U.S.A. / COMMUNITY
January 20, 2014
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7
St. Paul gets its first Hmong firefighter
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — St. Paul, which
has one of the largest concentrations of
Hmong people living in the U.S., is finally
getting its first Hmong firefighter.
Tou Lo, 25, graduated from the St. Paul
fire academy this month. He told The St.
Paul Pioneer Press that his career path
was inspired by a documentary about New
York City firefighters responding to the
September 11 terror attacks, which he saw
as a teenager.
“I was inspired by what they were doing,
and I just made up my mind right there —
that’s what I wanted to be doing later,”
said Lo.
St. Paul’s police department has had
Hmong officers since the 1980s, but its fire
department has lagged in diversity. Fire
chief Tim Butler said he made it a goal
when he took the job in 2007 to pin the
badge on a Hmong firefighter during his
tenure.
“The police seem to have tapped into
that cultural group, and there’s a lot of
interest in law enforcement, but there has
been little or no interest in the fire service,”
Butler said. “Tou looks like he’s going to be
really successful, and he’s very enthusias-
tic. I think he’s going to be a great pioneer
for the Hmong people in the fire depart-
ment.”
Minneapolis, which also has a sizable
Hmong population, has two firefighters
who identify as Hmong/Chinese, a depart-
ment spokeswoman said.
Lo has lived in St. Paul since he was 11
years old. His parents left Laos after the
Vietnam War and initially settled near
Paris, France, where Lo and his sisters
were born. The family moved to St. Paul
ST. PAUL FIREFIGHTER. Tou Lo participates
in a rescue training exercise for St. Paul firefighter re-
cruits on the ice of Lake Como in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Lo has become the first Hmong firefighter in St. Paul,
which has one of the largest concentrations of Hmong
people living in the U.S. (AP Photo/The St. Paul Pio-
neer Press, John Doman)
when he was 11, initially living with his
grandmother in the Payne/Phalen neigh-
borhood.
After graduating from high school in
Lakeville, Lo joined the U.S. Marine Corps
Reserve where he did three months of
training with the military’s fire academy.
He said he wanted to be a firefighter in St.
Paul because it’s the first place he lived in
the U.S.
Lo said he learned while at the city’s fire
academy that he’d be its first Hmong
firefighter.
“I think it’s an honor,” Lo said. “There’s a
large community of Hmong people that
live in St. Paul. I think it’s going to be a
good opportunity for me to get them edu-
cated with public safety, firefighting, and
be a bridge that connects St. Paul fire with
that community.”
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Beyond Convention:
Women of the Portland JACL
Through Mar 21, 7:30am-midnight (Mon-Thu), 7:30am-7pm
(Fri), 10am-7pm (Sat), noon-midnight (Sun), Portland State
University, Millar Library (1875 SW Park Ave, Portland). View
Beyond Convention: Women of the Portland Japanese American
Citizens League, an exhibit highlighting the pivotal roles women
have played in the Portland Japanese American Citizens League
(JACL) since its inception in the 1930s. The display draws on
Portland State University’s collection of historical records from
the JACL. For info, or to verify library or exhibit hours, call (503)
725-5874 or (503) 725-8577, or visit <www.pdx.edu/cjs>.
CREATIVE KUTAI. Kutai, a 20-year-old Sumatran orangutan known
for his intelligence, creativity, and “mischievous but sweet” personality,
passed away at the Oregon Zoo in early January following a monthlong
illness that had vets battling to save his life. (AR Photo/Jan Landis)
Sumatran orangutan Kutai
passes away after illness
Kutai, a 20-year-old Su-
matran orangutan known
for his intelligence, crea-
tivity, and fun-loving per-
sonality, passed away at
the Oregon Zoo following a
monthlong illness, accord-
ing to zoo officials.
“It’s a devastating loss
for everyone here,” said
Mitch Finnegan, the zoo’s
lead veterinarian. “Our
animal-care staff did all we
could for Kutai, but we just
couldn’t help him through
this.”
Finnegan said the zoo’s
animal-care staff had been
treating Kutai for an on-
going medical issue since
early December. Kutai
originally responded well,
but his condition declined.
Zoo staff described him
as extremely intelligent
and creative. Before Red
Ape Reserve opened at the
zoo in 2010, keepers joked
that they needed to make
the habitat “Kutai-proof,”
referring to the orang’s love
TALKING STORY IN
ASIAN AMERICA
n Polo
Polo’s “Talking Story”
column will return soon.
for dismantling objects,
which he often fashioned
into his own toys and tools.
Kutai was born Decem-
ber 16, 1993 at the Sedg-
wick County Zoo in Wichi-
ta, Kansas and came to
Portland in 2001. He is sur-
vived by his grandmother,
Inji, who, at 54 years old, is
the oldest Oregon Zoo
resident and one of the
oldest orangs anywhere.
The median life expec-
tancy for Sumatran orang-
utans is 25.1 years for
males and 32 years for
females, and some can live
up to 60 years, according to
the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums.
“I remember very well
when Kutai first arrived
here,” reminisced Dr. Fin-
negan. “He was this goofy,
gangly, eight-year-old ado-
lescent, and we watched
him grow into a huge,
burly, full-grown orangu-
tan. He was one of those
animals with a strong pres-
ence and a big personality.
It’s hard to imagine the zoo
without him.”
Habitat loss, palm oil
plantations, and illegal pet
trade are pushing orangu-
tans toward extinction in
Sumatra and Borneo, and,
according to Orangutan
Outreach, it might take
fewer than 10 years before
they could completely
vanish from the wild.
Manzanar: The Wartime
Photographs of Ansel Adams
Through Mar 29 (Mon-Sat), 10am-4pm, Gonzaga University,
Jundt Art Museum (502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, Wash.). View
Manzanar: The Wartime Photographs of Ansel Adams, an exhibit
of 50 images taken by the renowned photographer at the Japa-
nese-American relocation camp in Manzanar, California during
World War II. Also included in the display are three reproduc-
tions of Dorothea Lange photographing Japanese Americans who
were being evacuated; a first edition copy of the 1944 book, Born
Free and Equal, by Ansel Adams; a watercolor painting of a camp
by an internee; an original 1942 poster of the civilian exclusion
order that announced Japanese Americans were to be rounded up
for imprisonment; and many other items. For info, call (509) 313-
6611 or visit <www.gonzaga.edu/jundt>.
“Asian Soups”
Jan 21, 22 & 25; Jan 21, 4-5:30pm, Gregory Heights Library
(7921 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland); Jan 22, 4-5:30pm, Troutdale
Library (2451 SW Cherry Park Rd, Troutdale, Ore.); Jan 25,
2:30-4pm, Holgate Library (7905 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland).
Teens in grades six through 12 are invited to learn how to make
Lao chicken noodle soup using homemade noodles topped with
fresh fried garlic, green onions, and cilantro at an “Asian Soups”
class. While waiting for the soup to cook, participants can roll up
and enjoy salad rolls for appetizers. For info, call (503) 988-5386
(Gregory Heights), (503) 988-5355 (Troutdale), or (503) 988-5389
(Holgate), or visit <events.multcolib.org>.
“The Unfinished Conversation”
FUNKIEST MONKEYS. “The Funkiest Monkeys,” an episode of
Nature examining black macaques, airs January 29 on Oregon Public
Broadcasting. The charismatic monkeys only exist on the island of
Sulawesi in Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Ramon Pagan, and district attorney Nathan Vasquez. The event
is free and open to the public. For info, call Shannon at (503)
725-4556 or e-mail <slms@pdx.edu>.
“Financial Aid Day” at MHCC
Jan 25, 9am-2pm, Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC)
Library (26000 SE Stark St, Gresham, Ore). Current and
prospective students and their families can receive help filling
out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at
“Financial Aid Day,” which is part of College Goal Oregon, a
statewide initiative to simplify the FAFSA process for students.
Students should bring their 2012 IRS tax returns or 2013
end-of-year pay stubs, current value of assets, social security
card, driver license or state identification card, and alien
registration card (if applicable) to the event. Free one-on-one
assistance with the FAFSA is available. For info, call (503)
491-7262, or visit <www.mhcc.edu/financialaid> or <www.
collegegoaloregon.org>.
Free “Fix-It Fair”
Jan 22, 11:30am-12:30pm (keynote address), 1-2:30pm (stu-
dent dialog), 5:30pm (film screening), Clark College (1933 Fort
Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash.). Attend “The Unfinished
Conversation,” a day of events with filmmaker and educator Lee
Mun Wah. Wah’s “Only a World Away” lecture takes place at
11:30am, a dialog with students begins at 1:00pm, and a screen-
ing of Wah’s If These Halls Could Talk documentary starts at
5:30pm. For info, call (360) 699-6398 or visit <www.clark.edu/
special/mlk>.
Jan 25, 9:30am-3pm, Rosa Parks Elementary School (8960 N
Woolsey Ave, Portland). Attend a free City of Portland “Fix-It
Fair” connecting residents with money-saving, environmentally
friendly resources and activities. Exhibits and workshops offer
information on home and personal health, utility savings, food
and nutrition, community resources, recycling, yard care, lead
testing, bike maintenance, and more. The event also features
lunch and free on-site childcare. For info, call (503) 823-4309,
e-mail <fixitfair@portlandoregon.gov>, or visit <www.portland
oregon.gov/bps/41892>.
Leadership Development Initiative
Chinese educational forum
Jan 22, noon-2pm, Portland State University, Smith Center
Multicultural Center, Room 228 (1825 SW Broadway, Portland).
Join members of the Coalition of Communities of Color for a panel
discussion about the organization’s Leadership Development
Initiative. The event is free and open to the public. For info, call
Cynthia at (503) 725-4474 or e-mail <gomezc@pdx.edu>.
Jan 25, 10am-5:30pm, Portland State University (PSU)
School of Business Administration, Room 490 (631 SW Harrison
St, Portland). Attend “Technology-Enhanced Chinese Language
Teaching in American Classrooms,” a daylong Chinese educa-
tional forum. For info, call (503) 725-8576, e-mail <confucius@
pdx.edu>, or visit <www.oia.pdx.edu/confucius>.
“Monster Typhoon”
Asian food market tour
Jan 22, 9-10pm; repeats Jan 24, 2-3am; Oregon Public Broad-
casting (OPB). Watch “Monster Typhoon,” an episode of NOVA
that looks at Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Typhoon Yolanda),
which ravaged the Philippines on November 8, 2013. To verify
showtimes, call (503) 293-1982 or visit <www.opb.org>.
Jan 25, 11:30am-3:30pm, East Portland. Join Indonesia-born
chef Surja Tjahaja for a tour of markets specializing in fresh,
inexpensive vegetables, seafood, and other Asian food in the
Portland area. The tour, which features ideas for the upcoming
Lunar New Year, includes a gourmet Asian lunch. For info,
meeting location, or to register, call (503) 656-8910. To learn
more, visit <www.chef2go.biz>.
“Know Your Rights”
Jan 23, 4:30-6:30pm, Portland State University, Smith Cen-
ter Multicultural Center, Room 228 (1825 SW Broadway, Port-
land). Attend “Know Your Rights,” an event featuring a screening
of Flex Your Rights — 10 Rules for Dealing with Police and a
panel presentation by judge Eric Bergstrom, public defender
“Pad Kee Mao” cooking class
Jan 26, 10am-1:30pm, West Linn Adult Community Center
(1180 Rosemont Rd, West Linn, Ore.). Learn the ins and outs of
Continued on page 19