California dedicates day to traditional Vietnamese dress

Senator Janet Nguyen, the author of the resolution wrote, on her Facebook: “It was a great honor to have Attorney Jenny Do and members of the Vietnamese American community to join me on the Senate Floor to declare May 15th as Ao Dai Day.”

Senator Janet Nguyen (blue ao dai, middle) and the Vietnamese-American community at the ceremony. photo by Jenny Do.

The ao dai has long been seen as a symbol of Vietnam’s culture, so the Vietnamese-American community in California has been pushing for a day to celebrate the national dress.

The resolution was also backed by senators Jim Beall and Richard Pan.

To honor the country's traditional dress, the community also holds a festival every two years, which coincides with the special day this year on May 15.