Last December, the U.S. government agreed to resettle 15,000 Hmong refugees who have been living illegally on the grounds of Wat Tham Krabok, a famous Buddhist temple in Thailand. The decision was prompted by a sense of obligation to the Hmong -- originally from Laos -- who fought alongside Americans during the Vietnam War.
As Doualy Xaykaothao reports, many of the resettled refugees will join well-established Hmong communities in Minnesota. Anticipating this, the mayor of St. Paul traveled to Thailand to meet the Hmong and learn more about their culture and needs so he can better prepare his city for their arrival.
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