{"id":159,"date":"2017-01-22T21:56:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T03:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/?page_id=159"},"modified":"2026-10-16T17:17:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T22:17:14","slug":"vager-xiong","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/vager-xiong\/","title":{"rendered":"Vager Xiong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_pb_fullwidth_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_fullwidth_slider_0 et_pb_slider et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_slides\"><div class=\"et_pb_slide_0 et_pb_slide et_pb_media_alignment_center et_pb_bg_layout_dark et_pb_text_align_center\" data-slide-id=\"divi\/slide-0\"><div class=\"et_pb_container\"><div class=\"et_pb_slider_container_inner\"><div class=\"et_pb_slide_description\"><h2 class=\"et_pb_slide_title\">Vager Xiong<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_section_1 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module et_pb_text_align_left\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><span style=\"color: #800080\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-140 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"90\" height=\"90\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11.png 512w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11-270x270.png 270w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11-192x192.png 192w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11-180x180.png 180w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/889\/2016\/12\/cropped-Beyond-Two-Worlds-11-white-11-32x32.png 32w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 90px) 100vw, 90px\" \/><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000\">Vager Xiong<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800080\">B<\/span><\/strong>orn and raised in the Xieng Khouang Province of Laos, Xiong is a first generation Hmong American who has settled in St Paul, Minnesota. Due to the dispute between the Communist Lao and the Royal Lao Family, Xiong fled to Thailand for refuge. His siblings and mother followed soon after. There in Thailand he married Mai Lor Thao. The couple immigrated to the US in 1990. They have lived and raised their family of ten in Minnesota since.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_divider_0 et_pb_divider et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module et_pb_text_align_left\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\"One of my proudest accomplishments, because I am not educated I am not able to create anything with my own hands or skills.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But one thing that I am proud of is that although I am not educated.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I am able to find a job, even if I don\u2019t make a lot, even if it\u2019s $3 an hour.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I am willing to work for that price to support my family, so they don\u2019t have to go ask others for help.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I am able to provide for my family and they don\u2019t have to ask others for help...<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">so they can focus on school. That is what I am most proud of\"<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_0 et_pb_video et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_box\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ger Accomplishments\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j6hifj1bUTI?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_3 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_1 et_pb_divider et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_3 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_4 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_1 et_pb_video et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_box\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ger Language\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G0O-SrKZLgk?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_5 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module et_pb_text_align_left\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\"Here, in this country, if you aren\u2019t educated and you don\u2019t know the language earning money can be difficult.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example you could be making $15-$16 an hour, however because you aren\u2019t educated you are paid like $10 an hour, but of course you take what you can get.This applies to those who are not educated like me, and those who don\u2019t have a diploma.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For those who are educated and have diplomas, are paid the amount that they should be paid.\u00a0But the few of us who are working for low wages fall are the ones who struggle with language, and aren\u2019t educated.\u00a0Usually heavy lifting jobs are paid reasonably, however when you are do not know the language there are times where you are paid lower than the expected rate\"<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_4 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_6 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_2 et_pb_divider et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_5 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_7 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_3 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module et_pb_text_align_left\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\"I registered to immigrate to the US in September 1989.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Due to warfare we had to refuge in Thailand.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Thai were also very strict on us and there were little to no job opportunities for us.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Therefore we decided to immigrate to the US.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After 1975 when General Vang Pao fled Laos, Communist Laos did not like us Hmong because were were supporters of General Vang Pao.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The communist laos persecuted us, they captured the elders and interrogated them to see if they were soldiers.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some elders were captured and imprisoned, and some were executed.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Due to fear we fled to the jungles,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However we were still followed and killed.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So we decided that if we did not flee to Thailand the Communist Lao would continue to chase after us, so that is why we decided to flee to Thailand\"<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_8 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_2 et_pb_video et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_box\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ger Immigration\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kXIZjTpcu30?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_6 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_9 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_3 et_pb_divider et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_7 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_10 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_3 et_pb_video et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_video_box\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ger Culture\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nmkHlBlUvmA?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_11 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_4 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module et_pb_text_align_left\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\"I am leaving behind these words of wisdom for us Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese, Thai, those from the middle east, us minorities or refugees.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sharing similar experiences, I think the best thing we can here do is love\/support each other,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We must respect each other.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We must view\/treat each other the way we would like to be treated. We are all humans.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think the important thing is for us to support and love each other.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Second, because we have come to live in this country, regardless if you are young, old, or your ethnicity, we must practice good ways, learn to be a good person and do good.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Therefore others will not look down on us and instead learn to respect us refugees\"<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1490,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-159","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":838,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159\/revisions\/838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/hmg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}