U.SLao relations has a direct impact on the thousands of Hmong and Lao Americans I represent in St. Paul and the surrounding East metro suburbs. It has been forty years since the first refugees from Southeast Asia arrived in Minnesota. but the family. cultural. and economic ties to Laos continue to be very important. As Laos becomes more engaged in the global economy. respects the rule of law. and embraces human rights for all its citizens my constituents feel more comfortable and more excited about returning to their ancestral homeland. In the coming year Laos will become chair ASEAN and it is expected that President Obama will be the first U.S. president to visit Laos.
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refugees