A Hmong refugee makes his journalistic Journey in the US
Thae Ted Vang, on the back of his father along with his mother and siblings, fled through the jungles escaping the takeover of Laos from the communists Pathet Laos in 1975. From being raised in the Thailand refugee camps at 2 years old to 20 years old, he moved to California in the United States with his wife in 1992. For a better life that he could not have as a child, he wanted a better future for himself, his family and future.
As the years go by and the struggle to be in America with four children later, his devotion to the Hmong people and the small community that they had back in 2008, he wanted to be the voice to current Hmong refugees that were now in America to understand what was going on in the new country they lived in. “Hmong people at the time had limited access to social media or even technology,” said Vang. He stated that he wanted to get into news, media, and journalism to give reliable media, someone that the community can trust and someone who can allow them stay informed.
As years went by and with little to no experience, he soon became an official Hmong reporter for the first Hmong official television on cable TV for KBTV in Sacramento, California called Hmong Report, which today is now called crossingstv. He spent years here reporting, editing, writing, and interviewing thousands of people from throughout the Hmong community from California all the way to Minnesota, where most Hmong people reside since 1975. He has met thousands of people, reported on hundreds of events whether it was within the Hmong community or the American culture. Celebratory events, sad, happy, politics, foods, travel, vacation, family, friends, and many more, he has done it all, and all for the Hmong community to understand this country and the culture, as well as keeping theirs intact.
He continued his journalistic career through volunteer work and through the Lao Veterans of America, INC. He left the job at KBTV but kept reporting and helping the community when it came to Hmong New Years that takes place every year in Northern California, cities from Oroville to Fresno. His presence in the Hmong community is so vast, he is even asked to host many events such as Hmong pageants, Hmong New Years, weddings, and funerals.
“Since I started in 2008, 12 years later, social media and technology has changed drastically, and we now have more access to more media in variety of ways,” Vang said. “ Even with this pandemic, and after not being with KBTV, I still choose to take time out of my day with a full job as a county worker in Butte County, to inform the public and the community about COVID-19 and also politics.”
Vang currently resides in Oroville, California where he is a full-time county worker for Butte County and since the pandemic hit in March 2020 he now hosts daily live news on his YouTube channel with over 11,000 subscribers, called TED VANG NEWS TALK.
Connect with Thae Ted Vang through Facebook, YouTube, or check out his blog.
