Pajdee Yang and her United States of America's Miss Minnesota 2020 journey

USOA's Miss Minnesota 2020

The United States of America's Miss Minnesota 2020 Pajdee Yang-Katina Elizabeth Source: Katina Elizabeth

Miss Pajdee Yang shares her insights into why she was chosen to be the Miss United States of America 2020, what benefits will she and Hmong community get from it and why mental health issue is involved in this contest?


Pajdee Yang is the first Hmong women to win USOA's Miss on of four categories USOA's Teen, Ms, and Mrs to represent Minnesota to contest the USOA's Miss in Las Vegas from Feb. 14 to Feb. 16, 2020.

Miss Pajdee Yang says that when we talk about beauty, it is not just physically but inner self and emotional beauty are as important.
This contest is designed to empower women and encourage them to fulfil their dreams at the same time making them feel confident and their inner beauty.
She says that she has been practicing meditation for the last four years and is planning to study to become a therapist. The reasons, she saw too many young Hmong people succumb to suicide and mental health issues and she wants to do something about it. For now, she is doing some mediation session show on social media channel to some Hmong seniors or go to retreat or personal session or workshop and she is also planning a YouTube channel to do this meditation into the future.
Miss Yang says she uses this pageant contest as a tool to raise awareness about mental health issue for Hmong community especially Hmong youth as they are prone to suicide and experience mental health issue but also   for global community because mental health is a very significant issue.
"It is an eye opening experience for me, it inspires me to fulfil my dreams, it dares me to give it a try and if I don't try then I would never learn new experience or feel confident or know what I am capable of."

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