Meet the new Gerber baby for 2019 in the video above.
She is 1-year-old Kairi Yang from Hickory, North Carolina, and she’s the first Gerber baby contest winner of Hmong descent.
“Hmong in our eyes is all about the close bonds we have with our relatives during life and afterlife,” Kairi’s mother, Ying Vue, told Today.
Her family plans to teach her to read and write in the Hmong language.
“Being surrounded by all her family has been a very positive influence on Kairi’s life, especially when it comes to preserving our culture and tradition,” said her mom, a native of Thailand.
One-year-old Kairi is the first Gerber baby of Hmong descent. (Photo courtesy of Gerber)
How Kairi Earned the Honor
Kairi’s photo was selected from more than 544,000 Instagram entries by a judging panel in the ninth annual contest.
That panel included 2018 spokesbaby Lucas. A year ago, he became the first Gerber baby contest winner with Down syndrome.
“As soon as we saw her photo, we fell in love with Kairi’s expressive eyes and angelic face, looking toward the future and being excited for all that it holds,” Gerber President/CEO Bill Partyka said in a statement.
What the Winner Receives
Kairi will appear in promotional posts on Gerber’s social media during the year. In addition, her family receives $50,000.
Kairi is the first Gerber baby of Hmong descent. Her parents are Ying Vue and Peter Yang. (Photo courtesy of Gerber and the Vue family.)
Remembering a Past Winner From Fresno
An 8-month-old girl from Fresno was the 2012 Gerber baby.
Mary Jane Montoya of Fresno, then 8 months old, was chosen as the 2012 Gerber baby. (Photo/kmph.com)
First Gerber Baby Named in 1928
In November of 2012, Mary Jane and her parents, Sara and Billy, met up with the original Gerber baby, Ann Turner Cook, of Tampa, Florida, on the set of “Today.”
“She is just adorable, and she is a delightful little person,” Cook told “Today.”
Sara, Billy, and Mary Jane Montoya meet the original Gerber baby, Ann Turner Clark. (AP File Photo)
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