Meet the first Asian American women to represent Texas at Miss USA and Miss America

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the first time in state history, Texas will be represented by Asian American women at two of the most prestigious pageants in the U.S.

Averie Bishop, 26, made history on June 25 when she became the first Asian American woman to win the title of Miss Texas America. She was born and raised in McKinney, went to school in Prosper, and is now based in Dallas.

"It means the world, not just to myself, but for 6-year-old Averie, who did not think for a day that she even had the possibility of dreaming to become Miss Texas or Miss America," Bishop said. "In the early years after my mother immigrated from the Philippines, I grew up in a small town. Both my parents worked two jobs and we relied on food programs. I went to a Title I school where I didn't see any children that looked like me. I felt very alone and underrepresented."

Just one week later, on July 2, history was made again when Houston-native R'Bonney Gabriel, 28, became the first Asian American woman to win the title of Miss Texas USA.

"I feel like I have a very big responsibility to not only share my culture as a Filipina and a Texan, but I really want to show people the importance of embracing who you are," Gabriel said. "My dad moved to America from the Philippines on a college scholarship with about $20 in his pocket. He wanted to pave a new life for himself. He met my mom in Texas, who is a country woman from Beaumont. I'm a very proud Filipina Texan."

Bishop, who is a law school graduate, currently runs her own social media consulting business. The turn in trajectory came during the COVID-19 pandemic when she went viral online and acquired a total of more than a million followers across multiple platforms. She and her mom run a nonprofit called the Tulong Foundation, which provides financial aid to girls in third-world countries to help them pursue an education.

"If I were to win Miss America, I really want to revolutionize the organization and internationalize the title. Right now, Miss America is in this period of trying to remain relevant. That's the whole conversation in the system. I'm going to be honest, one of the great ways to remain relevant is to not just be relevant for an audience here in the U.S., but across the world," Bishop said.

Gabriel is a model and fashion designer who studied fashion design and graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Fine Arts. She works with the nonprofit, Magpies and Peacocks in East Downtown to improve sustainability in the industry. Gabriel teaches sewing to women in underserved communities as well as survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. She hopes to help them develop skills, work towards their own business, and find a sense of community.

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"I foresee myself in really dreaming about having a bigger brand that is focused on sustainability and being a leading voice in the industry that's helping the industry push to a more environmentally friendly practice," Gabriel said. "We all have a special talent. But it's up to us to commit our lives to discovering that and finding what makes us really special. I think it's just so important to do that self-work."

Gabriel is currently in Reno, Nevada competing for Miss USA, which is a beauty pageant. If she wins the national title on Monday, she will go on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Bishop will compete for Miss America, a scholarship pageant, on Dec. 15, which will be held in Connecticut. Her platform is "Y'all Means All," which promotes diversity and inclusion. She tells ABC13 she plans on performing a vocal rendition, "On My Own" from Les Misérables, for the talent competition.

You can follow Gabriel's journey on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and Bishop's journey on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

For stories on Houston's diverse communities, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.