All posts filed under: Chelsey See Xiong

Hmong, Lao Americans running for public office in 2020

Published by Chelsey See Xiong

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 …

Conversations with Entrepreneur Koua Jacklyn Franz: Building a social capital venture

Published by Chelsey See Xiong

Photo credit to Sinap Nguyen, courtesy of Koua Franz For Koua Jacklyn Franz, building and leading communities toward sustainable futures has almost always been at the heart of her work. After working in the nonprofit sector for several years for both Hmong groups and otherwise, Franz co-founded John Gooder LLC with her husband in 2014. Together, they provide pointed consultation, professional and organizational guidance and event management services to clients. But Franz says she wants to be known as more than just a Hmong entrepreneur. Read on to find out who Franz is in her entirety, how journeys can translate into success and her thoughts on the future of the Hmong community. Let’s let our readers know about you. How would you describe yourself as a person and an entrepreneur? I am a mother of three beautiful young ladies, I am a wife, I am a daughter and I am a sister to 11 wonderful siblings. I consider myself as Hmong American. I came to the United States when I was two as a Hmong …