Noob Dai Ncauj

BeautyFamily
Written By Pagnia Xiong

I have the most beautiful mom and maternal aunts:

Niam Tais Mim
Niam Tais Aiv Vaj
Niam Tais Aiv Suav

As a little girl, I sat in awe of their beauty. I had never seen anyone like them. I also knew that I did not resemble them as elders often attributed my siblings' beauty to my maternal family. And it stung.

In my 20s, my mom shared a story about me when I was born. The closest maternal family member at the time was my Niam Tais Nkaj Pov, my great aunt. She lived an hour away from us and was flamboyant, candid…and, of course, beautiful.

In her arms, my great aunt took one look at me and proclaimed in her loud voice:

"Cas lub niag noob dai ncauj no yuav tsis poob li ossss?!"

When my mom shared this, I couldn't believe it. Besides her bold personality, my great aunt's full, voluptuous lips were what I remembered most about her. This story made me smile inside. I had inherited her lips. All along, I had a piece of my maternal family's beauty with me: "lub noob dai ncauj."

Niam Tais Nkaj Pov, koj mus lawm los, peb tseem nco ntsoov koj. ❤️

Pagnia Xiong

Pagnia Xiong is an internationally recognized Hmong-American singer, actor, and creative producer. A self-taught artist, Pagnia has spent nearly two decades using her music to empower women, promote self-love, and inspire the pursuit of dreams. Her albums and performances have reached hundreds of thousands worldwide, and she's made history as the first Hmong-American female music artist to perform at a major U.S. league sporting event. Beyond music, Pagnia is an accomplished actor, making her main stage debut with Theater Mu to critical acclaim. She recently headlined her first solo concert at the Ordway and launched a Hmong Music Mentorship program in 2025.

http://www.pagniaxiong.com
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