From growing up in a mountain village in Laos, to serving as a child soldier during the Vietnam War, to making a new home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin as a refugee in the 1980s, Joe Bee Xiong’s journey connects many places and people. He served on the Eau Claire City Council as the first Hmong American elected to public office, and his active participation in building cultural bridges in his community made him a role model.

Please note: This animation is in Hmong. The captions and linked transcript are also in Hmong, as is the text of the book. The captions and credits in the image gallery, and the educator guide are in English.