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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2017)
Page 8 n THE ASIAN REPORTER U.S.A. / COMMUNITY May 1, 2017 Hmong elders in Eau Claire still searching By Lauren French Leader-Telegram AU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — When Ka Yang first came to Eau Claire in 1994, the 57-year-old from Laos was accustomed to trauma. Yang’s young adult and adult life was permeated with war, accidents, and illnesses, the Leader-Telegram reported. Her first husband, a soldier in the CIA’s “Secret War” against communist forces in Laos that lasted from the early ’60s to mid ’70s, died in a bomb explosion. Her next husband died in a lumber acci- dent, the next two of illness. Four of her seven children died of illness and lack of access to medical care. Since arriving in Eau Claire, another of her children has died, again from illness. “She’s very sad and depressed,” Yang said through translator Hao Pay Lee as they sat in the entrance area of the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association. “She feels like her life is very sorrowful. Last year when her daughter passed away, she cried a lot.” Yang spent that morning and afternoon at the association for its twice monthly Kaj Siab Days — meaning “peaceful heart” or “happy days” — which is a program geared toward Eau Claire’s population of Hmong elders. Lee, who coordinates the program with fellow association worker Chai Moua, said the program aims to give elders with a past of domestic or historical trauma a chance to socialize, relax in a familiar environment, and learn more about Eau Claire. Yang, now 80, isn’t alone. She’s one of about 15 elders who attend Kaj Siab Days regularly, although that number fluctuates week to week, Lee said. The elders are a subsection of the Hmong community that makes up the largest ethnic and minority group in the Chippewa Valley. According to the association’s website, the Hmong population has grown to over 3,000 in Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn counties, and to about three percent of the total population in the city of Eau Claire. Within the Hmong community, elders face their own unique set of problems, Lee and Moua said. “Our elders, they share that sometimes when they hear fireworks they still get scared,” Lee said. “Their heart starts pumping and their blood rushes because it sounds like gunshots. I don’t think it will ever go away, but this is a place for them to process it.” “Many of our elders became orphaned at a young age,” Moua added, “or they were forced to marry other people at a young age. Many of them are either widows or divorced. Those traumas still haunt them.” Violent pasts aside, Lee and Moua E DANCER & ACTIVIST. Tiffany Nguyen (top photo, forefront) reacts during the announcement she will represent David Douglas High School as its 2017 Rose Festival princess and poses with her mother, Hao Le (bottom photo), after being crowned homecoming queen in the fall. The Portland Rose Festival’s Queen’s Coronation takes place Saturday, June 10 at Portland’s Vet- erans Memorial Coliseum. (Photos courtesy of Tiffany Nguyen) David Douglas princess committed to serving others By Maileen Hamto The Asian Reporter or Tiffany Nguyen, one of the accom- plished and confident slate of young women named to the 2017 Portland Rose Festival Court, representing David Douglas High School as its princess is among the highlights of her illustrious high school career. And Tiffany’s list of accolades is far from modest. She has served as a student council vice president and been on the Honor Roll for four years. She has led community-based projects such as Project Breaker, an industry-led partnership that involves young people solving community livability issues, and is also involved in Youth Ending Slavery, a student-led Portland coalition that raises awareness about modern-day human trafficking. “I am looking forward to the whole entire experience of a Rose Festival princess,” Tiffany said. “I have a chance to educate and inspire others throughout the community. I am a voice for the many things I represent: women of Asian backgrounds, David Douglas, people who share the same interests as I do, and individuals who have experienced similar struggles like I have.” Tiffany’s journey to the Rose Festival Court was far from easy. Starting as a freshman in the largest high school in Oregon came with its own set of challenges, especially for a self-described shy and reserved young woman. “After my freshman year, I told myself I needed to make some drastic changes in my life. I started volunteering, getting involved in clubs, meeting new people, and more. I broke out of my shell that hindered me from being who I really am,” she said. Hip-hop dance also was one of the ways Tiffany sought to cultivate confidence. She dances at Hip Hop Soulsation Academy, Body & Soul Creative Dance studio, and Vega Dance+Lab. As part of Soulsation, she performed in last year’s Starlight Parade. Despite her dance performances, nothing could prepare her for being in the spotlight as she sought to be the representative for David Douglas. She admits that overcoming her shy and self-conscious nature continues to be an ongoing struggle, even while competing to become the princess for her school. “Before this experience, I was so hard on myself. I was so nervous all the time about the way I spoke or the way I looked. I would often compare myself to others and how credible and intellectual they were,” she said. “I realized that I need to love myself before anyone else can.” Tiffany credits her family’s unconditional support and love for her success thus far. The daughter of immigrants from Vietnam, she is inspired by the resilience and persistence of her parents to create stable and productive lives in their adopted home. “My parents lived below the poverty line in Vietnam and endured many struggles through- out their lives before they moved to the United States,” she said. “They raised me the way their parents raised them — to be respectful to F everyone, especially your elders. To be selfless, brave, hardworking, and kind-hearted.” Lessons in selflessness and serving others have led Tiffany to envision a career in social work. She is committed to raising awareness about human trafficking, with the goal of saving future generations of women, men, and children from abuse and trauma. “Portland is one of the top cities in the country with the highest rates of human trafficking,” she said. “It is one of the biggest industries in the world, and there are millions of men, women, and children who are forced into this industry for labor and sexual purposes. Awareness needs to be spread and changes need to be made in order for results to be seen.” Tiffany intends to leverage her platform as a court princess to advocate for ending human trafficking and slavery. At the same time, she also is looking forward to the many activities in store for the princesses during the weeks leading up to the Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation and Grand Floral Parade. And more importantly, she never forgets to give credit where credit is due. “My mom is the main reason why I am a Rose Festival princess,” Tiffany said. “She wants the best for me in every aspect of my life. She encouraged me to work hard for what I want.” “Mom struggled all of her life, even to this day,” Tiffany continued, “and she does not want me to struggle like she did.” A Rose Festival princess represents her school and acts as the “face of the Rose Festival” at many events in the commu- nity, including parades, volunteer activities, luncheons with community and business leaders, and more. The Portland Rose Festival Foundation awards each court member a $3,500 scholarship, courtesy of The Randall Group. To qualify for the Rose Festival Court, a candidate must be a full-time junior or senior at a 4A, 5A, or 6A high school in Multnomah, Washington, or Clackamas county and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Potential princesses are evaluated on citizenship, scholastic achievement, school activities, civic involvement, volunteer projects, communication skills, and overall impression. The Portland Rose Festival Queen is chosen from all of the court members at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, June 10 from 8:30am to 9:30am. To learn more, call (503) 227-2681 or visit <www.rosefestival.org>. KAJ SIAB DAYS. Mee Lee creates art- work at the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association at a twice monthly senior wellness day in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Kaj Siab Days — which means “peaceful heart” or “happy days” — is a program geared toward Eau Claire’s population of Hmong elders. The program aims to give elders with a past of domestic or historical trauma a chance to socialize, relax in a famil- iar environment, and learn more about Eau Claire. (Steve Kinderman/The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram via AP) said a problem common among elders is feeling isolated. They often live alone and cannot drive or speak English, making it hard for them to communicate with others in Eau Claire. Lee and Moua both urged people who live in Eau Claire to understand that although many Hmong elders have lived in the area for a long time, they’ve still spent half their life living in a different country with separate customs and traditions. When they arrived in the area, Moua said, many had never been to school. “It’s harder for them to adapt to other environments,” Moua said of the elders. “I want the community to be aware that this group of people is really traditional. They like to keep their own way, because it’s hard. It’s really hard to go through change.” When Yang arrived in Eau Claire, she said it felt comfortable. She had two children here at the time, and because her late husband had fought for the U.S. in the “Secret War,” she gained citizenship soon after settling down. She’s even voted a few times. Still, Yang said the sorrow from losing so many people in her life made it hard to integrate — like many Hmong elders, she doesn’t know English or how to read or write. “She says that Eau Claire doesn’t know her,” Yang said through Lee. “She just feels like she’s invisible.” After one of the two children Yang moved to Eau Claire to be with died last spring, Yang gave up the religion she grew up practicing and converted to Christianity. She said she switched because Shaman rituals and herbal medications could not save her daughter, who died after nine months of hospitalization. That switch introduced her to a Continued on page 9 Give blood. To schedule a blood donation call 1-800-G IVE-LIFE or visit HelpSaveALife.org.
