Zongsae (Shue) Vang
Zongsae Vang was born in 1966 and was raised in Laos. His given name was Zongsae at birth but later on he gained the name Shue. Eventually he fled Laos with his family to go to a camp in Thailand. In 1988, he arrived in the United States as a refugee from the Vietnam war. Spending his childhood amidst the horror and hardships of war Shue had one wish. He hoped for peace so he could sleep soundly. Shue is a family man. At home he shares Hmong culture and traditions with his kids. He explained that family is always a priority for him. According to him, "Hmong people do not have friends they have family." He was quick to clarify that to him the term "family" meant more than just his wife and children. Rather, he considered his Hmong relatives, extended family and the entire Hmong community as his family. According to Shue, members of the Hmong community share the love of family, even if they may not know each other.
When he came to Milwaukee, Shue discovered the Hmong American Friendship Association (HAFA), a non-profit organization. HAFA was founded in 1983 by Hmong refugees to help improve the quality of life for all Hmong refugee families in the Greater Milwaukee area. The primary goal of HAFA is to "promote self-sufficiency... by bridging cultural, social and language barriers and identifying resources that meet the needs of those they serve." Shue serves as a community organizer, elderly specialist, and bilingual translator for HAFA. Zongsae Vang, interviewed by Denise Zahran and Qianfei Xu, June 2015 |
Zongsae Vang is a known as being a family man who cares about Hmong family, even if they are not technically related to him. He has helped create a home at HAFA located in the Washington Park community of Milwaukee. He started with barely anything and worked his way up to create a life full of joy and love for his family and kids.
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