OUR STORIES | Rescuing Kia Vang’s home

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Kia Vang came to the United States in 1980, when she was 20 years old with one child. Experiencing the different housing quality from Laos to US, she was in shock. The structure of the home and the lights she sees when she walks outside made her feel like she is in a different better world.Now Vang has 12 children. She worked as a laborer in packaging until the twins were born in 2001, but hasn’t been able to work since then. Ever since then she’s experienced weakened muscle strength in her legs and hands, and chronic back and foot aches. Continue Reading

OUR STORIES | Two worlds, two identities for Lenda Xiong

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When you think about what is going to be the happiest day of your life, what comes across your mind? Many will say that it’s their wedding day: a pure perfect ceremony with families and friends feeling joyous for you and your significant other. Jokes and laughter fill buffet tables, people are dancing, and it is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. But this dream does not apply to Lenda Xiong, who is a Hmong lesbian woman.“Being Hmong, knowing how it is to live in America amongst all the other races, I wonder how I can balance my Hmong and American cultures without the American side tipping down,” said Xiong. Even today, Hmong elders and parents still tell their teens to get married at a young age. Continue Reading