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In many ways, Mai Vang Lee is just like a typical Minnesotan teenage girl; she loves music, dancing, and shopping. In other ways, however, she is very different. Mai Vang was born in
Thailand, and she and her family arrived to the
United States as refugees just five years ago. When they arrived, they... | | Hits today: 0 Total: 54 | 0 comments |
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 Mai was the middle child and only daughter of seven children. Her father died when she was 10 years old, which was only the first of many hurdles Mai would have to overcome. Mai was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn Thai and complete high school in the refugee camp. Even with an education, however, very few job opportunities existed. Especially after... | | Hits today: 0 Total: 96 | 0 comments |
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In the spirit of the holiday season, Hmong American Partnership would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of the partners who make our work possible.
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 Before July 2004, Ge lived in the Wat Tham Krabok refugee settlement in Thailand. As it was for so many others, Ge’s life was difficult and opportunities were limited, especially for her as a Hmong refugee and as a woman. Despite the challenges, Ge was able to get a job and earn some extra money teaching young children. Meanwhile, she dreamed of a new life in the United States. | | Hits today: 0 Total: 1455 | 0 comments |
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Padao suffered in an abusive relationship for many years. Her three young children (ages 9, 4, and 10 months) also suffered physical abuse from their father. Sadly, not one of Padao’s relatives or friends was able to intervene.
In late 2008, an incident between Padao and her ex-husband... | | Hits today: 0 Total: 237 | 0 comments |
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Paw Hter Lah and his wife, Su Play Lah, lived with their young son in a refugee camp in
Thailand for seven years before they were allowed to come to the
United States in 2005. They are one of many ethnic Karen families who have recently arrived to
Minnesota in a new wave of refugees. | | Hits today: 0 Total: 785 | 0 comments |
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 Pa is a 29-year-old single mother of two children who entered the United States in August 2004 as a refugee. She left everything behind when she immigrated to the USA from her homeland in Thailand. Pa came into the USA with no English, no work experience, no knowledge of American culture or the ways of life in this country. She had to start from scratch, learning her ABCs while attending ESL classes 20 hours per week. Currently, she lives in St. Paul with her two children in a small apartment. | | Hits today: 2 Total: 1723 | 0 comments |
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At age 16, Chee’s good looks, sense of humor, and charismatic personality were his defining characteristics. He enjoyed life and was always surrounded by great friends. His parents, however, were concerned about his struggling grades and reluctance to act responsibly... | | Hits today: 0 Total: 260 | 0 comments |
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The move from a small village in Thailand to a large city in the United States was an exciting but difficult transition for Chong Teng, a 35-year-old husband and father of two. Chong and his family arrived to the United States after living in a refugee settlement in Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand. At Wat Tham Krabok, Chong never had to worry about many of the day-to-day challenges he would face in the United States. Upon arrival... | | Hits today: 0 Total: 357 | 0 comments |
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 Bee was a bright fifteen year old who felt bored and lacked direction in school and in life. He said he needed to “do something outside of school that could help his future”.
Fortunately for Bee, friends at school encouraged him to join Hmong American Partnership’s YouthLEAD program, which helps Hmong youth stay in school and achieve academic and career success. Bee enjoyed YouthLEAD presentations and discussions with experts and role models. He also had opportunities to volunteer and become a peer leader. Over the course of his three years as a participant, volunteer, and mentor with HAP, Bee gained the skills and confidence to set big goals. | | Hits today: 1 Total: 1357 | 0 comments |
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 Selina was raised by a single mother, in a distressed and economically disadvantaged neighborhood in Saint Paul. Her mother faced many of the challenges common to refugees, such as language barriers, low levels of formal education, and difficulty adapting to a new community. Despite these challenges, Selina’s mother always tried to provide a good life for her children... | | Hits today: 0 Total: 476 | 0 comments |
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 In 2001, Pang Lee Thao’s husband divorced her at age 55, leaving Pang in a state of shock and depression. Additionally, the divorce left Pang with the full responsibility of caring for her son and mother-in-law. As a result of her sadness about the divorce and the added responsibility of caring for two other people, Pang became very depressed. After talking with some friends, she realized the best thing to do was to keep herself busy so she would not dwell on her problems.
| | Hits today: 0 Total: 680 | 0 comments |
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