#hmong family

[myheartismadeofstars]

Never Fall, Never Rise

An AU where XL didn't ascend...but that doesn't mean everything is okay

Cults spring up convinced he's a god even though he isn't, leaving the awkward situation where his father can either anger the Heavens or the rapidly growing population of people who worship his son...(spoiler: he chooses the people)

XL ends up being constantly in danger of people trying to "prove" his divinity.

Things this story includes:

Characters all living at the same time for the fun of it (also I wanted SQX and the Xianle Trio interactions) and worldbuilding to fit

HC growing up and not dying (also finding a way to circumvent his fate and becoming immortal adjacent) (obviously he joins the baby cults for a bit before leaving)

Examinations of characters' families whether mentioned or not (including HX and FX and to a degree HC's as well)

Rivals to lovers Fengqing

XL & QYZ friendship (and salty AF QR)

HC getting what he deserves~ (he gotta work for it though)

Hualian together (like around each other, not romantically) pretty much since the Land of the Tender incident

HC living a double life since he's about 16 lol (one as Wu Ming, the loyal bodyguard and brat and the other as Lord Hua, the self made city master who everyone is afraid of)

HC using magic as a human (mostly glamours for himself and E-ming but occasionally making magical items like his dice as well)

JL is FX's legal concubine (for her own protection, he didn't want to take one) and Cuocuo gets to live and grow

No one dying unnecessarily (that doesn't mean no one suffers...)

And much more!!

However: I should warn you that this is an Omegaverse au (it wasn't supposed to be but it ended up making the most sense for ONE THING and the worldbuilding got away from me.)

[roseworth]

Hi sorry not to be weird but you're the local Rose expert and I was wondering if you could help me? I'm trying to figure out what ethnic group Lili Worth belongs to. I know she's from Cambodia so logic says she would most likely be Khmer, but the fact that she was fleeing the Khmer Rouge puts that kinda in doubt for me? I've seen a few things saying she's Hmong which would make sense as they were a minority group during the Cambodian Genocide but they're a pretty small portion of the population and I haven't seen anything canon supporting it, just fan posts. When it comes to Lili I've really only read Deathstroke the Terminator (1991) so I'm not super familiar with her. Sorry for any trouble!

!!! no trouble at all <3

as far as i know it never specifically said which ethnic group she was pre-52, but in deathstroke #15 slade says that lili was a "local princess in the siem pang"

honestly i dont know a lot about the different ethnic groups in cambodia but google says that the common ethnic groups in the siem pang are the khmer and lao. i guess we can assume shes lao since she was fleeing the khmer rouge? but unfortunately the real answer is that marv wolfman put 0 thought into any of this

but then. in deathstroke #43 suddenly she says she was trained by the khmer rouge??? idk if this is a retcon or if we're supposed to assume that they trained her to fight while she was imprisoned???? odd choices all around tbh

so short answer: its not specified and wolfman probably didnt even consider any of it for more than 5 seconds

but!!! during rebirth in deathstroke (2016) she and rose are confirmed hmong!

and they've been hmong ever since <3

[sunisalee2020]

From Team Sunisa Lee Facebook - And pho it is.... close friends and family welcome Suni home with a home cooked meal.

-Technically from what I can see they are eating khao poon because I can see the red curry. It's origins comes from Laos but Sunisa Lee's family made it a Hmong style. She finally got to eat her Asian soup!

[breserker]

i gotta tell ya my ass is puckered bc the main characters of my book series have a lot of the most bisexual experiences ever no matter their relationship status, with a lot of the experiences being lifted or inspired by events in my own life, but because they're both bisexual and wind up together (cismale/cisfemale) with some queer trauma/grief in between you can just. Guess. the comments i'll be getting

[wausaupilot]

Hmong American Center receives Families Supporting Families grant

The Hmong American Center received a statewide grant to support families that have school-aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Wausau Pilot & Review The Hmong American Center received a statewide grant to support families that have school-aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Issuing a news release on Thursday, the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced the awarding of the Families Supporting Families. Three other…

[inprogresstoday]

Thursday evening a group of us got together to begin talking about how In Progress can heighten it's honoring of elder stories . We talked a lot about what we are seeing others do, what we have been doing over the past few decades ourselves, and the growing need to gather and share stories offered by elders, as so many are transitioning from this physical existence.

For In Progress, this is how programming develops. Conversation amongst caring and committed individuals, that then talk with others, bring back ideas, and try out ways of doing. it is a blessing and a responsibility we do not take lightly.

Our hope is that as we move forward, that we provide a comfort in acknowledging elders with the same consistency and support that we honor youth and artists and families. It will take time and reflection and resources to build but we know we are individually doing this work already.

Special thanks to Pangfoua Xiong, Sai Thao, Hlee Lee-Kron, and Angelo Bush for the first thoughts in this initiative.

--Kristine Sorensen / In Progress

[lord-of-christmas-lights]

There is an authentic Hmong restaurant in the middle of absolutely fucking nowhere California deep into red county Jefferson state territory where the nearest town with a population over a couple thousand is 100 miles away, simply because the amount of rural farmland suitable for cannabis out here has drawn a large Hmong community. Food's great.

The word exotic doesn’t mean much anymore when I can just order a spice mix I like from Japan that gets to me in less than a week I’ll be honest

[quartztwst]

I DELETED THE ASK IM SO SORRY WAAHHHH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I'm also Hmong!!! I don't really say it much bc not a lot of people know of us 😭😭😭 I grew up with both of my parents families but I'm trying to learn our culture so I can't speak hmong. I know a bit but I can't speak it.

But it's alright if you don't know the culture, I even don't know it 😓😓😓 we just gotta learn though!!

Here’s a short basic context or info about Hmong people though:

Hmong people are an Asian ethic group in East and Southeast Asia. We are found in many different countries!! Examples like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, China, and America!!! (There’s probably others in other countries too).

AND HERE'S MY TWEEL HMONG HCS!!! (BTW these are based on my experiences as a Hmong American person and also this will have explanations about our culture which will be highlighted in blue.)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

- Jade and Floyd are slightly tanner because not all Asians are pale white 💀💀💀 jk but I think they're the types to get easily tanned in the sun (and Azul gets sunburnt)

- They have a few freckles/marks/(DOTS?? HOW TF DO YOU DESCRIBE THOSE?? BEAUTY MARKS WTF??) on their face. Yall never seen me draw them bc um.... I drew these like.. today HELPP

- Jade also has the string bracelet on his wrist. They're like the things that keep your soul with you and they keep you from getting sick and bad luck/spirits (I MEAN THATS HOW MY MOM EXPLAINS IT LMAOO. I remember my grandparents would tie one on my wrist and speak in another language. I don't remember if it was Thai or Chinese.)

Examples of it:

- I used to draw Floyd with it because I thought that since he seems like the type to get noticeably more in trouble than Jade (because he's discreet) and his grandma would be worried for him so she would tie that to his wrist so he wouldn't get more in trouble (bc some older generations think that sometimes the things you do or that you're sick is because your soul has been flying away?? Or that your soul has been taken. Its nothing bad. It's just something cultural and in their religion of Hmong people.) But I feel like he would get annoyed and cut it off later LMAOO

- (Tais means Grandma on mom’s side) So Jade has it but you can't see it with his gloves and long sleeves in the way.

- There's not much to say about their appearances 😭😭😭

SOME HMONG HEADCANONS OF THEM:

- Jade knows the Hmong language and how to speak it but Floyd doesn't but he knows some of it (I'M PROJECTING. I'M PROJECTING SOOO BAD.)

- I think Floyd doesn't really put the effort on learning because "everyone else speaks English (in my universe 😓😓😓 idk)" so he doesn't really bother learning how to speak it but he does know some words.

- He uses a lot of context clues to understand like if he knows some words of the sentence, he'll respond but if there's words he DOESN'T know, he'll be like "huh? Gucci pow.... (<- BAD PRONUNCIATION OF HMONG WORDS)"

- Jade knows Hmong and English so this mf is bilingual.

- Sometimes he would whisper stuff in Hmong to Floyd and THEY BOTH WOULD GIGGLE BC THEY'RE MAKING FUN OF SOMEONE 😭😭😭 AND YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND (UNLESS YOU DO) SO NOW YOU'RE SCARED IF THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUUUU

- Or there's no giggling because Floyd doesn't understand so all you hear is a "huh?" And Jade says nevermind, LEAVING FLOYD CONFUSED AND ANGRY.

- Their mom speaks both Hmong and English while their dad only knows Hmong but is trying to know English (because it's better for business but I feel like he'll have other people speak for him).

- I like to think that Floyd doesn't really wanna speak to his dad than his mom is because of the language barrier. It's hard to speak to eachother with limited words (i know by experience 😞😞😞). It's genuinely sad but they both try their hardest to understand eachother.

- Jade and Floyd like to share Azul some of their foods in their culture (THEY STILL HAVE THEIR CANON FAVORITE FOODS. Also i still dont know how the fuck they cook their food in the sea. I know they eat raw food like Jade said BUT MR. ASHENGROTTO SAID HIS MOMMY OWNS A RESTAURANT AND AZUL KNOWS HOW TO COOK???)

- Like Naab Vaam, Pho, and stuff (some of our food are actually from other countries that we live in/came from like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and etc. We just put our own spin on them so they may or may not taste the same as their origin.)

- I don't think in the sea they wear clothes but Jade and Floyd found some Hmong clothes on the surface and found it cool.

- I don’t actually know their exact type of Hmong clothes they wear though. (Hmong people have different types of clothing depending on who you are and where you’re from. It’s very important to know which one you are. Also there’s 2 different dialects of Hmong and probably MORE?? idk……)

- I drew them wearing Hmong clothes that my family wears though:

ITS NOT A GOOD PICTURE but I was so proud of myself guys please it was months ago since i made that nfkjanfkjasdjhfjhjfk

- I was hoping to figure which type of Hmong they are like Hmong Green, Hmong White, etc etc BUT I’M TOO EMBARASSED TO ASK MY MOM BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE SHE’LL THINK IT’S SILLY TO USE THIS INFO ON ANIME CHARCATERSUIDHFAHDJKFHK

- So i just use the info i already know 😭😭😭😭

- (Also the necklaces hanging on their necks are silver necklaces. THEY’RE SO FUCKING HEAVY. MY MOM HAS A REAL SILVER ONE AND GOD DAMN. THEY GIVE YOU SO MUCH NECK PAIN. But they represent our wealth 😞😞😞. Good thing they recently made ones without real silver. Also there’s Hmong clothes with silver coins on them and they also represent wealth!! They hurt less!!)

- Hopefully I can recreate the Tweels in Hmong clothes in better art!! I CAN BARELY SEE THIS ONE.

I think I’m done for now. I was hoping to say more but I don’t have any more 😭😭😭😭 But I hope you find these somehow a bit interesting and helpful about Hmong culture. I was really excited to tell someone my Tweel Hmong HCs because hkuahfjdkshfjkahj I DON’T KNOW I JUST GET HAPPY!! I love sharing my culture even if I’m still learning it. Not a lot of people know about us because we don’t have a country. But im really happy to meet other Hmong people on here and share the representation!!

[atlaculture]

Hi, I love your work and was wondering if you've done a post breaking down Earth Kingdom clothing inspiration and what the pieces are called. I'm writing a fanfiction and having a hard time finding info. Thanks!

The thing about the Earth Kingdom is that it's the most populated and diverse of the four nations in-universe. Meaning that each area of the Earth Kingdom has its own unique flavor. Some places are based off of specific Chinese dynasties, others around the various ethnic minorities of China, and some are other Asian cultures entirely.

Ba Sing Se's aesthetic is based off of the later years of China's Qing Dynasty (1636-1912):

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Ba Sing Se Queues (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Zuko's Teashop Outfit (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Ba Sing Se Headdresses (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: The Dai Li (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Royal Earthbender Guards (tumblr.com)

Toph's family and background are meant to appear refined and wealthy so their look is based off of the later years of China's opulent Tang Dynasty (618-907):

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Toph’s Fancy Dress (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Toph’s Sleepwear (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Toph’s Hairstyle (tumblr.com)

Bumi likes to wear Chinese opera clothing and his character is broadly inspired by Lu Bu of the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280):

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Bumi (tumblr.com)

Kyoshi Island is Heian & Edo period Japan mixed with Ainu culture:

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Kyoshi Headbands (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Kyoshi Makeup (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Kyoshi’s Hair & Clothes (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Kyoshi Warriors Uniform (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Kyoshi Islanders Fashion Pt. 1 -... (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Kyoshi Islanders Fashion Pt. 2 -... (tumblr.com)

When Zuko and Iroh are on the run in the EK, they encounter a Vietnamese town and a Korean village:

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Anatomy: “The Swamp” Episode (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Architecture: Song’s Village (tumblr.com)

The tribes of the Si Wong Desert are North African crossed with Mongolian:

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Sandbenders (tumblr.com)

Chong and Lily (Secret Tunnel Hippies) wear Tibetan and Hmong clothing, respectively:

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Chong (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Lily (tumblr.com)

The refugee family with the pregnant wife is inspired by Yi people:

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Serpent’s Pass Refugees Pt. 1 (tumblr.com)

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Serpent’s Pass Refugees Pt. 2 (tumblr.com)

And, with the exception of culturally isolated areas like Ba Sing Se/Si Wong Desert/Omashu/Kyoshi/Foggy Swamp, most men in the EK wear their hair in Taoist topknots:

The Cultures of Avatar: The Last Airbender | Cultural Fashion: Earth Kingdom Top Knots (tumblr.com)

So the sort of clothing your characters will be wearing in the EK depends on where in the country they are or are from. If you plan on inventing a new setting that takes place in the Earth Kingdom, try to choose a culture and period that reflects the mood or theme you're trying to get across.

[inukastan1]

Akemi is voiced by Brenda song.

Brenda is an American actress, born to a Thai and Hmong family. She also voiced Anne in Disney channel animated series Amphibia.

[mingus-archives]

Nimona (2023) Thought

Someone may have noticed this already but there’s something to be said about Ambrosius and the mixed Asian American experience and the model minority myth. Ambrosius is clearly mixed Asian in the movie, especially given he was literally modeled after and voiced by Eugene Lee Yang (a Korean American) and it is shown that Gloreth, his ancestor, is European white.

Let’s start with his design: his eyebrows are brown, clearly darker than his hair. And his undercut is brown as well, suggesting that blonde is not his natural color. He’s bleached/dyed his hair blonde to resemble Gloreth. He’s being pressured (internally or externally) to play up his white features and remove the characteristics more in line with Asian features (namely, his dark hair). In fact, it’s interesting that no one seems to care about his Asian heritage, all obsessed with the whiteness mixed in his veins. For a mixed Asian person like me, I deeply resonated with feeling pressured about how Asian or how white I appear or am. I’ve been told how unlucky I am to have inherited my fine, white hair even though it’s my Hmong grandmother who has fine hair in the family. Growing up in a mostly white community, I’ve felt so disconnected from my Asian features. They’re exotic or different or unappealing. They’re white or Asian depending on if people like them, dislike them, or want to objectify them.

It’s so compelling, then, to see this same conundrum of Ambrosius in Nimona. First, they adore him as the descendant of Gloreth. However, even in adoration he is surprisingly alone. He and Ballister seem to both be shunned/kept apart from the other knights. People like the idea of Ambrosius and what he stands for, but they don’t like him. They (Todd in particular) quickly then turn on him and accuse him of conspiring with Ballister when things don’t go the kingdom’s way. This is especially interesting because they are playing on suspicion of Ambrosius’s attraction/relationship, queerness being another facet that pulls him from being “acceptable.” Finally, they (the Director) uses him as the figurehead to bring Ballister down, eventually killing him and tossing him aside like a used toy once she could no longer control him (except Nimona tricked her). The message is clear: despite being literally the descendant of their white deity, Ambrosius is still too mixed to be accepted by the kingdom. And at the end of the day, white power structures don’t care how white you appear to be, you’ll be treated like any other oppressed individual the minute it is no longer convenient for those upholding them.

[myheartismadeofstars]

I'm so glad you like it! I got a bit discouraged and stopped writing it, but honestly I have a lot of feelings about this AU! I focus a lot on friendships and stuff in this AU (ranging from Xianle trio best friend shenanigans, to HC and HX being reluctant friends, to XL semi-adopting QYZ as a younger brother. Everyone has at least one friendship I focus on. Yes, my ships are there too, but the friendships are just as important! I mean my fic inadvertently implies that Xianle would have survived the war if PM had joined in, which he does because SWD is living there. Honestly my friendships, character backgrounds and my expanding on canon characters only mentioned are probably my favourite parts! Family and friends is really a big theme! (I don't think there is a single important character who doesn't have family at least mentioned! Several of those relationships have impacts on the plot)

wait a minute:

in SVSSS it is stated that LBH conquered the three realms. Implying he also has Heavenly Brides tm

if I write a SVSSS/TGCF crossover…does that mean Bingge married some of the Heavenly Officials???

(I feel like Ling Wen and Shi Qingxuan are both on that list. SQX is also somehow 100% locked permanently in female form)

[roseworth]

Tried to follow only to discover I already am. Good job, past me. Thoughts on the changes made to Rose’s character with each reboot?

YES i have so many thoughts

first of all. the new 52 was the worst thing to ever happen to rose and im not exaggerating even a little. she started out as a superboy side character (???) as an assassin that was hired to kill him if he didnt do what they wanted ? then she became a ravager and hunted people down

but the WORST part of the new52 is that they either didnt know or didnt care about lillian worth and they just. made rose one of slade and adeline's kids. and had him raise her.

also she was the oldest child of her and joey, which is nowhere near the same level of awful as the whitewashing but still makes me uncomfortable

yeah so. new 52 was fucking terrible. that is not rose even a little i do not know this woman

but REBIRTH fixed so much <3 christopher priest my bff <3 i am once again recommending deathstroke 2016 bc it has so many good moments and i think its worth reading

the first time rose showed up lillian worth was mentioned!!!!! she was there!!!!! <33333 the timeline was changed a little but i can forgive that bc!!! LILI!!!!!

the problem is that the book made her hmong instead of cambodian and i dont really know why??? but also ive said it before but,,, as much as it makes me upset bc asian identities shouldnt just be interchangeable,,,, this was the first time it was even mentioned that she was half asian since the 90s!!!! and she had a whole arc about her hmong heritage and her family!!!!!!

AND she didnt kill anyone in that book iirc :') the closest she got to killing someone was when she was in the middle of a breakdown then shado killing him for her instead which!!!! i love so so much bc rose does not kill a lot despite what some writers want you to believe. pre52 she has like maybe 3 murders that i would consider in character so the fact that she doesnt kill anyone in ds2016 is so fucking real

anyways ill also count infinite frontier as a reboot bc i love to talk about my opinions

there werent a lot of clear changes in infinite frontier BUT. technically her cutting her eye out is canon rn. in deathstroke inc theres a flashback of her stabbing her eye, and also in dark knights death metal (?) shes drawn with an eyepatch

then she was in robin 2021 which was . eh. it wasnt BAD for her but it was just kinda her continuing to kill ppl ig :( but she was drawn so nice in that book so ill forgive it

side note i still hate the idea of respawn so that bothered me in this book. also what they did to connor hawke is unforgivable so its a net loss but whatever

anyways i think thats all my thoughts. in conclusion: new52 bad. rebirth mostly good. infinite frontier eh. and my own personal interpretation is perfect always.

[librarycomic]

The Heart Never Forgets written by Ana Ot, illustrated by Hayden Goodman. Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2024. 978-1665913058

Every page of this book is visually stunning, including the endpapers. The story is about townspeople gathering for a masquerade as the narrator remembers her beloved grandfather. My favorite thing about this book is the costumes and how Goodman's illustrations capture their dancing. It's a beautiful book about loss.

The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Jiemei Lin. Carolrhoda Books, 2024. 9781728445687.

This picture book is heartbreaking. Yang's family's first language was Hmong. They moved to the US as refugees from Thailand when she was young. This is forty-three-year-old Yang's answer to why she became selectively mute in early grade school, and "wouldn't speak in English voluntarily until…college." (There's a more detailed explanation in the author's note at the end.) Lin's illustrations are amazing at capturing and conveying everything from Yang's withdrawal to the disrespect she and her parents suffered.

Creepy by Lee Sensenbrenner & Keiler Roberts. Drawn & Quarterly, 2022. 9781770466197.

Roberts' autobiographical family comics always make me laugh. In this story she draws herself as a creepy lady who only eats one thing (also creepy). It's a fable warning kids not to pay too much attention to screens while ignoring the world around them.

[teaspoon-of-salt]

Xiong was born in 1973 in Phab Kheb, Laos, one of 11 children in a family that fled the country in 1975 and spent four years in a refugee camp in Thailand before emigrating to the United States, according to Sahan Journal. He grew up in St. Paul and was valedictorian of his class at Humboldt High School in 1992.

Xiong graduated with a political science degree from Carleton College in Northfield in 1996 and began traveling around the country as a motivational speaker, storyteller and rap artist, billing himself as the country's first Hmong comedian.

Xiong helped organize the first Hmong Minnesota Day at the Minnesota State Fair in 2015, and was named a Bush Fellow in 2019 to earn a master's degree in public affairs.

With Xiong's death, the Hmong American community in the Twin Cities has lost a true leader, "consummate organizer and cultural interpreter," said longtime friend Pakou Hang. In his presentations and writings, she said, Xiong was a teacher who tried to show people how to be kind, generous and do the right thing.

Xiong connected people across generational, cultural and political lines who traveled the United States to speak at schools, colleges and businesses, Hang said. As a friend, he could inspire laughter in every conversation, she said.

[Rest of article under cut.]

A highly regarded Hmong American activist, speaker and comedian from the Twin Cities was found dead Monday in Medellín, Colombia, after kidnappers demanded $2,000 in ransom from his family.

Tou Ger Xiong, 50, was killed while on a vacation to Medellín. His brother, Eh Xiong, confirmed his death Tuesday morning on Facebook.

"The pain of his loss is indescribable. We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have offered their condolences, thoughts, and prayers," Xiong's family wrote in the Facebook statement.

Xiong, who lived in Woodbury, was kidnapped Sunday after a date with a woman he met on social media, according to the Colombian newspaper El Colombiano.

A group of men contacted his family demanding $2,000 — the equivalent of $8 million in Colombian pesos — and killed him a day later without collecting the money.

Three American tourists, including Xiong, have been murdered in the last month, El Colombiano reported.

Kidnappings in Colombia are on the rise, according to authorities. In the first few months of 2022, 35 people were abducted in the country, and that figure is more than double this year for the same period.

Early last month, the father of a Colombian soccer star was freed after he was held for around a week by a guerrilla group.

[The excerpt above came from here.]

Former state Sen. Mee Moua of St. Paul, for whom Xiong worked as a volunteer coordinator in her successful 2002 campaign, said in a statement that she was "weighed down with grief for my friend," and called Xiong "a one-of-a-kind modern-day hero."

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-St. Paul wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Xiong's death was "devastating news" and that his work as a comedian and activist "touched many lives in the Twin Cities and beyond."

Hang said Xiong would perform skits based on his own stories growing up as a refugee and other lessons from the larger Hmong community. She recalled him bringing older Hmong women onto the stage to demonstrate how they would pick corn or fetch water as children, setting it to music and transforming it into a dance.

Xiong sought to connect first-generation Hmong American kids with classmates of other races, and strengthened intergenerational relationships with their families by making them proud to be Hmong, she said.

Xiong and Hang worked together on many community causes, including the formation of the Coalition for Community Relations, a group that traveled to rural Wisconsin from the Twin Cities in 2004 to "bear witness" at the trial of Chai Soua Vang, a Hmong American man eventually convicted for killing six hunters.

"We're not here to defend Chai," Xiong told the Star Tribune at the time. "We're coming together to accentuate the positives in the Hmong community."

Xiong also brought media attention to a hunger strike in Northern California in 2021 after a Hmong cannabis farmer was killed by police, Hang said. He flew to California to lead a march and gather stories. Discriminatory ordinances passed by Siskiyou County were later ruled unlawful.

"We don't have anyone else in the community like that," Hang said.

[cartoondorksstuff]

First of all, sorry for my english writing, it's not my first language :').

I'm just thinking about something related to ATLA, an AU where the four nations and the characters are swapped. But not just that; instead of Aang, Toph will be the Avatar, and she will still be blind. She is found by the Fire Nation siblings Zuko and Azula in a volcano with her pet badgermole. I have always been looking for an AU like that, but I have never found it completely, so I decided to create my own. I know that there are already some AU blogs or fanfics with this same concept, and maybe if it's not creative at all, I want to show my own interpretation of this AU. We can share headcanons and fanfics about this subject and discuss it. I deeply want to know what people will think about this—whether my interpretation is good or bad. Anyway, let's talk about it! :) (Many aspects of this fanfic, especially regarding the villains, are inspired by the fanfic Avatar: Distorted Reality, but don't worry; I will try to ensure this is not an entirely copied work, I promise).

Some things about background and worldbuilding:

• The Air Nomads will remain the same and have the cultural inspiration from the show (Tibetan Buddhists and Bhutan). The only difference from the canon is that these Air Nomads would develop science and technology significantly, especially aerospace technology like air balloons and gliders (as shown in the episode "Northern Air Temple"). They would also be alchemists, inspired by Chinese alchemy, and develop science and medicine alongside spirituality. The Water Tribes (in this case, the Water Empire) will still have the same inspirations as the show, but with building and architecture, and marine domination and technology inspired by Srivijaya and the Khmer Empire. They will have incredibly aquatic-inspired technology and highly developed science and engineering.

Fire Nation: It is a fact that the Fire Nation is very inspired by Imperial Japan. In this universe, since they are no longer militaristic and industrialized, they will have a cultural background inspired by the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They will also draw inspiration from Sri Lanka, as well as Aztec, Inca, and Maya cultures, making them a culture more akin to the Sun Warriors. The societal structure will be more tribal, with each archipelago of the Fire Nation being a tribe led by a high-class family represented by the Fire Lord (the equivalent of a chieftain instead of a monarch). This high-class family is a clan with a surname to differentiate them from other families. Thus, Zuko and Azula's family are nobles who rule Fenghuang Island, and their surname is "Hinoko," which means "children of fire" (a reference to the importance of firebending for the canon royal family). So, despite Zuko and Azula not being royalty, they are very respected because they come from a noble family and are the children of the chieftain of their village.

Earth Kingdom: The source of cultural inspiration for the Earth Kingdom will differ from the canon. Instead of the Chinese Dynasty and Korea, the focus will be on underrepresented Asian peoples, drawing great inspiration from the Highland peoples of Vietnam and Thailand (especially the Hmong people), the Evenki people, the Ainu people, Siberian-Mongolian nomads (Tsaatan, Tuvan, and Byart), and minority ethnic Chinese groups (Bouyei, Qiang, and Mulao). Just like the Fire Nation, they will not be very militaristic or highly structured, but they will have a decentralized society that works in a tribal and community-oriented style. Therefore, they will not have a kingdom anymore but rather fractured tribes and villages that have a strong sense of community (living near mountains, caves, or underground). With that, Toph will not be the daughter of an aristocratic family; she will have humble roots this time.

Also, the names of the nations will be different; they will be:

• Fire Tribe

• Air Realm

• Water Empire

• Earth Clan

With all this, let's explore and see the roles of the characters in this alternative universe:

Toph Beifong the Avatar (in the role of Aang): Toph lives in the Southern Mountains of Gaoling in the Earth Clan, in small simple tents and hidden caves in the mountains. She is part of the small Beifong Tribe, and her parents are humble badgermole herders. Since the people of the Earth Clan are identified by their tribe, her name remains "Toph Beifong" to show that she is from the Beifong Tribe of the Gaoling Mountains. Despite this, her parents are very overprotective and do not want Toph to leave the tribe or use earthbending for fighting; they want to develop her to be an "Itako," a shrine maiden who has a connection to the spiritual world. Toph absolutely hates that; she doesn't want this destiny—she wants to fight and participate in secret fighting tournaments under the disguise of "Blind Bandit." Lao and Poppy Beifong hire an earthbending instructor for Toph, believing she only knows the basics. However, unlike Yu in the canon, her earthbending teacher is Bumi, the leader of the great Tribe of Omashu, who is very close to the Beifongs. He truly teaches Toph earthbending and his philosophy of "opening the mind to possibilities," which inspires her to have more contact with the badgermoles and expand her senses to develop her seismic sense. With that, she creates a strong bond with a badgermole, whom she names Tomoe. After discovering that Toph is the Avatar, the Earth Sages immediately inform Lao and Poppy Beifong that their daughter can bend all four elements and is capable of defeating the Water Empire. However, they do not believe that their fragile blind girl is the Avatar and think all of this information is crazy. They decide to move with Toph to the great walls of Ba Sing Se to hide and prevent her from fighting the Water Empire. When Toph learns that her parents are going to take her to Ba Sing Se and leave the Beifong Tribe, she escapes with Tomoe because she doesn't want her parents to decide her choices. She doesn't want the Earth Sages to make decisions for her; she doesn't want the responsibility of the Avatar. She only wants to fight for fun and be a child, and she also hates the boring city of Ba Sing Se. She creates a tunnel with her badgermole to go to Omashu to see her best friend Bumi. But that night, an eruption in a Fire Nation volcano occurs, and since Toph tunneled into the sea, her tunnel comes into contact with the lava of the volcano due to a seaquake, resulting in Toph entering the Avatar State. She and her badgermole get stuck in a volcano for 100 years until two Fire Nation siblings find her. She retains the same sarcastic and sassy personality we know and will do anything to master the four elements as soon as possible to defeat the Water Empire.

Zuko the Swordsman (in the role of Sokka): Zuko is born on Fenghuang Island, a small archipelago in the far east Fire Tribe, as the first child of the Fire Lord of the Hinoko Clan, Ozai, and Ursa. Born without firebending and unscarred, Zuko is a responsible and compassionate but very hot-headed young man. He is devoted to protecting his village and his family and is traumatized by a Water Empire attack that happened when he was a child, which took his mother away from him. He always blames himself for that because he thinks he failed to protect her and misses his mother deeply. They were very close, and Ursa taught Zuko about herbalism and healing plants. As a result, every piece of medical knowledge he has is from her, which makes him a great alternative healer. He also does not have a good relationship with his father, who is cold and distant from the family and never understands why he is like this. Consequently, Zuko carries all the responsibilities of home and family after his mother was captured by Water Empire soldiers and his father went to fight in the war. He takes on fatherly actions, especially towards his younger sister Azula (which she hates), and acts very much as a caretaker and protector. He wants to prove to his village and his sister that he is capable of fighting for them. Despite not being a bender, he wants to find a way to help end this war and learn everything he can to help the people around him, whether it be medical techniques, hand-to-hand combat, or especially learning to fight with his double swords, one of the few things his father left him that he is thankful for. He deeply wants to prove his value and honor in a world of powerful benders and show he is capable of being strong and useful, just like the benders. He is very close to his uncle, Iroh, and he uses a headpiece that once belonged to Iroh, which was passed down to Lu Ten, who gave it to Zuko before he died. Zuko considers that headpiece a symbol of bravery and honor for his family (much like Katara has a connection with her necklace). One sunset, he goes to a volcano with Azula to look for ingredients for his uncle's teas. After a discussion with her, they enter a cave inside the volcano, where they find a blind earthbender with a badgermole and realize she is the Avatar, the hope for this war. They immediately go with her to stop the Water Empire and help her through her Avatar journey. Zuko is also quite hopeful because he believes the Avatar is the greatest chance to stop the war, and he believes, somehow, the Avatar will come back to save the world. He is very determined and hard-working and has incredible empathy, but this part is overshadowed by his anger issues and broody attitude. He always prioritizes honesty and justice and has a strong sense of honor and duty.

Azula, the Last Firebender of Fenghuang Island (in the role of Katara): Azula is the only firebender who survived in her village. She is very proud of this skill and always likes to show off her abilities. She is a very confident, self-centered young woman who loves learning about firebending and warrior tactics. This interest in tactics brings her closer to her father and inspires her to be a leader like him someday. Azula also likes the idea of being highly respected, even using some manipulation tactics and intimidation to achieve that. Despite this attitude, she does not want to harm others intentionally; she only wants to survive and protect her family and will do anything for this, even if it means possibly killing someone. She does not want to remain in her village forever and wants to explore the Fire Nation to find a powerful mentor to teach her firebending. At first, she is not interested in helping Toph, but when she realizes Toph is the Avatar and needs a firebending teacher, she joins her and eventually forms a strong sisterhood with her during their journey. In contrast to canon Azula, this version has a good relationship with her family and friends, who like her for who she truly is, not because they fear her. Unlike her older brother, Azula is not a very emotional person; she does not even believe the Avatar could be alive or return to save the world. She has a very pragmatic view and is not very aligned with spirituality either; she maintains an analytical and skeptical nature, dealing with her emotions by keeping a facade of strength and listening more to her head than her heart. Because of this, Azula is a great strategist and is very precise and intelligent in taking down her enemies. She also has a very sharp wit and is extremely sardonic and sarcastic. She loves teasing and being extremely sassy to others, especially her brother Zuko. Additionally, she is extremely ambitious and makes it clear that she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, sometimes even resorting to morally ambiguous actions if necessary. Because of this, Azula is a great liar and can use that to benefit herself and help her friends.

Aang, the Airbending Master (in the role of Toph): Aang is born as a paraplegic child in the Southern Air Temple in this universe. The fact that he cannot walk does not bother him; it motivates him to learn how to fly/levitate through the Sky Bisons in a different way than the original flight (which lets go of earthly tethers). Because of this, Aang learns a new way to move by floating/flying despite being a paraplegic child. He is very carefree and fun and wants to share that ability with other children to play with them. However, once it is discovered that Aang has learned this very rare ability, the monks take him to several lessons about spirituality and raise him in a way that prevents him from playing with the other children or doing what he wants anymore. The monks place great responsibilities on him and raise him in a very restrictive manner, so he cannot have fun anymore. Because of this, Aang uses a disguise called "The Prince of Sky" (an original concept I created, which is a spirit that brings fun and happiness to other children) to throw parties and have fun like a normal kid in secret (just as Toph has the "Blind Bandit" persona to participate in secret tournaments without her parents knowing). He will be Toph's airbending teacher and may sometimes get distracted, but he will truly teach her the fundamentals of airbending in a fun, child-like way and with compassion.

Other characters:

Iroh, the Dragon of the West: Uncle of Zuko and Azula, he serves as a mentor and gives great advice and tea to his nephew and niece, and later to Avatar Toph. He accompanies the trio on their journey to be the voice of reason and to keep them united as a team. He was one of the greatest firebenders in the Fire Tribe, but after a violent raid that occurred on Fenghuang Island, he suddenly lost the ability to bend. The mystery of what happened to cause him to lose his bending still lingers. Due to his experience in firebending training, he is responsible for taking Toph, Zuko, and Azula to Agni Meetha, a luxurious and powerful city made of gold where firebenders still exist and where the principal dragons, Raw and Shaw, are kept safe. He takes them there so Toph can learn "Dragon Dancing" from his long-time friend, Master Jeong Jeong.

Sokka, the Prince of the Water Empire (in the role of Zuko): Sokka is a cold, intelligent, and very sarcastic crown prince of the great nation of the Water Empire. He is the favorite child of Water Emperor Hakoda, which places great pressure on Sokka to achieve the high standards of perfection established by his father. However, after Sokka fails an important mission, his father gives him a frostbite scar and banishes him because he feels disappointed, forcing Sokka to learn about his actions through suffering. As a result, Sokka feels humiliated and wants to regain his honor and respect from his father and his tribe. He will try to do this by making miraculous plans and tactics to catch the Avatar. Despite being considered the favorite son, he must prove himself every single day to his father and is not allowed to fail or show weakness to anyone. Because of this, he maintains a stoic facade despite being insecure and traumatized. He also possesses kindness and self-sacrificing attitudes, especially towards his sister, and only lives to be what others want him to be, sacrificing his own personal desires to meet others' expectations.

Kanna, the Matriarch of the Empire (in the role of Iroh): Kanna is a sweet, calm, and wise old matriarch. She is the grandmother of Sokka and Katara and is a highly respected figure in the Water Empire. Her title of "Matriarch of the Empire" comes from her widowed status and being the mother of the current Water Emperor, Hakoda. She acts as a guide to Prince Sokka by teaching him techniques, giving advice, and helping him through his journey. She is an extremely powerful waterbender; she even managed to create a way to protect herself from waterbending's coolest technique, bloodbending. Since women in the Water Empire cannot learn waterbending for fighting, Kanna learned this technique in secret with her long-lost friend Hama and developed ways and mannerisms to learn that in secret from men. She achieved this in an extremely intelligent and perceptive way, mixing dance steps with combat movements so that they wouldn't realize she was fighting. She is an extremely adaptable woman who has resilience in the face of difficulties. She also teaches all these techniques and knowledge to her granddaughter, Katara. She is devoted to defending women's rights in the Water Empire and always helps secret factions and rebellion crews achieve their goals to teach women to fight and combat the patriarchal structures of the nation. She also participates in clandestine missions to defeat corrupt leaders and injustices when she was young. Now, in her elder years, she fights in a calmer way, using her experiences and wisdom to combat misogyny and help create a more equitable Water Empire. However, she is still one of the most powerful waterbenders and is always prepared to physically fight and protect the people she loves.

Mai, the Yuyan Archer (in the role of Jet): This version of Mai has a completely different story from canon. She was born into an extremely poor family, and they were so vulnerable that her parents sold her to an illegal trader in exchange for food. That trader put her to work in a factory run by the Water Empire, where she and the other children who lived with her were treated poorly and were in extreme need. As a result, when a group of young people who worked with her stole some weapons, bows, and arrows, they decided to run away, and Mai went with them to escape this lifestyle. With them, Mai learned to handle daggers and shoot a bow and arrow. They ended up creating a sisterhood bond and considered themselves a family, calling themselves the Yuyan Archers. Due to the mistreatment and hunger she suffered while working in the factory, she became very angry with the aristocracy and the Water Empire, wanting everyone to have equal opportunities and to eliminate poverty and class differences. Therefore, Mai, despite having a gloomy and serious personality, wishes for equality and justice. Together with the Yuyan Archers, she begins to adopt extremely radical ideas, and their anger towards the noble classes and social inequality leads them to commit robberies and attacks against rich and powerful families because they believe they are doing justice, viewing these actions in a morally ambiguous and extremist light. She does this not only for her drive for justice but also to alleviate her boredom and feel adrenaline. She meets Toph, Zuko, Azula, and Iroh, and Zuko and she share a brief romantic tension, but due to her radical actions and their differing ideals and morals, they decide not to pursue a romantic relationship.

Ty Lee, the Yangchen Guardian (in the role of Suki): Ty Lee is a bubbly and positive Air Nomad young woman and is a "Yangchen Guardian," a group of female air nomads from the Western Air Temple who devote their lives to honoring Avatar Yangchen and train to read the aura energy of people. They are also responsible for promoting and celebrating Air Nomad traditions and spiritual rituals. Their duty is to protect the temple that guards Yangchen's knowledge and wisdom about airbending techniques and spirituality, and they do this by fighting with chi-blocking. Ty Lee's father was a circus owner from the Fire Tribe, and her mother was an Air Nomad nun. Despite loving the circus, Ty Lee feels excluded because her six identical siblings all work in the circus with great talents. Fearing that she would forever be seen as just a matched set, she decided to live with her mother at the Western Air Temple and became a Yangchen Guardian. She is an incredibly talented chi-blocker with a special focus on chakras and is beginning to learn about aura energy and chi. Additionally, she is a very agile acrobat. When Team Toph arrives at the Western Air Temple, she teaches Zuko chi-blocking and helps them defeat a Water Empire battleship that attacks the temple.

Katara, The Princess of the Water Empire (in the role of Azula) Katara is an angrily passionate princess who fights for justice and equality for women in the Water Empire. She is the most powerful waterbender ever, an incredibly prodigious talent who can bloodbend without a full moon and knows how to use psychic bloodbending. She mastered these skills by the age of 14, learning in secret from Hama and Kanna because the sexist structures of the Empire do not allow her to fight. She feels neglected by her father and overshadowed by her brother, despite him not being as powerful as she is.Katara is frustrated by this situation; she does not want to hide her abilities forever. She wants to command the Water Empire and ensure that not only women like her can fight but also take responsibility for improving the Water Empire and making it even greater and more powerful. Her anger towards these injustices drives her goals. With this motivation, Katara aims to prove herself to a society that has diminished her. After her brother is banished, she embarks on a mission to find him, conquer the four Air Temples, and defeat the Avatar to restore their honor.

Suki, The Surviving Kyoshi Warrior (in the role of Mai) Suki grew up in the Southern Water Tribe, adopted by Senna, an empathetic and generous noblewoman descended from a Kyoshi Warrior. At the beginning of the Hundred Year War, the Water Empire committed the genocide of the Earthbenders, starting by attacking Kyoshi Island. The Kyoshi Warriors were brave heroes, and they resisted until they had no more ways to fight back. As a result, the majority of the Kyoshi Warriors died trying to protect their home, but the few who survived were captured to be used as weapons in the Water Empire's inner conflicts between the tribes, keeping them imprisoned and as hostages. One of these warriors was Shiori, a young Kyoshi Warrior who did not accept this situation and wanted to find a way to rebel. One day, a man helped her escape and gave her a home and safety. Observing the sexism of the Water Empire, Shiori decided to find other Kyoshi Warriors to teach women clandestine self-defense techniques and pass on the legacy of resistance of the Kyoshi. With that, she began to grow secret factions against the Water Empire's imperialism, supported by clandestine Kyoshi Warriors and other people among the tribes who did not accept the extreme traditionalism of the Empire. Eventually, Shiori married the man who helped her, and they started a family together. After his death, Shiori decided to retire from her position as a fighter and protector of the factions and return to Kyoshi Island to enjoy her retirement in peace at her original home. Upon arriving there, she found something stunning and hopeful for her people: a lost orphaned little girl named Suki, who lived alone on the destroyed and isolated island. By her appearance, Shiori already knew Suki was from the original people of Kyoshi Island and had been hidden there. So, she chose Suki to live in the Water Empire with her noble widowed granddaughter, Senna, who would teach her all about the legacy, combat style, and history of Suki's roots as a descendant of the Kyoshi Warriors. Since Suki was very young and had lived completely alone, she did not know anything about her true roots. Because she was adopted into a noble family, Suki becomes very close to the Royal Family, especially Sokka and Katara. Initially, she didn't like Sokka because of his sexist thoughts about women, but after he learns that this is wrong and becomes vulnerable by apologizing and discussing his insecurities, they become very close, and she starts to develop romantic feelings for him. Later, she meets Yue from the Northern Water Tribes and also becomes really close friends with her. With her great fighting skills, Suki is chosen by Katara to accompany her and Yue on a mission to conquer the Four Temples and bring Sokka back home, forming an amazing trio.

Yue, The Lunara Lady (in the role of Ty Lee) Yue is the daughter of the principal chieftain of the Northern Water Tribe. Despite not being considered a princess, she is still a highly important figure in the Water Empire and holds the noble title of "Lunara Lady" due to her lineage. She is a gentle and loving young woman who is not blessed by the moon spirit and has normal dark hair. Her father, alongside the Water Emperor, plans an arranged marriage for her with Prince Sokka. Although she likes Sokka, Yue does not approve of this idea because she wants the freedom to make her own choices. She annulled the engagement by joining the Moon Sages—a group of priestess who cannot marry and are dedicated to studying the moon spirit, astronomy and the impacts of celestial events on the culture and science of the Water Empire (being a Water Priestess is the only exception that allows women to fight in the Water Empire). As she is going to be a priestess devoted to the moon spirit, she participates in a unique ritual that transforms her hair to white color for represent her connection with the moon. When Yue became a sage she discovered a kind of dusty that, when makes contact with oxygeny, liberates a poison that weakness the immunity of the opponent. So Yue uses a gloove that has this dusty in the composition and when she snaps her fingers it creates gusts and explosions of this poison and uses that as a weapon and later she joins alongside Suki in princess Katara’s mission

(Honorable Mention: Ravi, The Prince of Agni Meetha (in the role of Yue): Ravi is the son of the chieftain of the greatest city of the Fire Tribe, Agni Meetha, and holds a royal title. He was born very weak, and the healers couldn't help him. His father begged the Dragons Raw and Shaw to heal him, and they listened to his prayers. The dragons performed the "Dragon Dance" and breathed the "Flames of Life," the rainbow fire, onto Ravi, which healed him. As a result, Ravi's hair color changed from dark to gold. He possesses part of the sun spirit's energy inside him and fell in love with Azula when she visited Agni Meetha, but he cannot be with her because he is engaged. He is an original character (OC); however, his appearance is slightly inspired by Chan)

Well, that's all the summarized story of the principal characters. What do you guys think? Is it good? Is it horrible? LOL! Feel free to ask questions about this alternative universe and for more information about this version of the canon divergence if you want. Sorry for this being too long :')