Rally Against Lao Family Community, Inc.

Although the weather has been mild this season, on February 1st, 2012 a group of demonstrators calling themselves the Hmong Community Committee felt the icy chill as its newly formed members picketed on the sidewalks of the Lao Family Community of Minnesota, Inc., building in St. Paul along University Avenue. Organizers of the gathering made announcements on Hmong radio airwaves and through internet radio about their intentions of the Wednesday morning rally against the Lao Family organization.

There are many issues that the assembled mass would like to call to the public’s attention. Among them, the contentious election in the winter of 2010, the destruction of election ballots, and questionable money practices. The rumors about Lao Family Community, Incorporated’s various murky practices have swirled throughout the Hmong community for decades. Suggested corruption, political scandal, and suspect monetary conduct are partially to blame for many Hmong Minnesotan’s disillusion about the agency. Undoubtedly, there have probably been challengers to the organization. However, the lawsuits and ongoing litigation surrounding the mayhem of its most recent elections have left the remaining supporters of the nonprofit organization in a disaffected state unlike any as public as this one.

A few months ago Hmong Pages reported the ousting of the former Lao Family director Yaj Xaiv Looj. A group of his supporters gathered at local business owner Za Lo Vue (Zaj Laug Vwj)’s place of business to hear the desisted director’s lament. The assemblage on University Avenue is a long-stemming result of the outrage that some paid-dues members and other non-members wanted to bring more attention to since the dismissal of the director. When asked about the purpose of the demonstration, Vue responded, “It’s time to take action. Hnub no peb tsis plan yuav kick anyone out, peb tsis target leejtwg, tsuas present [yam lawv liam thiab tsis txaus siab] rau pej xeem.” “We don’t plan to kick anyone out, we are not targeting anyone, [we’re only] here today to present [their claims of impropriety].” Zong Ka Yang added that as a citizen he had the right to challenge the proceedings of Lao Family. “Where’s the money?” he rhetorically bellowed. Yang is a staunch campaigner of various self-initiated causes, who spearheaded the march from Minnesota to Washington D.C., one summer (although Congress was not in session when he arrived). He pointed to documents that had been enlarged and affixed to the signs the picketers carried, directing observers to a chart of donors that he alleges members of the Lao Family Board of Directors took commissions from.

There were other accusations of misconduct. The protestors tried to garner the attention of passers-by regarding paid cellular phone bills for the Board Chairperson Chue Pheng Lee. Another opponent aimed the public’s attention to a check made out to local restaurant Bangkok Market & Thai Deli for lunch, in the sum of than $1,473.39 for a lunch the board members had. The group also passed out copies of promissory notes for loans made out to and by the board members and other people for amounts of $10,000 and no less than $3,000. Of most importance, however, was the revenue generated from the annual St. Paul River Center Hmong New Year and July 4th Soccer Tournament celebrations. Challengers to the current Lao Family Board of Directors wanted to know where those proceeds went.

It appears that the Hmong Community Committee wants answers to why there is suspected skimming of sponsorship money and grant funds; they want transparency. They want answers. However, the group will not get their ejected director back into his seat of power, if that is at all an aim. The courts overthrew the heated election results and found Chue Pheng Lee to be the rightfully elected director.

Former Lao Family Community, Inc., director, Xang Vang (Vaj Xab) was interviewed for his thoughts about the rally on University Avenue. Regarding the accusers’ claims of the lavish fourteen-hundred-dollar lunch and the loans made out to various members of the organization, he said with a smile that all agencies are audited. Responding to allegations about the operation of Lao Family, Vang grimly stated, “Leejtwg tau ua haujlwm [lawm mam] thiaj li paub. Only those who have held office would know their tasks.”

However, Vang did make an admission. He conceded that the last election was unfair. Following the 2010 Board elections there had been issues over lost ballots, voters who were turned away, questions about tampering, battles over rightful positions to power. However, he felt the proper recourse would not have been to picket at the Lao Family Community, Inc., site, but to appeal the judge’s decision at the legal level. “Cov [tawm tsam tuav paib] nov yog mi nyuam yaus xwb. Cov nov tsis paub dabtsi. These [demonstrators] are children. They don’t even know what they’re doing.” As far as the money matters the organization’s Board of Directors is accused of abusing, Vang did admit that perhaps there isn’t blatant intentional skimming of money from the agency. Instead, perhaps, there is simply a mismanagement of funds, but not outright corruption.

Mr. Vang was clearly upset when prompted about his outlook on Lao Family Community, Inc.’s future. “We all had to leave [our country] and assimilate to this life—to borrow land to so that we could prosper. We had to learn how to write…. But I want to know where Zong Ka Yang (Zoov Khab Yaj) has been in the past thirty years that suddenly in the last two years he has awakened and decided to lead these efforts. The man didn’t even have a plan for his walk to Washington, and along the way he forgot his mission” he asked in Hmong. Furthremore, “Lub koom haum [Lao Family] yuav tsuag zuj zus. The agency [Lao Family] will weaken further and further. But if we Hmong want to reconcile and fix it, we can have it become what General Vang Pao envisioned…. However, if the organization ‘freezes’ I will put the blame on those who are rallying. Tiamsis, yog hais tias lub koom haum mus tsis ta—nres lawm—no ces kuv yuav muab rau [cov neeg tawm tsam ntawd] ris nawb.”

When asked what he thought of the bedlam, one neutral spectator, an elder by the name of Nchaiv Hwj Xyooj, commented, “Kuv tsuas yog tuaj xyuas seb puas thwj toob los tsis thwj toob xwb. I’m only here as an observer to see if there is any impartiality.” Unfortunately, as was the situation with the former expelled director, there are few winners in situations like this. Many bystanders, but few victors.

By Sherry Lee