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- Get to know more about Miss Universe Vietnam 2018.
- She is the first-ever beauty queen from a Vietnamese ethnic minority community.
Miss Philippines Catriona Gray may have won the title, but alongside the newly crowned Miss Universe 2018, there were other contestants who won the people’s hearts.
One of them was Miss Vietnam, who had experienced her own ups and downs in life and in the international pageant.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrhNdhUhgG7/
Her Growing up Years.
H’Hen Nie grew up in an ethnic minority, the Rade tribe, which only makes up about 5 percent of Vietnam‘s population.
The community is accustomed to women marrying early and having kids at a young age. It has been handed down from many generations. Because of that, she has been told to marry at 14-years-old.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrbpfDyhb4A/
But Nie had bigger dreams than that and decided to move to Ho Chi Minh. This marked the start of her Miss Universe journey.
Her life at the city was far from smooth as she had to work as a domestic helper, tutor, and leaflet delivery girl just to afford her studies and basic necessities.
She touched hearts at her homecoming video, wherein she plopped down on the floor and ate using her hands. It gave the Netizens a sneak peek of the life she used to live.
The beauty queen also rode an overpacked motorcycle through the muddy roads and visited houses to give gifts to the elderly and kids.
https://www.facebook.com/SashFactorVietnam/videos/1834708109984557/
Bullying issue.
The controversy surrounded Miss Vietnam as she was deemed to be bullied by Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers in one Instagram live.
Alongside Miss Cambodia, Nie’s lack of English speaking skills were said to be made fun with by the Western contestant.
“She’s so cute and she pretends to know so much English, and then you ask her a question after having a whole conversation with her and she goes… [laughs and nods],” Summers said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrUHzaZlD9O/
Nie, on the other hand, had nothing but positive words for Summers.
“Everyone in this competition, myself included, loves and respects one another.
“When she knew about my difficulties with (the English) language, she took an interest and showed me love. That’s why she knows about that. Thank you Miss USA for taking care of me, showing me love and helping me recently.”
Netizens showed appreciation.
The Netizens didn’t fail to show their admiration for Miss Vietnam as tweets about her touching backstory and notable donations to the charity.
https://twitter.com/heytrit/status/1074481687701135361
Miss Universe Vietnam is so gd gorgeous 🔥🔥🔥😭 Her name’s H’hen Nie and she’s the first Rade, an ethnic minority, to hold the title of Miss Universe Vietnam. pic.twitter.com/y4AUDGAyqW
— 𝔰𝔶𝔡𝔫𝔢𝔶 (@sydneykhan_) December 14, 2018
A twitter user said that aside from Miss Philippines, Nie is also worth congratulating.
Besides congratulating Miss Philippines, I want to say how proud I am of Miss Vietnam. She was judged on how she had bad english, yet without an interpreter she advanced to top 5, further than any vnm beauty has ever been. Even without the crown, we are proud of her. pic.twitter.com/CoeDAPyDJM
— 화이팅하자 내솨랑들 🐰🐶🐱 (@hanie_tokki) December 17, 2018
They also commended her decision to defy the Vietnamese society’s beauty standards.
Can we PLEASE talk about this year’s Miss Vietnam?! How she ditched the beauty standards of Vietnamese society like long jet black hair and pale skin for a PIXIE CUT and a TAN?! I am living for this! YES! pic.twitter.com/nWp55XyG7l
— GINA DARLING (@MissGinaDarling) December 14, 2018
Miss Vietnam could run over me and I would thank her. pic.twitter.com/tpZxAHG0Ln
— LAURA (@laurxcastrx) December 17, 2018
Translations sparked outrage.
Translations are tricky when it comes to international pageants as it may cost anyone from the winning crown.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrVPDigBjlI/
Netizens have voiced out their disappointment when it comes to Miss Vietnam’s translator as they said that the English translations of her answer is not accurate and messed up.
The question presented was, “The #MeToo movement has sparked a global conversation. In response, some have said that the world has become too politically correct. Do you think the #MeToo movement has gone too far?”
And the translator’s response was as simple as: “I don’t think that it has gone too far. Protecting women and women’s rights is the right thing to do. Women need protection and rights.”
But according to a Netizen named Audrey, the translator totally missed the key points of Nie’s answer.
I’m a Vietnamese native speaker and this is Miss Vietnam’s fully translated and accurate answer: “Protecting women’s well-being/health and protecting women from sexual abuse is the right that every women need. Everyone of us needs to be protected and we need freedom. Thank you.” pic.twitter.com/6B40EqCCmv
— audrey (@aintyourputa) December 17, 2018
Others even said that the beauty queen could’ve ranked higher if only the translator did her job correctly.
