Miscellaneous
You may not have heard much about the Hmong experience in California, but Mai Vang is here to change that. Her family was among the hundreds of thousands who fled Laos due to political fallout after the Vietnam War, forced to start a new life in the United States. The oldest of 16 siblings, Mai's first memories involve taking care of her younger brothers and sisters. She's long been community-oriented, which has been a cornerstone to her activism and political trajectory. Mai shares with us what it was like growing up in poverty in Oak Park, how her activism with Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) led to her tenure as a board member on the Sacramento City Unified School District, and how she hopes her city council run will help enfranchise and empower a Sacramento community that has long felt left out of the public process. Mai has pulled in a number of important endorsements, including the coveted recommendation from the Sacramento Sister Circle (and endorsement from Black Women Organized for Political Action), but this race is not so simple. Her opponent, Pastor Les Simmons, is another longtime activist and community advocate. You don't see it often in politics, but the people of District 8 have a pretty great problem on their hands. Ballots should be hitting mailboxes this week, so read up on your candidates, state propositions and local ballot measures (No on A, Yes on C!). Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Patreon: patreon.com/voicesrivercity Twitter: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.