CALIFORNIA ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS

Sacramento, CA – Just a short three months ago, Lor Her, 31, was living in a squalid refugee camp in Thailand, his home for the last 12 years. Lor is a Hmong, a people that were forced by communists to flee their Laotian homeland after fighting for the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Eventually, the Hmong found temporary refuge in Thailand. Lor has since left the refugee camp to reunite with his family in California.

Today, Lor testified at the State Capitol at a hearing before state officials and legislators about the story that led him and his extended family of twenty to Sacramento in search of the life they have dreamed of. Lor's story is similar to that of nearly every Hmong refugee being resettled to the U.S.

Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department agreed to resettle an estimated 16,000 Hmong to the United States from a refugee camp in Thailand. Over half of the reunifications will take place in California with the largest resettlement in Sacramento and Fresno counties.

"This hearing is the first of many steps California needs to take to ensure the successful transition of the new Hmong refugees to live happy and productive lives," said Dr. Norman Hui, Chair of the Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs. "We can take action now to help these refugees avoid some of the challenges that other refugees faced in the past."

Echoing these sentiments, Assemblymember Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus stated, "Behind every refugee is a story of survival, endurance, and hope. They have overcome and endured many hardships to come here and we must do everything to welcome and help integrate the refugees so they can become full participating members in society."

"Today we heard the touching story of a Hmong refugee," said Senator Deborah Ortiz, Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. "Action now will help both the children of war veterans as well as the people who fought as U.S. allies during the Vietnam war."

Despite overcoming the barriers of getting to the U.S., an enormous journey still lays ahead. Today, Lor and his twenty family members are sharing a home in Sacramento. He and his four brothers and their wives are learning English in adult school while the nine children in the family are attending elementary school. Lor and his brothers hope to quickly acquire the necessary language skills and job training so they can begin to work and support their families.

The Commission on APIA Affairs serves as an advisory body to the Governor and Legislature on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific Islander American community. It consists of 13 members appointed by the Governor and Legislature and is in its first year of operation.