All posts filed under: Social Justice and Politics

Every item that could be included in these ranks.

An Iu Mien Story Pt.1 – #FreeSaelee, The Secret War, and Resettlement

“I would never think that we would have that many supporters,” Naichann Saechao says, referring to the nearly 200,000 signatures collected online to free her nephew Kao from ICE detention.  In fall 2020, the internet was shaken up by the Guardian’s story about an Iu Mien American refugee named Kao Saelee from California. Despite Kao’s service fighting historic wildfires just before finishing his 22 year prison sentence, he was handed over to ICE for deportation to his birth country of Laos. Instead of reuniting with his family who had come to take him home, Kao was taken to an ICE detention facility across the country in Louisiana. Despite calls for a pardon by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kao is still in ICE detention today. With the massive reaction to Kao Saelee’s story, more people are talking about the plight of young refugees finding their way in America. However, the visibility of these refugee experiences, especially for communities like Iu Mien Americans, remains low. According to Iu Mien Community Services –Iu Mien are a vibrant ethnic …

Hmong, Lao Americans running for public office in 2020

Tuesday marks the start of the 2020 primary election season, whose results will determine what names will appear on the general election ballot on Nov. 3 for many of the races. There are some Hmong and Lao Americans running for public office this year, and Little Laos on the Prairie compiled of list of candidates, from Congressional to municipal, to watch. While we see new faces from the municipal to the Congressional level, familiar names include Minnesota State Senator Foung Hawj, who is running for his third term, and Mayor Steve Ly, who also is campaigning for his third term for the mayoral seat of Elk Grove, California. Five Hmong Americans currently seated in the Minnesota State House are up for re-election.  CONGRESSIONAL RACES Bobby Bliatout Party Affiliation: Democrat Office: U.S. House of Representatives for California’s 22nd Congressional District This will be Bliatout’s second time running for California’s 22nd Congressional District. The first time he ran for this office was in the 2018 election, losing in the primary to fellow Democrat Andrew Janz. For more …