Homegrown Medicine: Doctors return to help Hmong community
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
By YESENIA AMARO - yamaro@mercedsunstar.com
Showing posts with label CA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CA. Show all posts
Vang Pao Elementary School is dedicated in S/E Fresno
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A dedication ceremony Saturday celebrated Fresno Unified's newest campus, and the man it's named after. Hundreds of members of the Hmong community gathered at Vang Pao Elementary School in Southeast Fresno to honor their late leader. Some of his family members also traveled from Southern California to attend the event. General Vang Pao led Hmong troops in support of the U.S. during the Vietnam War. He was also a strong supporter of education in his community. "It's a tremendous opportunity for people in the community and its a great recognitions of the great work General Vang Pao did. Not only for the people in the area, but for everyone in the Hmong community. Its a great opportunity for everyone," said congressional candidate Brian Whelan (R). Vang Pao Elementary School was built with funds from Measure K. It welcomed its first class of students last month. (Copyright ©2012 KFSN-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Source
Read more...Fresno Unified prepares to open Vang Pao Elementary
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As Fresno Unified prepares to head back to school excitement is building around a new campus set to open for the first time in less than two weeks. Among those waiting for the doors to open at Vang Pao Elementary at Heaton and Cedar, is the Hmong community, who until now has not had a school named after a Hmong leader. As teachers move into their new classrooms at Vang Pao Elementary School every once in awhile they'll stop to soak in their new surroundings. "I think having an actual name, Vang Pao, and what he stood for as far as education being the key to success, that's going to be new and something that's going to be resonating through the halls of this school," teacher Steven Lombardi said. That's because many of them are coming from Southeast Elementary School, a campus suited to serve as a temporary location until this new school was built. "I was originally with southeast and all of our children were bussed in every day and for them to truly have a neighborhood school is just wonderful," teacher Diana Coakley said. "it's like moving into a new house. It's got the new house smell and just high end technology." Among the key features of the two-story 60-thousand square foot campus are four kindergarten classrooms with their own restrooms and a shared workroom for teachers, an outdoor and indoor stage with a state-of-the-art sound system and lighting and a washroom where students can practice good hygiene before they even reach the cafeteria. But probably the most important feature of all is the school's name. "Education was such an important aspect of his life and how he felt education was something he thought everyone should have," Vang Pao Elementary Principal Teresa Calderon said. General Vang Pao was the beloved leader of the Hmong community who once led Hmong troops in support of the United States during the Vietnam War. Now his legacy is a permanent part of the Southeast Fresno community and one children carry on. (Copyright ©2012 KFSN-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Source
Read more...Solana Beach art exhibit sheds light on stories of Hmong tribal life
Friday, May 25, 2012
Traditional Hmong Healers Learning to Partner With Valley Doctors
A Hmong shaman blesses a young pregnant woman in rural Merced.
Thousands of Hmong refugees settled in the Central Valley in the 1970s and like most immigrants, they brought their own traditions with them. Back home, the Hmong were more likely to see a shaman than a doctor when they got sick and that has presented something of a challenge for health care professionals here in California. A hospital in Merced is addressing that with a program called "Partners in Healing." Reporter: Shuka Kalantari
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Ceremony to honor Hmong hero set for Friday Read more: http://lacrossetribune.com/news/ceremony-to-honor-hmong-hero-set-for-friday/article_3747cd8e-3693-11e1-a155-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1mJpkRs1X
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Wisconsin Lao Veterans of America Chapter 8 will hold a white flower and candle lighting event Friday at the Hmong Culture Community Center, 1815 Ward Ave., in honor of General Vang Pao, who died in January 2011.
Pao, a U.S. ally who commanded CIA-funded guerrillas in the jungles of Laos during the Vietnam War, is revered as a leader and father figure by the Hmong and Lao people he helped to resettle across the globe after Saigon fell. He died at age 81 near Fresno, Calif., after battling pneumonia.
The candle lighting event marks the first anniversary of the general’s death and the new year
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Protesters demand answers from Merced police in death of 21-year-old man
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Was there a gun? Was it pointed at police officers? And did the officers announce themselves before discharging about half a dozen rounds into a crowd of people, killing one and wounding two others?
An official statement from the Merced Police Department said yes.
Eyewitnesses disagreed.
Vang Thao, shown here in traditional Hmong attire, was fatally shot by Merced police during an incident at a Buckingham Court party. Chief Norm Andrade said Thao was caught in the officers' line of fire after another man, Kong Xiong, pointed a gun at police. SUBMITTED PHOTO.
Tuesday afternoon in front of Merced police headquarters, about 100 people, including friends and family of Vang Thao, 21, held signs all bearing the same message:
"We Want Answers." They chanted the same thing.
Some drivers honked in support. A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday evening at the location where Thao was killed.
Thao, a Merced College student, was shot and killed at a Buckingham Court residence on Saturday. His friends and family members say officers shot Thao without any provocation. Police maintain another man, a gang member named Kong Xiong, was pointing a weapon at the responding officers — and Thao was caught in the officers' line of fire.
Thao was struck by one bullet and pronounced dead at the scene.
Merced Police Chief Norm Andrade extended his sympathies to Thao's family and friends Tuesday in a statement. "He was a young man who had just gone out Saturday night to a party," Andrade said.
Andrade also placed the blame solely on Xiong, the gunman in the case. "Kong Xiong is responsible for the death of Mr. Thao," Andrade said in the statement. "If Xiong had not pointed a weapon at our officers, they would not have opened fire and Mr. Thao would not be dead. Tragically, Mr. Thao was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Andrade said the department's investigation is going slowly, due to the sheer number of witnesses. Police have interviewed about 20 people, and there were between 30 to 40 people at the Buckingham Court residence, where a party was happening. He added that police are keeping some information in the case under wraps, because it "could inadvertently influence the statements made by other witnesses."
According to the department's official statement, police dispatchers received a call of a man brandishing a gun at a party Saturday night in the 1500 block of Buckingham Court in North Merced. Responding to the call, officers on the scene "heard the sound of a weapon being prepared to fire." Officers then saw a man, later identified as Xiong, 18, holding a gun. "Officers pointed their weapons at the man and told him to put the gun down. Instead of putting the gun down the man turned towards officers and pointed his gun at the officers. The two officers fired their weapons."
Tuesday, eyewitnesses said Xiong didn't have a gun and police officers didn't announce themselves before shooting through a fence into a private residence where five or six people were drinking beer and socializing.
Fred Camacho, 21, lives at the house where the incident took place. He said he was less than 10 feet from Xiong when bullets ripped through the fence behind which he, Xiong and other friends were standing. "We didn't hear no cops say nothing about getting down, drop a gun, nothing like that," he said. “All we heard was gunshots fired. And after that, everybody just started running in the house because we didn’t know what was going on. The guy that died, his cousin she was telling everybody, 'call 911.'"
Both Camacho and his sister Nancy, who was also present during the incident, said they had no idea the police were the ones shooting. They also both said Xiong didn't have a gun. "First I hear that they said they got called out here because someone brandishing a gun or something, which wasn't true," she said. "I know no one was going to have a gun here. Everyone knows that there's kids here in the house. There was no gun and they didn’t find a gun as far as I know. If there really was a gun, where is it?"
Next-door neighbor Jacob Khaoone, 18, said he was cleaning up his kitchen when the shots were fired. He said he didn't hear the police officers announce themselves. But after the shots were fired, he said he heard one of the officers say, "I can't believe I just shot someone right now."
"There wasn't no arguing or nothing," Khaoone said. "The cops, they're lying about the argument. They didn't even say Merced PD or nothing. My window right here it was open. If they would have said 'Merced PD,' everyone there, they would have just stopped what they were doing. But the cops didn’t do that. And plus they didn’t have their spotlight on."
Thao's sister, Mai Thao, drove to Merced from Fremont for the protest and said the family was upset that they learned from news reports about her brother’s death. They want to know why police hadn't contacted them. "That's devastating, considering that we’ve been looking for him, calling hospitals, calling the jailhouse, calling anywhere he might be. So right now our question is, what happened? We don’t know."
The alleged gunman, Kong Xiong, 18, was shot in the leg. He was taken to a hospital in Modesto and is being held by law enforcement. An unidentified 17-year-old was also struck in the leg. He was taken to Mercy Medical Center Merced.
Xiong was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, participation in a criminal street gang, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition by a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Police said they have the gun Xiong was holding. Lt. Bimley West said the matter is being looked at by Internal Affairs. He said the department doesn’t notify the families in case of a death, which is up to the coroner or the sheriffs department.
Reporter Joshua Emerson Smith can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or jsmith@mercedsunstar.com.
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S.J. artist working to connect cultures through her music
Friday, September 2, 2011
Yami Lee, seen at the Empire Theater on Aug. 16, hopes to be a music star in the Southeast Asian and mainstream markets.
STOCKTON - When she performs at open-mic nights in and around Stockton, even at venues where her sound - she calls it "folk R&B" - isn't the popular sound, Yami Lee plays to cheers and encouragement.
When she sings along the region's circuit of Hmong New Year celebrations and Hmong talent shows, the response can sometimes seem more subdued - except that Lee knows how to read praise in a Hmong context.
"When they want to compliment you, they don't tell you," she said. "They go tell your grandma."
The 18-year-old singer-songwriter, like many American-born children of Hmong refugees, straddles two cultures, two languages - experiences that she is attempting to harmonize through her music.
"I want to reach out to everybody," said Lee, a recent Edison High School graduate. "I want to reach out to the whole community."
During the Vietnam War, the CIA recruited the Hmong, an ethnic minority group living in Laos, to fight communist forces as secret allies of the United States.
After the war ended, thousands of Hmong escaped to Thailand, fleeing persecution in their home country. More than 130,000 eventually were resettled in the United States. Lee's parents were among them.
Both her mother and father are deaf. Lee said her musical tastes were shaped, instead, by older siblings.
"I grew up being very Americanized," she said. "I grew up listening to mainstream music."
While a student at Hamilton Middle School, Lee worked up the nerve to perform at the campus' annual talent show. She sang "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys and won first place. The experience inspired her to pursue singing as a career.
"It was so exciting. People kept saying, 'You sang so good, you should continue.' All that good stuff that artists want to hear," Lee said. "I entertained people, and I made people happy. That makes me feel good inside."
She taught herself to play the guitar and to compose music. She posted videos of her performances on YouTube. At first, only a handful of visitors were interested enough to play them. Now her songs draw thousands of views.
"The Internet has been immensely important for young Hmong-American musicians and artists," said Nicholas Poss, an adjunct professor at Ohio's Ashland University who is studying Hmong music. "Hmong people are widely dispersed around the country and the world, so digital communications have been important in building a sense of community."
For first-generation Hmong immigrants, scattered across the globe, popular music was a way to preserve community connections separated by geography, Poss has argued.
For contemporary artists, it can be a way to connect generations now separated by language and life experience.
"They are more likely to express their Hmong identity by selecting topics relevant to the Hmong community, performing in the Hmong language, or referencing symbols of Hmong culture," Poss said. "Many artists feature personal narratives of living in the Hmong diaspora, which I believe ties them back to the older generation who would express their own stories and feelings through traditional verbal arts like ... sung poems."
Lee is especially drawn to ballads and love songs.
"I write a lot of sad, slow songs," she said. "Everybody can relate to them."
So far, most contemporary Hmong artists seem to have a primarily Hmong fan base, Poss said.
Lee said that, while she doesn't want to lose her Hmong audience, she is striving for broader appeal.
But although mainstream Americans have been introduced to Hmong people and the Hmong culture in recent years through actress Brenda Song, of Disney Channel's "The Suite Life on Deck," and the 2008 Clint Eastwood film "Gran Torino," which featured a Hmong cast, it's not easy for Asians to find commercial success in pop culture, Lee said.
"When there's an Asian artist in the media, they don't always know where to put them," she said. "They keep them on the shelf."
Dwaine Downton is Lee's newly hired manager.
"Everything is visual at first," he said. "When people see Yami, they don't know that she's R&B. They don't see pop. They think, 'She's Asian. I don't know what to do with her.' "
Instead, Downton said he wants to introduce audiences - as many as possible - to Lee's voice first.
"She sounds amazing," he said. "What I see is that she can become the first major Asian-American artist in America. That's what I see. That's what I hear."
In the meantime, Lee happily carries her guitar to coffeehouses for open-mic nights. She accepts invitations to perform at high schools and churches and Hmong cultural events.
"Just to make people happy, that's my ambition," she said. "And to sing songs that people can relate to - about love, life, family."
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Hmong town idea dries up as visionary disappears
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
When Fresno investor Dang Vang went public with his plans to build a Hmong town business center in east-central Fresno, hundreds of people showed up for his announcement, and dozens eventually put down cash to reserve space for their booths.
One year later, Vang's business partners aren't sure where he is, and the project appears to be dead. Many in Fresno's Hmong community wonder what happened to the tens of thousands of dollars they put up.
Nelson Vang, former director of development for the company, said he hasn't spoken to Dang Vang, also known as David Vang, since September. Nelson Vang said he spent $3,600 of his own money to pay the design engineer, and his business partner said he had no money to reimburse him.
Peter Moua, a professional civil engineer who has his own side business, was the design engineer for the project. He said that money was for the cost of surveying the property. In addition, Moua said he spent roughly $6,000 in time and materials on plans for the project, for which he still has not been paid.
Nelson Vang, who is now executive director of United Hmong International – the organization that hosted one of the Hmong New Years celebrations in Fresno – said his business partner told him 80% of the 314 booths for rent in the center had been paid for, although he has no way to confirm if this is true.
Those who had paid for booths said the cost to rent one was $500, although some got discounts. Most said they paid in cash. Using those numbers, roughly $125,500 could have been collected by Dang Vang and his wife, Chong Yang. That would not include any other investments.
Many in the Fresno Hmong community were excited at the prospect of having a Hmong center, which could give an economic boost to a population that is often poor and uneducated. Many came to Fresno to find jobs as farmworkers.
Yer Lee, 50, was enthusiastic about the idea and paid $400 for a booth, but said she never heard anything about the project again.
"I need my money back," Lee said.
Sam Bliatout, who owns the Asian Village shopping center on King's Canyon Road near Willow Avenue, shared an office with Dang Vang and said he hasn't seen Vang in about a year. Friends, as well as people trying to deliver legal papers, have been looking for Vang, he said, but Bliatout does not know where he is.
Vang's company, Asian Development Company LLC, no longer is housed at the Asian Village but is still active according to the secretary of state's website.
The 20-acre property on Maple south of McKinley leased by the Hmong Town Company, for which Nelson Vang is listed as the agent, has been bought by an irrigation company.
Phone numbers associated with Dang Vang have been disconnected, and he no longer resides at his listed address. A search of the Fresno County Superior Court database did not reveal any lawsuits regarding him or his company.
Dang Vang was arrested in 2007 along with 11 others in connection with a plot to overthrow the Laotian government. He wrote a 19-page document detailing the plans for "Operation Popcorn," an apparent reference to POP, the acronym for Laos' Political Opposition Party. The majority of the case was thrown out in November.
Some Hmong people say Dang Vang is still in town. Nelson Vang said he heard Dang Vang and his wife may be living in an empty house.
Moua said some of the people who had rented booths called him asking what had happened, and he told them if they wanted to pursue legal action, he would go along with it.
But many people did not want to sue.
One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, paid $600 for two booths – a discounted price – but she did not want to be named because she knows the couple well. She did not want to sue Dang Vang and his wife.
"I just feel like, let God handle that," she said.
Nelson Vang is not interested in suing either. His wife and Dang Vang's wife are sisters.
Moua said a lawsuit probably wouldn't go anywhere, regardless, because Dang Vang probably does not have the money to pay.
Nelson Vang said he still hopes to create a Hmong center, but he will not be working with his former business partner. He is currently negotiating details, he said, which he said he cannot disclose until they are finalized.
The reporter can be reached at vguida@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6427.
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Local school tries for Hmong dual immersion
Thursday, March 24, 2011
By fall, Sacramento's Susan B. Anthony Elementary School may be the first public school in California and the second nationwide to implement a Hmong/English dual-language program.
The only thing that may prevent such a program from taking off is a lack of interest among parents and students, so Lee Yang, Sacramento City Unified School District administrator of elementary curriculum and professional development has reached out to Hmong elders and clan leaders about appealing to the Hmong community.
“We can have the program, but if there are no kids, you can't really have it, right?” Yang said. “We are expecting there will be interested folks out there because this is not only designed for Hmong. This is a Hmong language immersion program for all kids, regardless of what language you speak.”
Currently, Susan B. Anthony has a total of 269 students, and of those, 151 speak Hmong, and Yang said he plans on visiting the only other school in the United States that has such a program: Jackson Preparatory Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn.
Like the program in St. Paul, this program at Susan B. Anthony is set to begin with one kindergarten and one first grade classroom. This will continue to expand through high school by adding one class per grade every year. This program will follow the existing Spanish and Chinese immersion programs currently in the Sacramento schools.
At the kindergarten level, the 90-10 percent model, where instruction is provided in the Hmong language 90 percent of the time and the remaining 10 percent is done in English, will be implemented. Progressively each year, instruction in Hmong will reduce by 10 percent, and instruction in English will increase by 10 percent. The transition to 100 percent English will occur between fifth and sixth grades.
Yang said the staff members at the school are already qualified with BCLAD teaching credentials with an emphasis in Hmong Der and Mong Leng.
“But we're at the very early stage at this time,” he said. “At this point, we are in the process of exploring exactly how it will look.” He added that students who wish not to participate in the dual-language program won't have to, since traditional classes will also be offered.
This time last year, the school district began putting together the Chinese immersion program at Elder Creek Elementary. Going into its second year, Yang said he is thrilled to have 13 students on the waiting list already. Coupled with the excitement of that program and the success of the Spanish dual-language immersion program at Cesar E. Chavez Intermediate School (See stats here), Yang said he is excited about the Hmong program also because it's new territory.
By the fourth and fifth grade levels, Yang said that students who participated in the Chinese Immersion Program in San Francisco had very successful rates of proficiency on the standardized tests, and by second grade, they tested equally to their English-only counterparts. While students who are in Spanish dual-language immersion programs are tested in Spanish, Yang said tests are not offered in Chinese or Hmong.
To engage the community, the district has planned two informational meetings. The first will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for the Susan B. Anthony School community, and on Thursday, March 31, at 6 p.m., the district will convene a meeting for the larger Sacramento County community. The school is located at 7864 Detroit Blvd.
Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com
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Refugees encounter series of challenges in Merced County
Thursday, February 17, 2011
SUN-STAR PHOTO BY MARCI STENBERG Dad Thay Vang sits with daughters Paliacha Vang, 5, and Kalia Vang, 3, bottom left, as Vang’s wife, Sheng Her, holds JeeMang Vang, 2. The couple, both Hmong, came to Merced almost five years ago from Thailand, where they lived in a refugee camp.
Tom Petty was wrong.
The rocker's classic song's lyrics, "You don't have to live like a refugee," didn't take into account some of the huddled masses who have landed in Merced.
Take Sheng Her. The 23-year-old gets $530 a month for herself and one child through Merced County Human Services Agency's Refugee Employment Social Services program. She and her husband, Thay Vang, 24, both Hmong, came to Merced almost five years ago from Thailand.
They lived in a refugee camp in Thailand, but the camp closed and they had two choices: return to Southeast Asia and face persecution from the Laotian government (which denies the charge) or travel to America, according to translator Vang Vang, who works at Merced Lao Family Community as a cultural broker in its mental health program.
The program receives federal funding that is designed to serve refugees who have been in the country for fewer than five years and who are receiving assistance from CalWorks, according to Nicole Pollack, refugee coordinator for Merced County.
CalWorks is the program that provides temporary financial assistance and employment-focused services to families with minors, according to its website.
The refugee assistance program, which received $14,500 for this fiscal year, helps a majority of Hmong and Laotian refugees. But those numbers have been dwindling in the past five years because the program is losing refugees who can't qualify once they go over the five-year limit.
Her is one of the people who won't get any financial aid after June of this year because of the five-year rule.
That's a cause of concern for her husband, Thay Vang, who says $530 is not enough for the family of five.
"Within the last five years our numbers have been dwindling for the Hmong or Laotian who originally came to Merced County," said Pollack, who is also the deputy director for the agency. "So they no longer qualify for the program that falls under CalWorks. But they do qualify for some programs from the Merced Lao Family Community."
There are 20 people taking part in the program. That number has fallen significantly from past years, when it served around 300 refugees, she said.
Pollack said the refugee program offers assimilation and acculturation into society, social service referrals such as access to medical care or counseling services, and helping refugees transition from public assistance into stable employment. In Merced County, that means partnering with Merced Lao Family Community, a nonprofit, which can provide the services and work directly with the families.
"They definitely have the cultural view and they have a linguistic capability and do a wonderful job with working with the refugee population," Pollack said.
However, Thay Vang, who used to be part of the refugee assistance program, decided to quit because he couldn't find a solid job opportunity. He said he would take any job offered, but it was hard to find the proper training through the program. He decided to attend Merced Adult School to learn how to read, write and learn how to use a computer.
"It is difficult, so we try to work with other agencies through contracts and that's why we chose Lao Family because they absolutely understand the difficulties they are facing," Pollack said.
And someday, once he does all that, Vang will gladly lose his place as a refugee.
Reporter Ameera Butt can be reached at (209) 385-2477 or abutt@mercedsun-star.com.
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Mourners salute beloved Hmong leader
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thousands of mourners poured into downtown Fresno on Friday to remember Gen. Vang Pao, a U.S. ally in the Vietnam War and pillar in the American Hmong community.
Military veterans who served Vang in southeast Asia paraded through crowd-lined streets alongside family and friends dressed in traditional Hmong garb.
The procession, which led with Vang's casket in a horse-drawn carriage, marked the beginning of the six-day funeral.
Vang died at a Clovis hospital Jan. 6 at age 81.
"It felt as if the sun would never rise again ... as if we had lost ourselves," said Vang's son, Francois Chu Vang, addressing the almost entirely ethnic Hmong crowd gathered at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center for services Friday afternoon.
While tears welled in the eyes of many, the general's son urged Hmong Americans to continue pursuing his father's dream of strengthening their refugee community.
Vang led the Hmong to America from his native Laos -- where they were the ethnic minority -- after U.S. forces left Vietnam and the region fell to communism. Fresno became Vang's adopted home.
News that the general would not be buried with U.S. military elite at Arlington National Cemetery, which many local leaders had pushed for, dimmed Friday's pageantry.
Christina Her, a woman from Fresno who arched her neck to win views of the general's casket, said she wouldn't miss the chance to see and thank Vang one last time.
"He helped us get here," said Her, who fled Laos at 17 to avoid what she called the "killing of children" in her hometown. "I went back to my country this year, and I'm glad I came here."
Fou Phan drove from Sacramento to pay his respects. Fou, a veteran of the Lao Royal Army, recalled working with the general in the jungles of Laos to steer American B-52 bombers to North Vietnamese targets.
"He was a very intelligent leader," Fou said.
Friday's services included a speaking lineup of Lao royalty, onetime U.S. military leaders and state and local politicians. Many of Vang's children were in attendance.
White flower wreaths, portraits of the general and both Laotian and U.S. flags served as the backdrop.
In keeping with Hmong tradition, the services are scheduled to continue around the clock through Wednesday. The schedule includes more public condolences and private religious services.
Vang was recruited by the CIA in the 1960s to help fight communism in what has been dubbed the "secret war" in Laos.
"I knew what I needed to do was find Vang Pao," said former CIA agent Bill Lair, who spoke Friday about his mission in southeast Asia spearheading guerrilla operations during the Vietnam War. "The name of Vang Pao came up. They said he was a good fighter and a good person."
Lair said he ran arms to Vang and those under his command. The U.S.-backed force helped hold off the North Vietnamese threat, he said, at least for a time.
After coming to the United States, Vang remained a leader among Hmong Americans, becoming a staunch advocate for education and health care.
"He's the only one that represents our Hmong community here in the United States," said Kao Saecho, who traveled with friends and family from Sacramento for the services. "He knows our community. He knows the [American] politics."
Chad Kou Xiong came with his wife and seven kids from Stockton.
"He's our forefather," he said. "It's like watching a ceremony for a president."
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Mourners to salute beloved Hmong leader Gen. Vang Pao in elaborate, six-day funeral ceremony
FRESNO, Calif. - Tens of thousands of mourners are flocking to central California this weekend to honor the late Gen. Vang Pao, a key Unites States ally in Vietnam who inspired unparalleled reverence among the ethnic Hmong he led in battle and later helped to resettle in far-flung communities across the globe.
Vang Pao, who commanded CIA-funded guerrillas in the jungles of Laos, died at age 81 on Jan. 6 near Fresno, where the Hmong community has spent weeks preparing an elaborate, six-day funeral service.
Friday morning, the casket containing the general's body was scheduled to travel by a horse-drawn carriage through the city's downtown, followed by a procession of hundreds of his relatives, bagpipers, drum majors and a color guard of Hmong veterans.
But whether the United States will allow the Southeast Asian hero to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery alongside American troops is uncertain, and hangs in the balance as this rural California city pays tribute to Vang Pao with a memorial "fit for a king."
"There will not be anyone like Father anymore because he was truly a godsend," said Chai Vang, one of the general's 32 children. "All we can do is unite the community and form partnerships around the world to carry out the work he began."
Fresno, a city of about half a million in the state's agricultural heartland, has pulled out all the stops for the ceremony, and local businesses are gearing up to supply travelers with food, sell them commemorative buttons and take part in the historic gathering of the clans.
Friday afternoon, Hmong spiritual guides and funeral specialists will burn incense, chant songs, and play bamboo wind instruments to lead Vang Pao's soul back to his childhood home in Longhay, Laos, where his spirit can don the placental jacket it will wear on its journey toward reincarnation.
On Saturday morning, his family will present chicken, rice, drinks and paper money for the general's voyage into the afterlife. His relatives will then cook and serve food to funeral guests, making hot meals of the animals sacrificed in his honor in tents outside the convention center.
Thong Chai, who manages a Hmong grocery store on Fresno's gritty east side, said his family has donated a whole pig to the general's family in recent weeks.
"The general is like a hero for us, and we've got to help his family because it's hard to provide all this food for everyone who's coming," he said, looking over the pallets of coconut juice and white gourd beverage he was preparing to send along.
For those who fought alongside the general in the Vietnam War and came to America thanks to his advocacy, Vang Pao's death leaves many issues unresolved.
Once Saigon fell, thousands of his soldiers languished in refugee camps in Thailand until they were granted refugee status in the U.S., including about 30,000 Laotians, Cambodians and Hmong who moved to Fresno.
Then, in 2007, Vang Pao and 11 others were accused of plotting to violently overthrow the communist government of Laos, sparking a 3 1/2 year legal battle that reverberated with the last echoes of the war. Vang Pao was dropped from the case in 2009, and federal prosecutors suddenly dismissed all remaining charges last month "in the interests of justice," only days after the general's passing.
Mai Der Vang, a Hmong-American writer in Fresno, said it wasn't until she studied the general's role in the war that she understood the immense cultural and economic changes her family had experienced.
"It really allowed me to see why my parents worked so hard to ensure that I had a good education," said Vang, 29. "This war still haunts our elders and is something that still brings back very sad memories for people, so all that is coming up now."
Bill Lair, who headed the CIA's paramilitary operations in Laos and recruited Vang Pao, was expected to attend, as were several other retired CIA agents and military officials.
California Reps. Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza have requested an Arlington burial for Vang Pao, but have yet to receive a response.
The Army is handling the request as expeditiously as possible, Army spokesman Gary Tallman said Thursday.
Earlier this week, a phalanx of the general's former recruits lined up in their fatigues to lay a wreath of yellow daisies before Vang Pao's portrait, which lay against a solemn monument to Laotian veterans on the lawn before the county courthouse.
Most were well into their sixties, but the aging secret army still snapped to attention as their former commanders cried out in Hmong for them to salute in unison.
"We fought in the American war, and if we didn't join that war there might be thousands more Americans dead," said Col. Wangyee Vang, president of the nonprofit Lao Veterans of America. "General Vang Pao wished to be buried at Arlington and we hope the U.S. will grant him that honor."
Source
Valley food memories too many to recount
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Fresno, I'm not yet done telling you stories.
For my column last week, it was hard to narrow down a list of local treats that capture the local history, culture, climate and flavor. It's impossible to fit all of those memories into a single story, so I wanted to tell you about one more place.
The University of California's Kearney Agricultural Center in Parlier is a gem of a research station that offers occasional public tours. Consider what I discovered:
A Hmong research garden that may be the only one of its kind in the country.
It offers the public a rare look at medicinal and culinary herbs, including common and scientific names for the plants.
I toured it in 2009 with local Hmong herbalists who showed the overlap between the culinary and medicinal. To treat a rash, bruise some garlic chives and rub them into the skin, May Xiong says. Vietnamese coriander (also known as Vietnamese mint, laksa leaf and luam laws in Hmong), helps blood clot.
Fresh Sichuan (or Szechwan) pepper, which nearly choked me with its sourness and numbness.
In the United States, the opportunity to taste fresh Sichuan pepper is rare; the dried spice typically is imported from countries such as China and Japan.
UC Cooperative Extension farm adviser Richard Molinar planted Zanthoxylum armatum trees, a species of Sichuan pepper grown in Nepal. He was studying the possibility of turning backyard Sichuan pepper trees into a California crop.
More than 20 varieties of mini watermelons.
With mini watermelons a popular segment of the market, lots of California farmers were interested in Molinar's trials.
On a glorious, blistering afternoon in 2007, Molinar cut into these watermelons for a taste test. The red flesh of the Little Deuce Coupe was pleasingly crunchy but not super sweet. And the sunny interior of the Mini Yellow was sweeter but not as crisp.
Jujubes, a small, sweet, crisp fruit.
Among a small group of California growers, jujubes are an important crop for Asian communities, especially in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, New York and Canada.
Hungry for your own discoveries? To find out more about UC Kearney's research, call Molinar at (559) 456-7555.
There's one more little event I'd like to tell you about. Apparently, some folks called Jo Ann Sorrenti of Sierra Nut House and asked her to invite me over so I could say good-bye in person.
I'm flattered -- and will be in Sierra Nut House at Blackstone and Nees avenues 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Feel free to stop by if you like, so I can thank you properly.
After all, it's your generosity that's allowed me to have a fantastic time here. You sent in tips, you opened your kitchens to me and most importantly, you shared your stories.
Please continue to explore the Valley's food -- and think of me when you're enjoying a Fay Elberta peach.
Source
Getting to know Sor Lo: One of two finalists for appointment to the City Council
Friday, January 21, 2011
CHICO — When Sor Lo came to the lectern at Tuesday night's Chico City Council meeting, for many, it was the first time they had heard of the Chico resident.
That night Councilor Jim Walker candidly admitted, "I don't know Sor Lo other than through this process."
But the council and the residents of Chico may soon get to know Lo much better, as the Hmong business owner is now one of two finalists vying for the Chico City Council seat left vacant by newly elected Butte County Supervisor Larry Wahl.
Though Lo, 45, has never campaigned for public office before, the father of eight is now contending with retired Lifetouch manager Bob Evans for a chance to sit on the city dais.
From his southeast Chico home Thursday morning, Lo, who moved to the United States in 1988 from a Thai refugee camp, discussed his desire to join the six other members of the Chico City Council.
"It's my time to serve people in any way I can," Lo said.
Up until this point, Lo has largely avoided the local political scene, admitting that he doesn't like to "play politics."
He acknowledged that although he is a registered Democrat, he has never voted in a local, state or national election — including the most recent Chico City Council election.
Lo is not a regular attendee at council meetings, has never attended a 2030 Chico General Plan meeting and his only experience in city government has been as a recent member of the newly established Chico Police Advisory Committee.
Still, Lo said he brings something to the table that no other City Councilor can boast — a connection to a population that Lo says is underrepresented in Chico government.
Throughout the course of an hour, Lo, a full-time advocate for Independent Living Services of Northern California, repeatedly stated his intention to serve as an ambassador and liaison to the Hmong community, as well as to those in Chico who live in poverty, or with disabilities.
He said by having a minority representative on the council, more Chico residents will feel comfortable sharing their opinions and concerns with the council.
"I want their voice to be heard too," Lo said.
But just what does Lo's voice represent?
As an immigrant who has no idea of his exact birthdate and who learned English while living in the refugee camp, Lo certainly demonstrates the epitome of hard work and tenacity.
He owns the Asian Market on Nord Avenue, speaks, reads and writes five languages, owns rental property in Chico and has earned an associate, bachelor's and master's degree from Butte College and Chico State University.
He was born along the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos and literally grew up in a jungle as his family fought for democracy.
Lo spent 13 years of his life living in a tent with his family of nine, behind a fence that bordered the Thai refugee camp. He married and had two children while living in the camp.
Lo carries shrapnel in his right leg from a communist explosive that was shot into his family's tent, likely because his father was a CIA agent who helped the United States government during the Vietnam War. That same blast killed Lo's sister.
Addressing the council Tuesday night, Lo said his past only serves as a strength for his potential future as a city councilor.
"I served the U.S. in war time and want to serve the citizens of Chico in peace time," Lo said.
With a warm smile, Lo admitted Thursday the learning curve for serving as a city councilor will certainly be steep.
He was unsure of the exact figure for the city budget deficit and though he was familiar with the city's budget crisis, he has not been as intimately involved in the discussion as other members of the public have.
Lo offered little in the way of concrete policy decisions that he would support or oppose, other than to say he would like to see businesses, nonprofits and city government work better together.
But Lo contends — and has definitely proved — that he has no aversion to hard work.
"I work seven days a week, no vacation, no time off," Lo said.
Lo said it was that dedication to his work, along with the illness and subsequent death of his father, that prevented him from running for council this past year or applying to serve on a city board or commission in late 2010.
"I just had no time," Lo said.
Now, he believes he is ready for public service. With Mayor Ann Schwab and Councilors Andy Holcombe and Scott Gruendl supporting his appointment over 19 other applicants, it seems Lo has a steady chance at that opportunity.
The council is scheduled to choose its final selection at its Feb. 1 meeting, but if it remains deadlocked between Lo and Evans as it was on Tuesday, a special election will be forced.
Lo said he would run for the position in that election and added that if the appointment is given to Evans he thinks it "would send a message to minorities that they are not welcome in this community."
When asked about any advantages he may hold over Evans, Lo responded, "He's the same people as we already have."
Still, as much as he identifies with his Hmong heritage, Lo said his ultimate goal is to give a voice to all Chicoans.
Lo said as a city councilor, he will undoubtedly bring diversity to city government, but much more than that, he said he will be a servant to the city's residents.
"I'm not just representing Hmong people," Lo said. "I'm representing the whole city."
Staff writer Toni Scott can be reached at 896-7767 or tscott@chicoer.com.
Source
Vigil tonight in Sacramento for Hmong Gen. Vang Pao
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Members of Sacramento's Hmong American community are holding a candlelight vigil tonight honoring the memory of Gen. Vang Pao, the Hmong leader who died Thursday of heart failure at a Clovis Hospital.
The vigil will be held until midnight at the Hmong Palace Church of Sacramento, 6525 53rd Ave. 95828, said Vaming Xiong, president of the Hmong American Ad Hoc Committee of Sacramento.
"It's very sad - he did his job as a leader of the Hmong people to the very last," said Xiong.
Vang brought his people to the United States after Laos fell to the Communists in 1975 and established a network of Lao Family Community Centers that helped thousands of Hmong become citizens, learn English, get job training and access health care.
Vang, who turned 81 on Christmas Day, was known to thousands of Hmong as the Hmong King, or the Hmong George Washington.
There are now about 350,000 Hmong Americans living in the United States, including about 30,000 in the Sacramento area.
Source
Hmong leader Vang Pao dies
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Legendary Hmong General Vang Pao surrounded by his interpreter and security personnel during a recent visit to Sacramento. The leader of the CIA's secret Hmong guerrilla army during Vietnam War, the general, addressed local Hmong at the Sacramento Lao Family Community Center, Friday, February 6, 2004.
Gen. Vang Pao, an iconic figure in the Hmong community and a key U.S. ally during the Vietnam War, died today in Clovis.
Vang, 81, was admitted to Clovis Community Medical Center on Dec. 26. Vang apparently was admitted shortly after making his annual appearance at the Hmong International New Year event at the Fresno Fairgrounds.
Charlie Waters, a friend and veterans advocate in Fresno, said Vang was suffering from pneumonia and an ongoing heart problem.
Vang is revered by many as a father figure and leader who helped bring and settle the Hmong community into American life.
But he also has been controversial -- federal authorities in 2007 charged him and 10 others with conspiring to violently overthrow communist Laos. Charges against Vang were dropped in 2009.
Yet the arrest galvanized Hmong Americans who saw Vang as symbolizing the fight for public acknowledgment of the Hmong role in the war and the liberation of those still living in Laotian jungle.
The central San Joaquin Valley has one of the largest Hmong populations in the country. Many Hmong -- some of whom fought beside American soldiers during the Vietnam War -- came here after fleeing Laos.
It was conflict that paved a path to prominence for Vang, viewed by some as a king and others as George Washington of the Hmong.
Born in December 1929 to farmers in a Laotian village, he became a teenage translator for French paratroopers fighting the Japanese in Laos during World War II.
Vang was selected to train at a French officers' school in Vietnam and became a commissioned officer in the French army. Laotian leaders made Vang a general, even though the Hmong were a small ethnic minority in the country.
In 1961, Vang was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency to lead a secret army of Hmong soldiers against Laotian communists and their North Vietnamese counterparts using routes through Laos to supply their troops.
When the war ended and U.S. forces pulled out of Vietnam, communists in Laos persecuted the Hmong. More than 300,000 Laotian refugees -- most of them Hmong -- began a treacherous journey to reach Thai refugee camps.
Under CIA orders, Vang was flown from his mountaintop headquarters in May 1975. He lived in Montana before moving to Orange County -- which had a growing Southeast Asian population -- and took a leadership role in the resettlement of his people.
In 1977, Vang established the Lao Family Community organization to provide social services nationwide. The nonprofit helps refugees learn English and basic life skills.
That, and wartime memories, helped build a foundation for Vang's influence here.
Tony Vang, a Fresno Unified School District trustee, remembers Vang Pao visiting his village when he was a boy. The general also helped pay for Tony Vang -- whose father and three brothers fought and died in the war -- to attend a high school in Hawaii in the early 1970s.
"We lost a great leader, a person who cared deeply about his people and dedicated his entire life to serving them," Vang said.
Over time, however, Vang lost some credibility for failing to deliver on a promise to return to Laos as a liberator. His reputation also was tarnished by controversy that dogged some organizations related to Vang or family members.
A few years ago, for example, the nonprofit Vang Pao Foundation in Minnesota agreed to go out of business and pay restitution. That move settled charges that included operating without a board of directors and soliciting money to buy land for low-income housing without using the funds for that purpose.
Then in 2007, federal authorities charged Vang and others with planning to violently overthrow the communist government of Laos. He spent six weeks in jail before being released on bail.
His arrest sparked rallies in Fresno and Sacramento among Hmong who saw it as a betrayal by the U.S. government. It also underlined Vang's standing in that community.
In late 2009, Vang said he planned to return to Laos -- saying it was time for reconciliation so that thousands of Hmong trapped in the jungle and refugee camps could be liberated.
But that trip was quickly cancelled after the communist regime announced that Vang would be executed as a Vietnam War criminal if he returned to Laos.
Vang reportedly had six wives in Laos, where polygamy was practiced by some Hmong. Family members have said that he has about 20 children.
Source
General Vang Pao recovering from pneumonia
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- General Vang Pao is in the hospital Tuesday night, recovering from pneumonia.
The general was most recently seen at Hmong New Year Celebrations in Merced back on December 17th.
A family friend tells Action News, the general was admitted to a local hospital suffering from pneumonia related symptoms. The 81-year-old is expected to be released in a few days.
In the late 70's, General Vang Pao led thousands of Hmong through a violent crackdown by the Laotian government. That eventually led to a new life in America.
Source
In the Facebook era, Hmong stick to traditional courting
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The age-old practice of pov pob, in which men and women toss balls at one another, has been transplanted from Asia and is a way to connect with their cultural roots.
Reporting from Fresno — The five young men, friends since high school, are here to meet girls.
So they carry tennis balls.
In the age of Facebook, the ancient Hmong courtship ritual of pov pob — looking for true love by tossing balls with potential mates at Hmong New Year — is making a comeback.
The tradition had been losing ground to the likes of friending and picking a match off a computer screen. Indeed, a standard question year after year for contestants in the Miss Hmong International Contest, roughly translated from Hmong, was, "Why would young people abandon the blessings of the New Year and their traditions for Internet dating? How can this be stopped?"
But over the last few years the number of ball tossers at Fresno's International Hmong New Year festival has been growing and many young Hmong say it's a reaction to casual Internet interaction.
"I'm not a player," said Neng Her, 25, at which his four friends laugh. "I do meet a lot of cute girls on Facebook. Maybe it's a way to find someone compatible, you know, have fun.
"But meeting someone at the New Year is different. It's about fate and destiny and stuff."
Brenda Lee, 30, a financial advisor who met her boyfriend last year playing pov pob, said modern forms of matchmaking make Hmong singles all the more eager for face-to-face relating.
"Facebook isn't real. It makes you hungry for the old traditions. This is a chance to see the person, see if he laughs when he drops the ball. All year, people wait for the new year. They come here from the world over to play pov pob and hope for love."
In the Laos and Thailand of old, the balls were made of colorful material and boys and girls courted one another by singing traditional love songs.
The words to those songs are now largely forgotten, banter is favored over warbling and woven cloth has been replaced by fluorescent felt stamped "Wilson." But for the most part, the tradition made it intact through the Vietnam War, out of Thailand refugee camps and here to these fairgrounds.
The Hmong have been in the United States about 35 years. The CIA recruited the isolated tribe, which lived in the mountains of Laos, to fight communists during the Vietnam War. In 1975, the U.S. retreated, leaving Laos under communist control and the Hmong hunted and on the run. An estimated 120,000 Hmong died.
Beginning in 1975, the American government resettled some Hmong in the United States. More than 150,000 Hmong have emigrated since then, including about 30,000 in California's Central Valley.
This history is made tangible during the colorful whirl of the weeklong festival which ends New Year's Day. Leathery old men wearing Vietnam-era U.S. Army uniforms walk past young Hmong breakdancers with swooped, choppy and multi-colored hairstyles.
Girls who usually favor jeans are resplendent in elaborate Hmong finery. Some wear the most traditional hat: purple and wrapped high, designed to give the face a heart shape accented by black and white checked ribbon. Others choose boxy hats topped with pink feathers, or wide brims dangling long strings of beads.
It's a tradition for mothers to chaperone during pov pob. The tiny mothers, stunted by malnutrition before and after the war, barely reach the shoulders of their American-born, college-educated daughters.
Coins are sewn to the costumes of men and women. The jangling of these symbols of hope and prosperity creates a swell of sound as steady as ocean waves, audible even over the Thai dance music, Hmong rap and traditional love songs blaring from competing speakers.
Though all are welcome, the crowd is almost entirely Southeast Asian, except for the Mormon missionaries; white men wearing wildly patterned, billowy Hmong pants with short-sleeved white shirts and ties hand out pamphlets promoting Jesus' love.
In the center of the busy fairgrounds, sisters often toss the ball to each other, pretending not to notice the boys noticing them. Boys shove each other, trying to get one of their pals to make the first move and ask the girls to play. In the past it was an excuse to get close enough to woo, and it still is.
The age-old practice of pov pob, in which men and women toss balls at one another, has been transplanted from Asia and is a way to connect with their cultural roots.
Some toss the ball with shy elegance. Others like Houa Cha, 20, and Dara Yang, 22, throw hard and high, making one another jump for it.
The universal fits and starts of courtship play out:
"I believe in love. I believe you can sense something from that first moment at the New Year," Cha said.
"I don't believe you can fall in love just tossing a ball, but it's fun," said Yang.
Longer life spans and divorce have added many older pov pob players.
Zong Xiong, 76, sporting a white double-breasted suit, black bowler hat and scarf, tosses the ball with a line of giggling older women in traditional Hmong clothing.
"I came to meet girls from other villages," he said through a translator.
Potential romances are not limited to one's ball-tossing partner; men sidle up close to chat with girls tossing the ball to someone 4 feet away.
"I'm like an iguana, my eyes keep moving. I'm seeing all the other hot boys," said Kelly Her, 17.
Last year she met 20 suitors playing pov pob.
"And I'm still talking to three of them. It's a little like the TV show 'The Bachelorette.' "
Mitchell Xiong, 22, a public health student at San Francisco State, said that as she tries to balance tradition with her modern life, pov pob makes her think of her parents' marriage and the vagaries of love.
"Hmong love is different than American love. American love is 'I love you, I love you!' Hmong love is more quiet, small gestures. Like at dinner my dad will give my mom the best piece of meat. Hmong love is 'here honey, here's this nice bit of meat for you.'
"If I have to choose, I want to be loved the Hmong way."
Her boyfriend, Shelong Yang, 25, who designs characters for video games, doesn't believe in the love at first sight of Hmong tradition.
But he believes in keeping tradition.
"I don't know the words to the songs. I don't know all the history. But I'm Hmong and I feel when I play pov pob I'm keeping something important alive," he said.
"This isn't flirting on Facebook. If you court on the New Year you are expected to be polite about it. You are approaching a beautiful girl in a gaggle of other girls, probably with her mother behind her. It's real. Its intimidating, like approaching love should be."
Source
Two Hmong New Year Celebrations in Fresno
Monday, December 27, 2010
Fresno – It's known as the biggest celebration of its kind in the country, but this year, the Hmong new year celebration is divided.
There are two different events, going on at the same time in Fresno.
It was business as usual at the Fresno Fairgrounds, where thousands of people came, to celebrate the Hmong new year.
"This is the last and biggest Hmong new year celebration in the U.S. and in the world," said Ge Herr, who is on the governance board of the Hmong International New Year Foundation.
Every year for the past decade, about 100,000 people pass through the gates, from all over the state, and country.
"We drove all the way from Sacramento to perform. It's pretty fun," said Julie Vang.
"It's just tradition, you feel like you're at home, it's family, all families here," said Kevin Lee.
General Vang Pao, the beloved leader of the Hmong community in the United States also attended the event at the fairgrounds.
A second celebration, just six miles away, at the Regional Sports Complex is going on at the same time.
Thousands of people also attended the opening day of festivities there.
"It has much more room, it's not that crowded, everything's the same-vendors, food, same thing," said Emily Yang.
Organizers of that celebration, United Hmong International, broke away from the larger organization reportedly because some were upset at how money from the event was being spent.
But organizers of the fairgrounds celebration say there should only be one new year's celebration.
"I don't know why this year there will be two, I don't understand. I would like to have only one for the Hmong people and the community," said Herr.
Many people we spoke with say they plan to attend both events during the week-long celebration. Both feature the usual traditions like singing, dancing, and the ball toss - a courtship game, different sports competitions, and of course, the traditional Hmong food.
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