsibility, and legacy. Our people’s survival – from the mountains of Laos, through refugee camps, to resettlement in the United States – has always depended on those willing to carry tradition forward while adapting to new realities. It is within this context that the crowning of Amy Vang-Thao as the first-ever Mrs. Hmong Minnesota holds historic and cultural significance far beyond a pageant title.

Amy Vang-Thao’s life story mirrors that of many Hmong Americans who came of age through displacement and resilience. She was born in Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand, a place etched deeply into the collective memory of our community. At the age of 15, she arrived in the United States, bringing with her not only the hopes of a new beginning, but also the weight of cultural expectations shaped by generations of tradition.

Growing up Hmong in Minnesota, Amy describes her experience as both an opportunity and a responsibility. Surrounded by extended family throughout the Twin Cities, she was raised in an environment where community ties were strong and cultural values were closely guarded. Her mother played a central role in shaping her worldview, consistently emphasizing the importance of education and personal discipline. Although Amy married young and did not complete college at that time, the lesson endured: learning, growth, and self-improvement do not end with circumstance.

Her father, Chong Blia Vang, served as a Toj Xeem, a respected village leader in Laos. His role required wisdom, fairness, and moral authority, as he mediated disputes and guided families within the community. From him, Amy inherited a sense of leadership rooted in service rather than status. From her mother, she learned humility, strength, and the importance of family.

Before entering the Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Pageant, Amy balanced work, volunteer service, and family life. She arranged flowers for funerals and blessing ceremonies, supported family and friends during important events, and remained deeply engaged in community life. Professionally, she works in healthcare, and during the COVID-19 pandemic she became a trusted source of guidance for many, offering education on prevention and wellness.

Amy’s decision to compete in the Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Pageant was deeply symbolic. Married women had long been excluded from pageantry in the Hmong community. With encouragement from friends and leaders, and only six weeks to prepare, she committed fully. Her dedication led her to become the first married woman to earn this historic title during the 50th anniversary of Hmong resettlement in the United States.

As Mrs. Hmong Minnesota, Amy now focuses her platform on preventive healthcare education and mental health awareness. She seeks to bridge cultural gaps, reduce stigma, and connect families to essential resources. Balancing tradition with modern leadership, she continues to serve as a role model for Hmong women and girls.

Amy Vang-Thao’s achievement is not just her own. It is a reflection of our community’s growth and evolving understanding of leadership. She did not abandon tradition – she expanded it, creating space for future generations of Hmong women to lead with confidence, dignity, and cultural pride.

Excerpts From The Hmong Times Interview With Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Pageant Winner, Amy Vang- Thao

Hmong Times:  Before entering the Mrs. Hmong Minnesota pageant, what did a typical day in your life look like?

Amy Vang-Thao:  Before entering the Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Pageant, a typical day for me would be, either I’m working at one of my jobs or volunteers to help my Hmong community with floral arrangement either at a funeral service or at a blessing event. Beside my passion of floral arrangement, I usually would volunteer to help family and friends with any setup decoration or cooking to help their events. Besides community volunteer work, I tried to spent time with my little family as much as possible and cook for my family.

HT:  What inspired you to compete in this pageant?

AVT:  The beauty queen that I always dreamed of in childhood that I didn’t have the chance to become one just because my parents are very traditional and it was never fulfilled. When I was a little girl, I wanted to participate in a dance group, but my mother said no to it because she believed that any girl who joined the dance team and always out practicing and didn’t have time to learn, how to cook and how to clean will not consider a good daughter and daughter like that will be labeled as a mistress that no one would want to marry. Also because of my father’s legacy. I was trained to be perfect. When we came to the U. S. I was asked to join and compete in the Miss Minnesota Pageant, but I wasn’t ready and I didn’t have the courage to compete because I didn’t have the skills and was restricted by being the only daughter to my family.

HT:  What was the most challenging aspect of the pageant for you?

AVT:  The most challenging aspect for me is the time needed to practice and to ger everything ready for the competition and only having 6 weeks, time was limited. However, I was able to multitask by sacrificed some of my work schedule hours to practice with the organization two days per week and was able to quickly create my beautiful and amazing outfits from Laos in four weeks. Training with the organization was wonderful. I would say we have the best and most patient Mrs. Pageant trainers. But I feel like I have the busy schedule at work and training at the same time, I needed more training to win so I hired a personal trainer on the side plus I have the most amazing and talented friends/sisters that stayed alongside me – guiding and coaching me through because a few of them were former Ms. Pageant in the past. The purpose of competing is to make more sisters in the community, but at the same time I want to experience and utilize my experience and expertise that I have for the community to gain the title.

HT:  What was the most rewarding part of participating?

AVT:  The most rewarding part for me was being more confident of everything – from the training process to the reality diagrams. Performing on the real stage has shaped and empowered me with more women. The importance, the value and equality of being a married women able to compete and win in the first Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Pageant in history.

HT:  What did you feel like to make history?

AVT:  It still feels unbelievable because I wouldn’t imaging that there would be a time like this year to make history, but it’s reality that I actually made history of winning the first ever Mrs. Hmong Minnesota Pageant during our 50^th Year Anniversary New Year celebration in the U.S. It’s because in our culture, married women, divorced, and widows haven’t been recognized to participate in the Pageantry competition in the past for the last 59 years because our culture doesn’t value and does not highly respect women in that category to compete because of their status.

Read the full interview at www.hmongtimes.com. Congratulations Amy Vang-Thao!

Images courtesy Amy Vang-Thao.