When 18-year-old Hmong American Sunisa Lee captured the women’s all-around gold medal at the Olympics Thursday, the triumph carried special resonance in Minnesota’s close-knit Hmong community.
Puner Koy, who coached Sunisa Lee for several years when she first came to Midwest Gymnastics in the St. Paul suburb of Little Canada, caught part of her performance at the watch party. Then he had to leave for the gym to work. He said he could barely hold back his tears on the drive. He recalled her trying out at age 6 and called her a “phenom.”
Many Hmong, who fought for the U.S. in Laos during the Vietnam War, resettled in Minnesota. Patriotism runs deep in the community, fueling the joy over Lee’s success. Her said that’s because the Hmong were oppressed in every other country where they have lived, including Laos and China, and sought opportunity in America.
“You have the child of a refugee representing the United States of America, so not only representing America, but bringing the spotlight to the Hmong community,” Xiong said. “Even for her to be so proud to say ‘I’m doing this for my community, I’m doing this for my people,’ she didn’t forget her Hmongness.”
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