saengmany ratsabout

Saddened to hear the passing of Franklin Odo. I had the privilege of meeting and chatting with him many times while working at @aaas. Forever grateful for his work in pioneering Asian American Studies. #restinpower

Excited to announce a presale of our Xieng Khouang coffee, grown in Laos and roasted in MN. These coffee are very special to us because my wife's parents are from Xieng Khouang. In fact, many of the growers and producers of these coffee beans are Hmong! uprootedcoffee.com/products/…

News! I am thrilled to be joining East Side Freedom Library as its next Executive Director. I look forward to meeting and getting to know so many of the wonderful supporters and collaborators. @ESFLibrary twincities.com/2022/08/08/la…

Read more about how we started #UprootedCoffee and where we hope to go next.

Also, no blogging about it using Xanga.

A few years ago I had a chance to comb through archival materials from the Walter Mondale collection. He was instrumental in the passing of the 1980 Refugee Act. Not surprisingly, Minnesota became home to the largest refugee population per capita in the U.S.

Saw a tent city in MN with hundreds of military vehicles. I'm angry that instead of protecting Black lives, they are preparing to dismantle our rights to protest injustices. Sharing the translation I worked on this past summer from the @LettersForBL. link.medium.com/LHITMvLrvfb

Who are institutional leaders in MN? Certainly not Indigenous folx or people of color.

I'm digging the new @zoom_us video filter option. But can you make it so that users can upload their own video filters (overlays)? I want to create my own border and overlays. Would eliminate unnecessary use of green screen function. Which is super distracting. Thank you.

Thank you. @aaww for the opportunity to share my thoughts. There were certainly lots to say, but hope that this small piece is a start for more intentional conversations. Wonderful to be among like-minded folk.

Proud to share that M will be joining veteran Asian American actors and artists as part of the Asian American Arts Alliance's virtual benefit. She is particularly excited to be included in the same event as author Jenny Han (To All the Boys series) and the one and only Amy Hill.

Far too long, institutions of White supremacy has determined which immigrant and refugee communities matters, while investing in one and ignoring the other. We must stop playing their games and recognize how we benefit from White supremacy and challenge our own privileges.

Tired of spending my energy with institutions on equity and inclusivity work. How do we begin to dismantle White normativity in progressive spaces?

Thank you, @Asian_Americana for allowing me to share my involvement with @LettersForBL and why #BlackLivesMatter. Love this quote from @Quincetessence, "What good does it do for us to say 'Our Stories Matter' if we can't practice the same respect for Black Lives?"

Participated in a roundtable about MN's immigration history. Asked to briefly describe this history. My answer, "Minnesota immigration history is about expansion, it is about the exile and removal of the people who were here first, and it is about empire and war. #HistoryMatters

Did you know that there is a "Lane Xang Village" in New Iberia, Louisiana with street names like Champ Avenue and Savannaket Street? The community has been there since the late 1970s. #LaoHistory #PeoplesHistory #FromTheArchives

I would add, start hiring BIPOC-owned and -operated search firms for DEI and other positions. No more White gatekeepers. #beyondDEI #gatekeepers