Today we have one of the greatest, contemporary Hmong authors with us: Kao Kalia Yang.

Kalia was born in December 1980 in Thailand’s Ban Vinai refugee camp, which is the same camp where Yia was born. Her family came to Minnesota in 1987.

In 2003, she graduated from Carleton College and then received her Master's in Creative Nonfiction from Colombia University soon after that.

Kalia has published numerous nonfiction works and children’s books since 2008, and it was in that year that she released one of her greatest works: The Latehomecomer, which is a memoir that tells of her family’s harrowing escape from the war in Laos. She’s also known for The Song Poet, which follows the life of her father, through his most tragic and most joyous moments.

Before we get started today, there’s one quick note I want to share about today’s episode.

Somehow or another, Kalia really got Yia to open up his emotions and much of this podcast is him in a very vulnerable state: speaking about his hopes, his fears, and of course, his family.

As a result, Yia speaks much more than Kalia and near the end, it begins to feel like she’s the host, interviewing him.

There is so much that we didn’t cover with Kalia and we hope to have her on again soon. Until then, please appreciate this vulnerable moment of two people opening up to each other.

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If you enjoy the show, let us know by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Be sure to check out the show on Instagram and Facebook.

Oh, and our YouTube channel is finally here!

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Hey everyone, welcome back to Hmonglish.

We brought on a phenomenal guest today, her name is Kashia Moua, and she is the Founder of Hmong Women’s Circle and the Chief Sustainability Officer at FM Global.

Before that, she worked as the Director of Sustainability for Allstate and has an extensive background in civic engagement and public defense.

Kashia has always been attracted to policy, politics, and advocacy, but she is also passionate about her Hmong identity, which is what brings her here today.

She started Hmong Women’s Circle after receiving a grant from the echoing green fellowship in 1999. The objective of her newfound organization was to close the achievement gap for Hmong American women through an affirmation of strengths, skills, and ambitions. The program was also started in response to violence against Hmong Women in the late 90s.

But… we do have one quick note about the violence: a little bit after the 40-minute mark, Kashia begins to describe some of the tragic headlines that were associated with Hmong Women at the time. There was one story we had to cut out at her request because it was personal, so if that portion of the show sounds disjointed at all, please bear with us, we did our very best.

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Be sure to check out the show on Instagram and Facebook.

Oh, and our YouTube channel is finally here!

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

If you like the show, remember to give us a 5-star review and tell us why! Also, make sure you subscribe and tell a friend!

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Hey, folks. Welcome back to Hmonglish. Today’s episode is with a repeat guest: professor Lee Pao Xiong from Concordia University in St. Paul. Lee Pao was the very first guest on the show back when we started season 1 and we are thrilled to have him back.

Lee Pao runs the Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia and is a professor of American Government, Political Science, and Hmong Culture.

I recommend you listen to our first episode with Lee Pao if you haven’t already, however, it isn’t necessary. I will say that this conversation and our previous one with him provide a broad – but not complete – view of Hmong history, so hearing both episodes is important.

Ok, here we go. Are you ready? Let’s dive deep into Hmong history.

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Be sure to check out the show on Instagram and Facebook.

Oh, and our YouTube channel is finally here!

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Welcome back to Hmonglish!

This is our second season and things will be a bit different this time around, especially the structure of the show. You’ll notice that these episodes will be much more casual. We provide Yia and the guest a very, very rough outline of what to talk about and they usually don’t even look at the outline anyways.

We know a lot of you will miss our old format with Gia, but we’re excited nonetheless to bring you this new iteration.

Be sure to check out the show on Instagram and Facebook. We are also working on a YouTube channel, which you will find here in the description once it’s ready. If you like the show, subscribe and leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Oh, and if you know someone who would appreciate Hmonglish, please share it with them!

Before we begin, I want to set the context for today’s episode. Ironically, we began season 2 with a guest who is not Hmong, but still Asian American (specifically, Taiwanese American). His name is Ming-Jinn Tong and he has known Yia for almost a decade. They met at a church they used to attend and have been best buds ever since. 

The reason we brought on Ming-Jinn is that he’s an incredibly thoughtful speaker. He’s an expert on addressing cultural issues and we felt he would be the perfect person to bring on as Yia continues to reflect on his Hmong heritage.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

You’re with friends now.

Welcome to season 2.


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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Welcome to the season 1 finale of Hmonglish! In this episode, we're talking all about the future of Hmong culture, language preservation efforts, and the education of our youth.  To discuss these things, we brought in a Hmong language educator, Pang Yang, who just received a grant from the Bush Foundation to deepen her studies.

So, about the show. Yes, we are bummed to see Gia leave us, but we are determined to keep these conversations going. We are incredibly passionate about giving a platform to our brilliant, Hmong community, and we hope to keep this going in season 2. We are in the process of figuring out what that looks like, so in the meantime, we have one request: sit tight!

To keep up-to-date on the podcast, follow us on social media!

Hmonglish Instagram

Hmonglish Facebook

And be sure to follow our amazing co-hosts!

Yia Vang

Gia Vang

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Today's episode is all about Hmong food. Our co-host, Chef Yia Vang, is an expert in this area. However, we brought on another professional, and her name is Mee Vang. She runs the "Mee Living" YouTube channel, where she prepares traditional Hmong dishes and educates her audience on their significance.

Mee represents the traditional perspective of Hmong food and Chef Yia Vang represents the contemporary perspective. We're covering all the bases with this one so you know it's going to be a good one! Let's learn about Hmong food!

By the way, make sure you check out Mee's YouTube channel!

Mee Living

To keep up-to-date on the podcast, follow us on social media!

Hmonglish Instagram

Hmonglish Facebook

And be sure to follow our amazing co-hosts!

Yia Vang

Gia Vang

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Please note: When this episode was recorded, Gia was not able to contractually say where she was going. Well, that has changed. She is moving to California to be an anchor for the NBC Bay Area station in San Francisco.

We will miss her dearly, but we're also super excited for her.

Don't worry, this isn't the end of Hmonglish, it's just the beginning of a new chapter.

We wanted to understand public policy initiatives for Hmong people and other Asian Americans, so we decided to bring in an expert!

Introducing ThaoMee Xiong: Executive Director for the Coalition of Asian-American Leaders (CAAL).

This woman has dedicated her life to creating change for Asian Americans and other minority groups. Her history of policy work runs the gamut of different organizations throughout the state, including the City of Saint Paul and the Minnesota Department of Health. Her talents have been seen on an international stage as well: working for the International Organization of Migration and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Long story short, she's a badass. We're so thrilled to bring you this episode with such a brilliant and strong Hmong woman.

If you'd like to learn more about CAAL, visit their website here.

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To keep up-to-date on the podcast, follow us on social media!

Hmonglish Instagram

Hmonglish Facebook

And be sure to follow our amazing co-hosts!

Yia Vang

Gia Vang

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Welcome to episode 3 of Hmonglish!

Chef Yia Vang and news anchor Gia Vang are prominent members of the Hmong community in the United States and, today, they’re going to discuss mental health and trauma.

These are tough subjects, but thankfully, we have a licensed professional!

Enter Dr. Ia Xiong: a professional psychologist with the Thriving Center of Psychology. She's here to help us work through Hmong trauma, identity issues, and a variety of different stigmas in our culture.

In this episode, you'll hear us laugh, cry, and – most importantly – celebrate what it means to be Hmong.

If you'd like to follow the efforts of Dr. Xiong, you can check out the Facebook page she runs at Hmong Mental Health and Wellness.

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To keep up-to-date on the podcast, follow us on social media!

Hmonglish Instagram

Hmonglish Facebook

And be sure to follow our amazing co-hosts!

Yia Vang

Gia Vang

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist

Welcome to episode 2 of Hmonglish!

Chef Yia Vang and news anchor Gia Vang are prominent members of the Hmong community in the United States and, today, they’re going to share what it was like to grow up Hmong.

It isn't easy to navigate childhood and adolescence in the United States as a first or second-generation immigrant of color. How do you find ways to fit in? Do you feel alienated at times? Do you feel alienated all the time? Were you jealous of your white, American peers? Even the small things – like fearing you may get bullied over the lunch Mom made you – can put a strain on your ability to acclimate.

So what was it like to grow up Hmong? We'll discuss it all: the good, the bad, and the beautiful.

To keep up-to-date on the podcast, follow us on social media!

Hmonglish Instagram

Hmonglish Facebook

And be sure to follow our amazing co-hosts!

Yia Vang

Gia Vang

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Produced by Gleam Tower Media

All music courtesy of Artlist