San Jose shop makes traditional Vietnamese dresses for Tết festivities
The City of San Jose has the largest Vietnamese population in the world outside of Vietnam.
At Love Me Knots Bridal in San Jose's Lion Plaza in Little Saigon, Christina Bui makes and designs many of the colorful áo dàis, a traditional Vietnamese dress. Bui and her parents have owned this shop for 35 years.
"For me, it's always been a privilege to make it for our community. And so when my parents started the business here, that's all we did. We just made áo dàis," said Bui. "It makes me so proud just thinking of being able to carry their work into my generation, and then hopefully down to my children's generation."
Just outside Bui's shop, Lion Plaza was packed with shoppers buying fresh fruit, flowers, treats, and decorations. For the first time in five years, the outdoor Flower Market is back at Lion Plaza for Vietnamese New Year.
Leyanna Lawson and her family come to Lion Plaza every year to buy their áo dàis. She says it's a family tradition. Born and raised in the South Bay, Lawson loves calling San Jose her home.
"Oh, I'm extremely proud," said Lawson. "It's great to be able to say that I'm from San Jose and from the Vietnamese culture."
For Bui, she not only remembers where she came from but what it took to come here to America. She and her family escaped Vietnam when she was just three years old in 1979. It's something she and her family will never forget.
"My mom and dad made sure that we remember that it was something very difficult to get here to America," said Bui. "We know in our heart and in our soul that we are Vietnamese, but we're also very thankful for the American culture."
Through the art of making áo dàis, Bui is continuing her parents' legacy, keeping her rich Vietnamese culture and traditions alive.
The San Jose Tết Festival kicks off February 7th at Eastridge Mall. It's a three-day event, celebrating the Vietnamese Tết New Year with lion dances, food, live music and performances. This year marks the San Jose Tết Festival's 10th anniversary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Fox Host's Bizarre Sydney Sweeney-Barron Trump Fantasy
Following her controversial "great jeans" American Eagle ad, as well as news that she is registered as a Republican in Florida according to publicly available voter registration records, Sydney Sweeney has been a large topic of conversation this week — especially on Fox News. You see, shortly after BuzzFeed became the first major outlet to confirm Sydney's registration, President Donald Trump praised her online, writing, "Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there... Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" And Fox News is really eating all of this up. "You know how this ends," Watters commented as a banner titled "LIBERALS ARE LOSING IT OVER SYDNEY SWEENEY" showed on screen. Note: The image of Sydney in the original Fox News segment was replaced here due to photo rights. "She's going to marry Barron," he continued in reference to Trump's 19-year-old son. "And it's going to create the greatest political dynasty in American history." Note: The image of Sydney in the original Fox News segment was replaced here due to photo rights. Yeahhhhhhhh. So, as you can imagine, people were kind of creeped out. Here's what they're saying: Editor's Note: Barron is 19. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
The Department of Homeland Security embraces a socialist anthem
People in entertainment Music Federal agencies Donald Trump FacebookTweetLink The Trump administration recently presented a vision for the country's future in song and video. 'The Promise of America is worth Protecting. The Future of our Homeland is worth Defending,' the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X. In the accompanying vintage-filtered montage, families gaze out wondrously at our national parks, Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty stand tall in all their glory, and law enforcement officers salute a horse-carried American flag. What caught some attention, though, was the music: The video was set to Sam Hunt's country cover of Woody Guthrie's 'This Land Is Your Land.' This version appeared on the soundtrack to 'Bright,' Netflix's 2017 Will Smith-fronted buddy cop movie about orcs and elves. The Promise of America is worth Protecting. The Future of our Homeland is worth Defending. Woody Guthrie fans who know the song's origins as a socialist protest anthem would find the Trump administration's embrace of 'This Land' an odd choice. Guthrie — a lifelong socialist, anti-capitalist and communist sympathizer — penned 'This Land Is Your Land' in 1940, irritated by what he felt was the blind patriotism of Kate Smith's late '30s hit recording of 'God Bless America.' He was also motivated by the stark poverty and social injustices that he witnessed during his travels throughout the country, as evidenced by the original lyrics that include two verses critiquing widespread hunger and the concept of private property. 'This Land Is Your Land,' was not — as it's often understood today — a paean to the country's natural beauty, said Will Kaufman, author of 'Woody Guthrie, American Radical' and two other books on the artist. 'Woody is writing about a different America,' he told CNN. 'He's writing about cops and vigilantes and barbed wire and bread lines.' CNN reached out to ask if the government was aware of the song's radical roots and history. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin answered in a statement that read, in part: 'Loving America may be a radical or foreign concept for CNN, in fact we're quite confident it is.' The song's final two verses weren't frequently reprinted nor did they make it to the more circulated recording of the song, Kaufman said. Over the years, as the shortened version made its way to elementary school classrooms and the greater national consciousness, it became increasingly divorced from its beginnings. (To that end, when Guthrie was honored by the US Department of the Interior in 1966, Kaufman said the artist's friend Irwin Silber retorted that 'they've taken a revolutionary and turned him into an environmentalist!') Though the more political verses made a resurgence in the 1960s and have been performed by such artists as Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger, 'This Land Is Your Land' is now embraced by both liberals and conservatives. It's also worth noting that many Indigenous people understand it to be a celebration of the dispossession of Native American lands. When asked about the Trump administration's use of 'This Land,' Guthrie's family replied in an email: 'Boy, did the DHS ever get it wrong! If they want to get it right they should watch Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen's performance at Obama's inaugural concert. That's the gold standard. So now, it looks like we'll all have to sing This Land Is Your Land right back at 'em, so they can re-learn it and get it right.' Over the years, Guthrie's estate has also resisted attempts to make the song public domain precisely over fears it would be used in ways he wouldn't wish. 'Our control of this song has nothing to do with financial gain,' the singer's daughter, Nora Guthrie, told The New York Times in a 2016 interview. 'It has to do with protecting it from Donald Trump, protecting it from the Ku Klux Klan, protecting it from all the evil forces out there.' There's plenty of reason to suspect Guthrie might have revolted at the Trump administration's use of 'This Land Is Your Land.' In his songs and his writings, the folk singer paid tribute to Mexican laborers who died on a deportation flight and criticized an illegal police blockade to keep Dust Bowl migrants out of California, Kaufman writes in 'Woody Guthrie, American Radical.' His guitar bore the inscription 'This Machine Kills Fascists,' and he even railed against Trump's father and his discriminatory housing policies. 'There is a personal venom that Woody Guthrie has for everything that Donald Trump represents,' Kaufman said. From Beyoncé to Celine Dion to The Rolling Stones, the list of artists who have objected to Trump's use of their work is so long that there's an entire Wikipedia page devoted to the subject. Just last week, Jess Glynne said she felt 'sick' over the White House using her song 'Hold My Hand' in a cruel meme about deporting migrants. And in another recent example, the Thomas Kinkade Foundation denounced DHS for using the artist's painting to promote the administration's immigration crackdown. 'We strongly condemn the sentiment expressed in the post and the deplorable actions that DHS continues to carry out,' the foundation wrote in a statement on its website. 'We stand firmly with our communities who have been threatened and targeted by DHS, especially our immigrant, BIPOC, undocumented, LGBTQ+, and disabled relatives and neighbors.'
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
22 baby names rising in popularity inspired by old Hollywood celebrities in 2025
When it comes to naming a baby, it's a pretty big deal – and not a decision to be taken lightly. Some parents seek out a popular name (so the child has no issue with people pronouncing or spelling it), while others may want a moniker that evokes images of nature, or that has a literary feel to it. Or perhaps you're in the market for a name that conjures up the vibe of the Golden Age of Hollywood, which spanned from the 1910s to the 1960s: one full of glamour, art and that has a classic air to it. It looks like that could well be the case for more and more families who are welcoming a bundle of joy, as the below names – all of which are associated with a famous face from days gone by – have been steadily creeping up (or in some cases, shooting to the top of!) the rankings in England and Wales, according to the latest baby names data from the Office of National Statistics. Others, we've added for fun as they're rare but remain every inch the Golden Era. Here's a round-up of some old school Hollywood baby names, that would look just perfect in lights daaaaahhling! 1) Ava: Coming in ninth on the list of most popular girl names in England and Wales in 2024, with an adorable 1,774 of them making their way into the world, Ava is also a nod to the American starlet, Ava Gardner. As well as her famed career on the big screen, Gardner was known for her love life: she married Frank Sinatra, composer Artie Shaw and fellow thespian Mickey Rooney. 2) Sophia: Number 13 on the list (behind Sofia at number 12!), this name could pay homage to the Italian firecracker, Sophia Loren, who at 90 is one of the final survivors of Hollywood's Golden Age. 3) Evelyn: Known for playing Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, actress Evelyn Keyes was a major Hollywood player – and a great source of baby name inspiration! The name 'Evelyn' was number 20 on the list in 2024. 4) Grace: Number 25 on the most popular names list, Grace has an elegant and regal feel – just like Grace Kelly, also known as the Princess of Monaco. 5) Elizabeth: Another regal name thanks to the late Queen Elizabeth II and an homage to Elizabeth Taylor, this moniker appears on the list at number 62. 6) Clara: Actress Clara Bow was one of the greats, and the name itself has plenty of fans too coming in at number 84 on the top 100. 7) Lillian: A great springboard name for nicknames like Lily or Lil, it also evokes Lillian Gish; one of the earliest silent movie stars, whose career stretched seven decades in total. Lillian was #309 last year and the chosen baby name for 140 little ones. 8) Audrey: At number 355 on the list and the chosen name for 124 babies, Audrey, meaning 'noble strength', is hanging in there (although it ranked higher in 2019 at number 294, after being used for 165 babies). 9) Mae: A popular choice for double-barrelled first names (e.g. Elsie-Mae and Ivy-Mae), Mae as a standalone is number 443 on the list. It reminds us of Mae West, so expect your little one to be handful! 10) Monroe: The surname of the world's most famous Marilyn, Monroe was chosen as a name for 72 baby girls last year. A unique and sparkly choice (expect this baby to have a penchant for diamonds!). 11) Rita: Although lower down the list at number 625, this name was given to 62 little girls last year. Rita Hayworth, who was actually born Margarita Carmen Cansino herself, would be proud. 12) Loren: Looking for a rare name with a Golden Age feel? Five families welcomed a baby Loren last year. 1) Freddie: A highly popular choice at number 13, Freddie can be shortened to Fred in honour of Fred Astaire, the all-singing, all-dancing, all-acting legend. As a standalone, the name 'Fred' placed #567 2) Henry: One of the biggest Golden Age stars was Henry Fonda – and his name lives on as the 14th most chosen on the list. Last year saw 2,360 Henrys welcomed in England and Wales. 3) Charlie: Like plenty of Charlie Chaplin's movies, this name is a big hit and the 17th most popular choice for baby boys today. 4) James: A good, classic all-rounder of a name (and one associated with many a big actor, such as James Cagney, James Stewart and, of course, James Dean). It's number 40 on the list today. 5) Frank: As in Sinatra, this name is number 194 and never really goes out of style in our humble opinion. 6) Spencer: A less popular choice but still a respectable number 210 on the list, Spencer Tracy (the first actor to win two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor) would be delighted, we're sure. 7) Orson: Orson Welles' Citizen Kane caused controversy when it was released in 1941 but went on to be thought of as a cinematic masterpiece. The name 'Orson' came in at 374 last year, and was chosen for 115 baby boys. 8) Gregory: Gregory Peck is synonymous with old Hollywood, and was the preferred name for 18 little ones last year. 9) Mickey: A unique choice, Mickey was number 1,595 on the list (with 16 babies receiving the name). Mickey Rooney, star of Babes in Arms (alongside Judy Garland) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (with Audrey Hepburn), could well have been the inspiration! 10) Brando: Chosen for just three baby boys last year, Brando (which is also the name of Barry Keoghan's son, in honour of his favourite actor Marlon Brando) is quintessential old Hollywood. 11) Burt: Chosen for just three baby boys last year, the name Burt was also the nickname of Burton 'Burt' Lancaster – famed for his star turns in From Here to Eternity, The Leopard and Sweet Smell of Success. Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
