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Wisconsin

In the United States, you may have been born in one state or even in a different country. You may go to school or work in another community, and then move somewhere else by choice or circumstance. What is it that ties us to these places and makes us call them home? And how does our state affect who we are and how we identify ourselves?

Wisconsin

States of America Episode 15 | 4m 54s | CC

Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, Xong Xiong moved to Wisconsin after her family couldn't return to Laos following the Vietnam War. She grew up as part of an influx of twice dislocated Hmong refugees who were not always welcomed in La Crosse. Despite racism, poor integration, and detachment from her own culture, Xong is determined to help the younger generation born in America stay connected.

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Funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.