Hmong candidate running for Fresno City Council
10.25.06 - Posted by AsiansVote
The "Fresno Bee" has a big feature story up about Blong Xiong, a Hmong American running for the Fresno City Council. Here's an excerpt:
Blong Xiong's campaign for Fresno City Council has received thousands of dollars from fellow members of the Hmong community. About 200 have volunteered to knock on doors in west-central Fresno and make phone calls on his behalf.
The real significance of Xiong's campaign to the Hmong community, however, is that — win or lose — he's become a role model who will draw many more Southeast Asians into politics, say community leaders and political experts.
"He's showing people in the Hmong community the power of voting and why it's important to get involved," said Mai Summer Vue, chairwoman of the local chapter of the Hmong American Coalition for Human Rights and founder of the Central Valley Hmong Democrats Club.
The "Bee" reports that Fresno has a Hmong population of 24,000, "second in the nation behind that of St. Paul, Minn." And here's why it's important that Xiong win:
He'll be asked to help with problems in the Hmong community involving gangs, drugs, poverty and substandard housing, [Fresno Unified school board member Tony] Vang said.
"If Blong sits on the council, I bet you'll have a lot of Hmong people going to City Hall to talk to him about their problems, whether or not they're in his district," Vang said.
When progressive Asian American politicians get elected, even to the most local of offices, Asian American citizens gain a voice that will speak up for them when no one else will.
Sam Yoon is fighting the good fight in Boston;
John Liu's always making the right kind of noise in New York. Blong Xiong may be a new voice in Fresno.
I can't find a website for Xiong, but potential volunteers and donors can find his contact info at SmartVoter.org.
UPDATE: Here's the website! www.blong4council.net
And here's another "Fresno Bee" article with a bit more background on the race and the issues involved.
10.25.06 |
Candidates & Leaders
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Community Services
