ST. PAUL (October 13, 2010) – There are currently three candidates running for President of Lao Family Community of Minnesota for the term 2011-2012. The public is invited to vote for president on December 11, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Lao Family, 320 University Avenue W., St. Paul, MN 55103.
Current Lao Family Community Board Vice President ChuPheng Lee is running, as are Mr. Tou Xiong, Board Sectretary, and Song T. Xiong, Board Member in charge of Economic Development. The Asian American Press ran coverage of ChuPheng Lee’s campaign kickoff event in the Oct. 8, 2010 Issue, and would now like to run the campaign information available for the other two candidates.
The Asian American Press is not endorsing a candidate but would like to make the public, which is invited to vote for LFC President, information on the candidates and the election. Register to vote online at www.laofamily.org.
- Song T Xiong
Song T. Xiong is running for LFC President on a campaign of “integrity, honesty and respect,” that includes a goal of uniting the Hmong into one community. He said this begins by honoring leaders, organizations, professionals, educators, business owners and citizens in the community. Then, he said there could be inclusive dialogues on divisive issues to strengthen leadership.
Xiong said that a transparent process is necessary for decision-making that impact the community. He said this needs to work at all levels and would do well in establishing trusting working relationship with agencies, officials and partner organizations that provide the resources to the Hmong community.
Xiong said he would work to provide a broader ownership and transparency of LFC event operations. He wants to reduce the sports registration fees, increase prize amounts and event profits should also be better used to help the community, he added.
The Song T. Xiong Campaign contact is 3732 Hamlet Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55128. Phone 651-808-2278 or email [email protected].
- Tou Xiong
Tou Xiong is running for 2011-2012 LFC President with a leadership vision of serving as an effective advocate for the Hmong and Lao Communities, and to take the vision of the LFC founding fathers to the next level of services. He aims to diversify the board and expand LFC services including business planning and promotion of events.
Xiong said the LFC has a role of promoting and supporting basic and higher education for the community along with Hmong businesses. He also believes that the annual LFC community sports, entertainment and cultural events should be better promoted to the mainstream.
He said that smaller clan representation should have a reserved position in a fully expanded governance board. Other goals include a new LFC Center and more transparency in the operation of the LFC sports and New Year events.
Xiong would like to establish a Hmong foundation, a senior center and a nonprofit funeral home. He would also want to continue efforts for a sports stadium complex.
Xiong has a degree in Human Services and Policy Management and a master’s degree in Public Administration. He is a business owner and entrepreneur, investor, real-estate owner, and landlord. He is fluent in Hmong, Lao, Thai, and English.
His other experience includes business consulting and his clients include McDonald’s Corporation. He has been involved in public service since 1985 and says the Hmong community needs to be more unified. He has served on the board of the Hawthorne Community Center and LFC.
The Tou Xiong for Lao Family President Committee office is located at 3100 Lyndale Avenue, N., Minneapolis, MN 55411. Call 612-521-6711 or email [email protected].
Question: Why is Lao Family the only Hmong non-profit organization in the U.S. that puts organizational politics (the naming of the organization’s “President”) so high above everything else the organization does???
Answer: They get to serve directly under General Vang Pao, the figure head for ALL the Lao Family orgs in the U.S. and self-appointed leader of all Hmong around the world (though not one vote has ever been cast or one election ever been held)..and, all the social, economic, political kudos that comes with it!
Apparently, it’s not just Lao Family in Minnesota who is holding similar elections. Wow, a new concept. Welcome to America, land of democratic elections, 35 years later!
It’s the entire Vang Pao political front that’s holding similar elections across the country. All over Wisconsin, it’s the 18 Clan Council holding similar elections. Only if they were as enthusiastic about their local, state, and national elections and candidates as the Americans that they are…will their voices and agenda get heard, and heard louder.
Take a look!
http://www.shrdo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2869&catid=920&Itemid=82
we should name it hmong white house instead of lao family community center
I will vote for the candidate who can stand up and say NO to General Vang Pao’s politics.
I will vote for the candidate who can show us in detail what happened to all the money from the soccer tournament and new years…just for the last 5 years.
I will vote for the candidate who promises to change “Lao Family” to a name that best reflects our Hmong community.
I will vote for a candidate who can speak English better so that he is not an embarrassment to our community who have been in the U.S. for more than 30 years.
Wait…I can’t vote for any of these candidates. They can’t do any of the 3 simple things above. What am I talking about…this election is just the latest political stunt for Lao Family politics, to show that they are “democratic” and therefore, legitimate to represent ALL OF US Hmong in Minnesota.
If anyone thinks otherwise, look again, this “election” is no different than the ones in the Lao PDR, where every candidate claims the same message in their campaigns, each one coming from the same political group, and everything has to be approved by the central authority anyway, General Vang Pao.
those of you that have issues with GVP, let history go by and stop playing the blame game. it’s the land of America, not anywhere else. Perhaps in your next life, you could be in his shoes so you have some clues on how Hmong society operates.
the candidates for this position all seem to be running on the same concepts and they all are part of the executive committee now so if they cannot or have not been able to change LFC since they have been in offices, how can we have hopes that they will ever change anything. what is needed for changes to occur must be people outside the organization to come in. it’s pathetic to think that anything will ever change with the same people in the executive committee. Hmong people are not as dumb as the candidates may believe in the heads. Let people who knows how to run organization run organizations like this so that Hmong can reach the next level, until these people can actually know what they are doing and that the vast majority of Hmong do not support their politics, then there will not be any change.
GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS ALL YOU RUN FOR LAO FAMILY PRESIDENT, VICE PRE AND BOARDS. HOPE YOU ALL MAKE A LOT OF $$$$$$$$$$ TO SUPPORT YOUR FAMILIES.
YOU ALL HAVE TO FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL, MISSION AND VISION WISELY TO BE A GOOD LEADER.
OK, I WILL RUN FOR OFFICE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS..
I GOT NO F**KEN TIE TO ANY ONE IN THE GVP ROUND TABLE.
COME IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND VOTE FOR ME.
Outside candidate should be allow to participate.
We need change and change should come from outside.
Asian American Press…this is NOT worthy news! Next time, be sure to print as worthy news that a new board member of Hmong American Partnership is appointed or elected. Or for that matter, every time a new board or president is appointed or elected at ANY of the local Hmong organizations, be sure to give it as much news space as this one. Even the local media is getting played by VP politics. This so-called election is a sham…a front for more politics as usual from Lao Family. Do you see other legitimate organizations doing the same thing? NO!
They should allow Hmong high education women run for candidate too.
Why the Hmong has always be ahead than origin national of Laos?
Ans: Hmong are not particulary well understood how they became when 19 century in the land of Lan Xang. Laos given them life for generation to come until now 2012. Now what would they think in 2013 about Laos? Remember, remember that your all came to Laos and passing its generations.