Are older Hmong girls in Hmong beauty pageant common these days?

[Solemn Wind]

I haven’t been to a Hmong beauty pageant in ages. However, yesterday I was at the Merced New Year and because it was raining I went into the building where the pageant took place. I was busy enjoying my food and pay no attention to the pageant at all but I couldn’t help it but overheard when the girls were introduced going into the final round. I was very surprised that one of the girls was 27 years old and two of the were 29 years old.

Not only that but they have very impressive resumes as well. One of the girls have her master, works at the University of California Merced and going for Ph.D.