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Hmong American advocates register voters to mobilize community Metro-Detroit Hmong Americans, Warren City Council candidate Toni Moceri and the Detroit Asian Youth Project will register hundreds of Hmong Americans to vote this weekend. On August 18 and 19, at the annual Hmong Michigan Soccer Tournament & Festival, volunteers will talk to the crowds of thousands in order to urge community members to register and vote, reminding them that their active participation in democracy is important. The sporting event will be held at Bishop Gallagher Athletic Complex, located at 36301 Utica Road in Fraser, Michigan. In light of recent events effecting the Hmong American community such as the jailing of Hmong leader General Vang Pao in California; the police shooting of Chonburi Xiong, a local young Hmong American who was fatally shot 27 times by Warren Police, and the planned deportation of a local Hmong family, Hmong American advocates will challenge local political leaders and fellow colleagues to call for peace and shepherd change within the Hmong community. "We want to raise awareness about issues revolving around the Hmong American community and other minority groups in the Metro-Detroit and throughout Michigan," said Hlee Xiong, Project Coordinator. "Voting is the first step in making these things happen. By empowering the Hmong American community and other minorities to speak up against stereotypes, racism and prejudice, we can break these cultural barriers and learn to understand and accept each other." There are an estimated 7,000 Hmong Americans living in Michigan; the majority of them are concentrated within the Metro-Detroit area. The Hmong people are a minority group from the country of Laos that came to the United States as refugees, after the Vietnam War. During the war, the United States C.I.A. enlisted Gen. Vang Pao to gather support from the Hmong people in their fight against the Communist government in what is now known as the "Secret War." From 1961 to 1975, more than 40,000 Hmong were killed during this resistance. When the United States withdrew their troops from Southeast Asia in 1975, they left the Hmong behind to defend themselves against the Laotian government who viewed them as traitors. Hunted down and persecuted by the thousands, many Hmong people fled into neighboring Thailand seeking refuge. Today more than 270,000 Hmong people reside in the United States, with the majority living in California, Wisconsin and Minnesota. ---- August 23, 2007: The ad hoc group 'Hmong American Vote' announced today that more than 200 local Hmong Americans registered to vote in the upcoming elections last weekend, August 18 and 19, at the annual Hmong Michigan Soccer Tournament & Festival in Clinton Township. Of the Hmong Americans who registered, the majority are from the cities of Warren, Detroit and Pontiac. The rest are from Macomb and Oakland County with a handful from the city of Lansing. Age wise, more than half were between the ages of 18 and 25, which represent a generation of Hmong Americans who were either born or raised in America. While the number may seem small compared to the bigger picture, Hmong Americans are hailing this as a major step within their community, especially with the older generation. "There is a huge language and cultural barrier with the elder Hmong Americans," said project coordinator Hlee Xiong. "It's not that they don't care; they just don't know what steps to take to register. This is why it was so refreshing for them to see a group of activists within their own community stepping up to that challenge." Local Hmong American leaders say recent issues affecting the Hmong American community like the jailing of Hmong leader General Vang Pao in California and the shooting death of local Hmong American teenager Chonburi Xiong by Warren Police have made Hmong Americans want to take the initiative and vote. "We feel it is important to stress these situations to make people understand about how important their vote is," said Xiong. "Living in America gives us the opportunity to be a part of the political process so that we can change and make a difference in our community and society."