Sheng Thao will become the most prominent Hmong American politician when she is sworn in as Oakland's mayor

Photo: Carolyn Fong

Sheng Thao, the daughter of refugees, will become Oakland’s first Hmong mayor and the most prominent Hmong American politician when she is sworn in on January 9th.

“I’m very excited to get to work as Mayor in January, but I’m also very humbled to be here. 15 years ago, I was living in my car with my baby. I’ve been through a lot to get to this moment, and have had so many people lift me up in order to get here,” Thao said in a statement.

Hmong Americans as a group have struggled socioeconomically — according to a report from Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, 60 percent of Hmong Americans are low-income, and more than one in four live in poverty.

Speaking of her election win, Thao said, “This wave of Hmong electeds across the nation — they go out and they ask for support in the Hmong community. Then the Hmong community shows up and they show up big time.”

Click here to read more from The New York Times.