Ka Vang
Contributing Columnist
DiversityKa Vang is a writer, playwright and children’s book author. She is the vice president of equity and community impact 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/.
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Latest from Ka Vang
Vang: From fighting for survival to leading out in the open
Hmong American women have come a long way over the last 50 years, and achieved another historic milestone with Kaohly Her’s election as mayor of St. Paul.
November 8, 2025
Vang: Trump’s Great Gatsby moment — partying it up while Americans go hungry
He held a Roaring ′20s-themed party over the weekend while SNAP benefits for millions of Americans were cut off.
November 6, 2025
Vang: A letter to Kristi Noem after her visit to Minnesota last week
Immigrants don’t just bring delicious food to Minnesota. We help keep the lights on.
October 28, 2025
Vang: Going shoeless in the office is one more Silicon Valley trend we can do without
Here are some better ideas for how to make coming to the office more appealing.
October 8, 2025
Vang: How Catholic schools are redefining security in sacred spaces
After the Annunciation shooting, Catholic schools are trying to balance their traditional openness with keeping students safe.
September 17, 2025
Vang: Don’t blame the entire trans community for one person’s violence
We’ve seen similar kinds of reactions before.
August 31, 2025
Vang: This Hmong family is one of many being torn apart by Trump’s deportation chaos
The children of deportees are often the ones who shoulder the burden while grappling with the trauma of being separated from a parent.
August 25, 2025
Vang: In this chaotic world, my family and I have found comfort and joy in ... our pet ducks
A growing number of American households have pets. We went the non-traditional route due to our children’s allergies.
July 30, 2025
Vang: Deporting these Hmong men isn’t justice — it’s a failure of America’s promise
A couple dozen Hmong men in Minnesota are facing deportation for crimes that are, in many cases, more than a decade old. Many of them have served time and since rebuilt their lives.
July 17, 2025
Vang: How Wisconsin voters reclaimed abortion rights
The Wisconsin Supreme Court decision this week striking down the state’s 1849 abortion ban was a win for democracy.
July 4, 2025
Vang: Saving the world one D20 at a time
A look inside the Dragons, Dungeons & Drinks network in Minneapolis that’s creating spaces where everyone — especially those historically excluded — can belong.
June 28, 2025
Vang: The viral Lululemon 2-in-1 dress and what it says about today’s expectations for working women
The versatile dress/skirt is the Swiss Army knife of fashion. But what is it really?
June 23, 2025
