Staff Directory 601104096

Ka Vang

Contributing Columnist | Opinion

Ka Vang is a contributing columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune. She focuses on historically marginalized communities.


Ka Vang is a writer, playwright and children's book author. She is the vice president of equity, inclusion, diversity and access for Meet Minneapolis, the tourism, convention and visitors' bureau for the city of Minneapolis. She has also worked in higher education, as a journalist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and as a senior leader for Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media. A Hmong American, she was born on a CIA military base in Laos at the end of the Vietnam War and immigrated to the U.S. in 1980. She grew up in the Frogtown neighborhood in St. Paul and now lives in Prescott, Wis. She can be reached at kvangmpr@gmail.com or www.linkedin.com/in/ka-vang-edia-leader/.
Recent content from Ka Vang
Tibetan dancers with Ü-Tsang Dance Group perform a traditional celebratory dance from Central Tibet at the Hennepin History Museum in Minneapolis on

Vang: New year, new inclusive traditions

On this MLK Jr. Day, let's make a commitment to love by building new family traditions that reflect equity, diversity and inclusion.
A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

Vang: There's no place like Minnesota

The recent auction of Dorothy's ruby slippers made me think about the search for home, and how so many of us from around the world have found it here.
Luigi Mangione is escorted by police to his arraignment at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa., Dec. 9.

Vang: Luigi Mangione is no hero

He's not an underdog or one of us. He's a man of privilege who thought he could get away with it.
People play pov pob, a traditional courtship game, during a Hmong New Year Celebration at St. Paul RiverCentre on Nov. 30.

Vang: Courting rituals, a stuffed chicken and egg rolls (and eye rolls) at Hmong New Year

I bring my children to this annual festival every year to try to preserve their Hmong heritage, despite their resistance. This year, I brought my non-Hmong in-laws for the first time, too.
A sign for Bde Maka Ska near the south shore of the lake.

Vang: How to be a good advocate for Native Americans this holiday season and beyond

"Learning about Native people from Native people" — from a contemporary standpoint and through their lens — "is the best way to learn."
The FAWK cast.

Vang: The Funny Asian Women Kollective's comedy show was a balm for bruised souls after the election

The Funny Asian Women Kollective, which is celebrating its 10th year, uses humor to bust stereotypes and share some important life lessons.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, on O

Vang: The rise of 'bro culture' and Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric

He has stoked fears and encouraged divisions in a way that feels personal as a woman of color and as an immigrant.
Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at Scranton High School in Scranton, Pa., on Election Day, Nov. 5.

Vang: My Election Day mood? Think a wet cat with an unusually short fuse

In recent days, my children have watched me alternate between slothfully eating chips on my couch to manically cleaning the house.
"As someone whose two feet are firmly planted straddling two cultures, I’ve seen firsthand how fear shows up differently in American and Hmong cultu

Vang: Many cultures have their own spooky stories

There are Hmong zombie movies and other cultural tales and myths that reveal shared fears and wisdom, passed down through generations.
The Hmong Village Shopping Center, St. Paul.

Vang: Exploring the world in our backyard during MEA weekend

If you don't have a plane ticket to get out of town this weekend, here are some other great ways to expose your children to different cultures in the Twin Cities.
A homeless camp with several dozen Hmong residents have set up near the Bruce Vento Trail in St. Paul.

Vang: The good — really good — but also the bad and the ugly among Hmong lives in Minnesota

From women's rights and the success of Suni Lee to a Hmong homeless encampment in St. Paul, there are highs and lows.