They faced a ton of "Minnesota Nice Racism" and they just kept working, creating family businesses, sending their kids to college, and doing their damndest to assimilate without letting go of their unique culture.

And America OWED them, big time. They carried the can for us in those Southeast Asian mountains, believed our bullshit, fought and died beside US military, provided vital support and intelligence roles, and faced potential genocide when we bugged out.

They arrived here knowing nothing but US military culture (many of them) and their hill-tribe unindustrialized agrarian lifestyle (all of them.) Of course that was held against them as the usual stupid racist rumors of them building cookfires in wastebaskets because they didn't know what to do with a stove, and dognapping neighbors' pets for food were juicily retailed by the usual xenophobic ignorami.

Nevertheless, they persisted. And, fortunately, Minnesota (and Saint Paul, my birthplace) isn't just ignorant xenophobes. The progressive wokeitude has always been strong in the land of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, and they had access to help. The kids learned English fast, the younger adults weren't far behind. It seemed as though virtually every Hmong of working age had at least two jobs, one usually in a family business like a restaurant or dry cleaner. Every Hmong of school age had a high school diploma and they opted for community colleges and full higher education in droves, most of them working to minimize student debt and patiently taking as long as it took to get degrees.

And they started running for office at the lowest levels - community boards, task forces, etc. Then school boards and City Councils.

I am thrilled to pieces that Kaohly Her is bringing this proud immigrant heritage to Saint Paul's City Hall. Well done, voters!

happily,
Bright