In 1976, Thao arrived in the U.S. and fought to adjust to the foreign communities and cultures surrounding him. Desperate to learn English, education was essential. He enrolled at Providence Adult Education Center, received his General Educational Development degree and later attended Providence College. He balanced college and work, earning only $2.30 an hour in a jewelry factory. In 1978, he married his wife Gaoee, moved to Wisconsin, and worked with Hmong refugees through the Catholic Charity of Green Bay Diocese as an interpreter and tutor. In 1983, he earned a degree from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and worked as an educational assistant with students learning English. At that time, he became a caseworker and offered outreach services to Southeast Asian and other immigrant communities across Milwaukee.

Thao moved to Minnesota in 1984 where he earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1988 from the University of Minnesota. He became a social worker, probation officer and case manager for Ramsey County. He received numerous awards and scholarships for his social work experience in resettlement assistance to refugees and Hmong community advocacy and in 2009, Thao earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Minnesota. With education and community organization central to Thao, it was only a matter of time before his strong leadership skills enlightened community leaders in the political arena.

Attracted to American politics, Thao campaigned for the Democratic Party and became naturalized 1981. Full of energy and ambition, he became a U.S. citizen and practiced his voting rights soon after. In 1984, Thao joined the Latimer for Governor Campaign. He worked with a wealth of governors, senators and congressional representatives, convincing others to become U.S. citizens and to vote. After years of registering and recruiting voters and attending caucuses and campaign rallies, his candidate finally won in 1990, when voters elected Paul Wellstone to the Senate. “I felt so excited, proud, and complete to practice real democracy,” he said. “I felt 100 percent American, despite my Asian accent and appearance. I put myself with every American,” Thao said, “It was my country and my flag, and I was full of optimism.”

In 1987, Thao spent a week in Washington on a congressional lobby to stop the repatriation of Cambodian, Vietnamese and Hmong refugees in Thai and Malaysian refugee camps back to Indochina. “We slept in the basement of a church with homeless people,” Thao recalled, “It reminded me of the Thailand refugee camp situation. In fact, the environment motivated me to work hard.” He praised congressional leaders with a polite but naïve approach, until an American lobbyist working with him told him, “They’re not God—they serve you.” When a representative said to him, “Tell me what you want, why you are here, and what you want me to do,” Thao grasped the simplicity of freedom and democracy and the difference between governmental structures of America and Asia. Thao appreciated the value of American democracy, where people elect their officials, and the officials serve the people. “In Laos, members of society were oppressed by powerful officials,” he said. “Here, I felt comfortable with elected officials, not fear or pressure.” The experience was a powerful wake-up call for Thao, who felt committed to improve his life and the lives of others. “I came out of the trip with confidence and hope for my future and my refugees here for a better future,” he said of the eye-opening incident. “You can live here, but you don’t know democracy until you use it and practice it. Real democracy, real freedom, is a very beautiful experience,” he said, “Without it, you won’t move very far.”

Throughout his career, Thao has provided exposure for Hmong issues and a voice for his people. Elected in 1996, he held clerk, treasurer and vice-chair positions on the St. Paul School Board, where he tackled a budget, negotiated contracts and lobbied Congress for Federal funding. In 2000, he co-founded HOPE Community Academy, a St. Paul charter school for Hmong children, aimed to increase parental involvement and address cultural issues present within the system. He is currently the only Hmong-American on the Ready 4 K Board of Directors, a bi-partisan group seeking government funding for early childhood education.

Aside from volunteering, lobbying and advocating, Thao is program director and Chair of the Social Work Department at Metropolitan State University, where he is also an associate professor of the Bachelor of Social Work program. When he was younger, Thao planned to be an engineer, but instead realized a demand for social services. With roots firmly planted in family issues and community involvement, Thao used his leadership skills to make him a respected advocate for the concerns of Asian communities.

Thao faced obstacles and confronted cultural disparity on his journey from Laos—a land embedded in subsistence agriculture, to the U.S.—where many of his ancestral farming skills were non-transferable. While emotional isolation and prejudice strained his cultural identity, it also shaped his vitality. Forced to abandon his customs, Thao struggled to keep his cultural roots alive, while adapting to the fast-moving, ever-changing American society.

The demographic differences stunned Thao, who came from a remote region where there were few ethnic groups. “There were Hmong and only Hmong,” Thao said of his homeland. “Everything was different in America. People lived and worked much faster.” His basic need for nutrition, clothing and shelter merged with new standards of living and societal concepts. “It was a big change moving to the U.S., where everything was institutional,” Thao said. With few resources and little income, typical tasks like grocery shopping, using transportation and finding a physician, stressed his family life. Thao believes his parents endured the brunt of adversity, feeling ashamed and helpless—they often looked to their son for strength and support. Education became his main goal. His parents worked hard, persevered and saved money. Thao achieved success in school, as did several family members, with some of them attending Ivy League schools. Thao has familiarized family members with culture and directed them through the educational system. He recalled helping his niece, Mee Moua, prepare for her SAT and ACT test years ago. His advice apparently made a difference in the life of Moua, who in 2002 became the nation’s first Hmong-American elected to state legislature as a state senator.

Thao identifies with the challenges America has faced in its 234 years as a nation. “There has been much progress for this powerful but young nation,” he said, “And it hasn’t happened overnight.” According to Thao, “Each generation has a duty,” and with each election, Americans have the power to influence the nation and improve the world. “In 1825, we came from China to Laos, but not until 1954 was the first Hmong elected to office,” he said. “Hmong immigrants came to the U.S. in the 1970s, and a Hmong woman became elected as a state senator only a few decades later in 2002.”

Not by chance, but with great purpose, Thao, an active contributor to the community, has found success and gratification through enthusiastic social involvement, refugee advocacy and support for education. Working hard to resolve societal struggles has been a demanding task for Thao, who occasionally struggles to balance personal time with his role in the community. It has always been the overlap of his work and family life, which has ultimately enriched his character.

In a diverse world, Thao has overcome adversity and embraced individualism—an element unique to U.S. culture. Inspired by the belief that people can ascend to whatever heights they desire, conquering their fears and reaching their dreams, Thao found motivation to become the voice he is today. You can meet Dr. Neal Thao by attending one of his several conference presentations across the U.S. As a speaker, panelist and consultant since 1985, Thao lectures on the topics of diversity and multiculturalism, with special attention to the Hmong community.