
MRS. HMONG? Kellie Chauvin, age 43, is photographed in
Oakdale, Minnesota. Chauvin is vying to become the first Hmong
Mrs. Minnesota America. (Jean Pieri/Pioneer Press via AP)
From The Asian Reporter, V28, #12 (June 18, 2018),
page 13.
Hmong woman to compete for Mrs. Minnesota
title
By S.M. Chavey
St. Paul Pioneer Press
OAKDALE, Minn. — As a child, Kellie Chauvin was teased,
bullied, and the only one of her friends who was not invited to
participate in a local parade, all because other children called
her ugly.
The teasing never ended, but Chauvin eventually learned to
overlook the shallow criticisms.
Now 43 years old, the Oakdale woman is competing to be Mrs.
Minnesota America 2018, the St. Paul Pioneer Press
reported.
"I just knew that for myself, I was better than what people
made me out to be," Chauvin said. "I know it took me a long time
to realize that, but it’s never too late."
She will face off against seven others this month in
Bloomington. If she wins, she’ll be the first "Mrs. Hmong," as
she calls it, to score a victory in the pageant nationally. One
other Hmong woman from Minnesota is also competing this year.
Chauvin was born in Laos in 1974 during a time of war. In
1977, her family fled to safety in Thailand, where they lived in
a refugee camp.
Chauvin still remembers the challenges of being a refugee.
Their only possessions were the ones they could carry on their
backs. She watched people die from illness. To this day, she
avoids eating oatmeal because it takes her back to her days at
the camp.
After three years there, Chauvin and her family moved to Eau
Claire, Wisconsin. It was a cold October and Chauvin had to wear
a boy’s jacket because that’s all that was available.
Even in America, Chauvin said, she felt like she was still in
a refugee camp.
Ten years old, she was placed in a kindergarten class where
she knew less about reading and writing English than her younger
classmates.
"They say ‘land of the free,’ but I still didn’t feel like we
were free," Chauvin said. "We didn’t know English. My parents
didn’t want us leaving the house because they didn’t trust the
world. You land into this brand-new world and you don’t know
what to expect, and so we were always kept inside."
Chauvin’s parents found her a husband when she was 17 years
old and they married before she turned 18. She hardly knew him.
"As a Hmong woman, if you’re not married by 18, then your
parents think that nobody will marry you," Chauvin said.
The couple had two children, and Chauvin said she fought to
make the marriage work. But after 10 years in an abusive
relationship, she says, she decided to get a divorce and move to
Minnesota. Her former husband died shortly after.
Chauvin earned her associate’s degree in radiology and took
an internship in the emergency room of Hennepin County Medical
Center in Minneapolis. The internship turned into a full-time
position, and she stayed for 13 years.
It was at the hospital that she met her current husband,
Derek Chauvin. The Minneapolis police officer spotted his future
wife when he brought someone in for a health check before an
arrest. After taking the suspect to jail, Derek Chauvin returned
and asked her out.
"Under all that uniform, he’s just a softie," Kellie Chauvin
said. "He’s such a gentleman. He still opens the door for me,
still puts my coat on for me. After my divorce, I had a list of
must-haves if I were ever to be in a relationship, and he fit
all of them."
They’ve been married for eight years.
During that time, Chauvin resigned from the hospital,
attended Kaplan University for residential real estate, and
began working as a realtor with Re/Max Results.
Five years ago, Chauvin said, she wouldn’t have considered
signing up for a pageant.
So when longtime friend Sophia Xiong-Yang approached Chauvin
with the idea in January, she was surprised to hear Chauvin
agree.
"She is such a go-getter," Xiong-Yang said. "I feel that it
takes someone who is very caring, compassionate, and has a lot
of empathy for others to be able to do the things she does. It
would be amazing if she makes Minnesota history by being the
first Hmong woman to win the title Mrs. Minnesota."
The pageant is split into four parts: a private interview
with the judges, a public interview, a swimsuit round, and an
evening-gown round. Chauvin has worked with a coach to prepare
for the interviews, but is most nervous about walking in 5
1/2-inch heels.
"If I fall flat on my face, at least somebody will remember,"
Chauvin said.
Her evening gown is navy blue with a smattering of sparkles —
an homage to police officers.
"When I saw the dress, it was almost like it was in a movie
where the girl sees a dress," Chauvin said. "I was immediately
drawn to it."
Contestants in Mrs. Minnesota America are not required to
have an official platform, but they are expected to be invested
in their communities.
That’s easy for Chauvin, who said, "My hobby is just helping
people."
And she donates to and volunteers with Hmong Empowering
Women, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Hmong women who have
recently arrived in the United States find jobs, childcare, and
a community.
"I dedicate myself to animals and children and women,"
Chauvin said. "That’s my passion. It doesn’t feel like work to
me."
The Mrs. Minnesota America Pageant is held June 23 in
Bloomington.
"They’re looking for a contestant who can speak to anyone and
be approachable to other people," said pageant director Carl
Schway. "Personality, vibrance, ability to speak, and
articulate. It’s almost like going to a job interview and trying
to win that job."
Married women who are at least 18 years old and who are
United States and Minnesota citizens are eligible to compete.
The winner will advance to the Mrs. America pageant, which
will be held in Las Vegas in August. The winner of Mrs. America
can compete in Mrs. World. Winners typically make several public
appearances, speaking at events and continuing to give back to
their communities.
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