Wisconsin's Hmong Community Has New Cultural Leader

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- In a change from the past, the state's Hmong leaders have elected a Milwaukee resident as the new leader of their council.

It's the first time in its 35-year history that the 18 Clan Council of Wisconsin has held a general election for president.

In decades past, the president was hand-picked by General Vang Pao, one of the Hmong's most revered leaders. In recent years, the council members voted on the president.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette said Wa Meng Yang of Milwaukee won the vote over the weekend when more than 1,000 people voted in Appleton, Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau.

The council represents the Hmong community in state and federal issues.

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