author results for Yang, Kao Kalia,

The Blue House I Loved

Yang, Kao Kalia — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

"The Blue House I Loved centers on a family of newly arrived Hmong refugees who move into the lower level of a duplex in St. Paul, Minnesota. The narrator loves her aunt and uncle's home with its mismatched furniture, but it is too small for the large family. The boy cousins sleep in the three-season porch, where their wet hair freezes in wintertime, and the rest of the family crowds into two bedrooms. Yet this is the cherished home where they live and love, their own small corner of a very large and unfamiliar place, and in this blue house a young girl learns about her new country. Eventually, the family moves in search of more space, and years later the house is torn down. Where it was, green grass now grows. But for this girl and her family, the ghost of the house remains, its memories a strong thread that holds time at bay and hearts close together. Combining Kao Kalia Yang's lyrical prose with ethereal illustrations by artist and architect Jen Shin, The Blue House I Loved speaks to the multitude of refugee experiences around the world, honoring the challenges they face and the homes they create together." -- Publisher marketing

A Home on the Page

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

When Nou, a young Hmong American girl, wakes up and finds a hateful message on her family's home, she begins to question what home means and finds meaning in writing.

The Latehomecomer

Yang, Kao Kalia — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Born in Thailand's Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, Yang immigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota when she was only six years old. Here, Yang describes her family's harrowing escape from Laos, their life in the refugeee camps, the hardships and great joy of caring for a growing family in a new land, and her own experiences with American life and learning.

The Latehomecomer

Yang, Kao Kalia — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The "unforgettable" true story of a family's journey from the jungles of Laos to a Thailand refugee camp—and finally, to America (Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down).
Kao Kalia Yang was born in 1980 a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand. Her people had fought alongside the Americans in the Vietnam War, but in the tumult that followed, they spent years without a real home. Though her grandmother was reluctant to journey even farther from her birthplace than they already had, the family convinced her that America was their best option.
Landing first in California, they eventually settled in St. Paul, Minnesota. Like so many other immigrants, the adults worked long hours, sacrificing in order to give their children opportunities to succeed and reflect well on their community. But the Hmong faced unique challenges, coming from a rain forest as a little-known ethnic group that did not have a written language of its own. Yet, Yang would eventually grow up to write this memoir—"a narrative packed with the stuff of life" (Entertainment Weekly) that would become a winner of the Minnesota Book Award, a finalist for a PEN Award, and one of the National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read selections.
"Yang tells her family's story with grace; she narrates their struggles, beautifully weaving in Hmong folklore and culture...[a] moving, unforgettable book."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[A] beautiful memoir...Yang intimately chronicles the immigrant experience from the Hmong perspective, providing a long-overdue contribution to the history and literature of ethnic America."—Booklist

The Latehomecomer

Yang, Kao Kalia — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"This is the best account of the Hmong experience I've ever read—powerful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable." -Anne Fadiman

In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to the United States, but their experiences remain largely unknown. Driven to tell her family's story after her grandmother's death, Kao Kalia Yang's memoir is a tribute to the remarkable woman whose spirit held them together through their imprisonment in Laos, their narrow escape into Thailand's Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, their immigration to St. Paul when Yang was only six years old, and their transition to life in America. It is also an eloquent, firsthand account of a people who have worked hard to make their voices heard.

The Most Beautiful Thing

Yang, Kao Kalia — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look. When young Kalia wants ice cream, she has to make do with ice cubes from the freezer. When she wants a new dress for the first day of school, her mother gives her a few coins to spend on candy at the corner store. And when she wants meat for dinner, she must settle for a piece of bone that flavors the family's soup. Finally, Kalia becomes tired of longing for what she cannot have. When she asks for braces to straighten her crooked teeth, which her family cannot afford, it is her grandmother—a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth—who helps her see what is truly beautiful. Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with little money—and a great deal of love. Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life. "A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals."—starred, Kirkus Reviews "A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love."—starred, School Library Journal Minnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children's Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year

Yang Warriors

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"After lunch the Yang warriors prepare for battle. They practice drills, balance rocks on their heads, wield magical swords from fallen branches. Led by ten-year-old Master Me (whose name means "little") -- Provided by publisher.

The Rock in My Throat

Yang, Kao Kalia — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a Hmong refugee child navigating life at home and school in America while carrying the weight of her selective mutism"-- Provided by publisher.

From the Tops of the Trees

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"A powerful true story of a young girl who has never known life outside a refugee camp and a father determined to help her dream beyond the fences that confine them"-- Provided by publisher.

La cosa más bella

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Una historia real, cargada de amor y ternura, de una niña que encuentra la belleza donde nunca lo imaginó.

La plus belle des choses

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"Tiré des expériences de l'auteur, Kau Kalia Yang a vécu une enfance de réfugiée Hmong, cet émouvant livre illustré dépeint une famille possédenat peu d'argent, et des trésors d'amour. Lorsque Kalia devient malheureuse à cause de manque et décide qu'elle veut un appareil pour avoir unplus joli sourire, c'est son adorable grand-mère qui l'aide à voir que a véritable beautése trouve chez ceux que nous aimons le plus."-- Page 4 of cover.

The Most Beautiful Thing

Yang, Kao Kalia — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"Drawn from Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this heartfelt picture book offers a window into the life of a family with little money and a great deal of love"-- Provided by publisher.

Where Rivers Part

Yang, Kao Kalia — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

This powerful memoir about a Hmong family's epic journey to safety is a profound "testament to the miraculous strength of women and the indomitable resolve of the human spirit" (Cristina Henríquez, author of The Book of Unknown Americans).
Born in 1961 in war-torn Laos, Tswb's childhood was marked by the violence of America's Secret War and the CIA recruitment of the Hmong and other ethnic minorities into the lost cause. By the time Tswb was a teenager, the US had completely vacated Laos, and the country erupted into genocidal attacks on the Hmong people, who were labeled as traitors. Fearing for their lives, Tswb and her family left everything they knew behind and fled their village for the jungle.

Perpetually on the run and on the brink of starvation, Tswb eventually crossed paths with the man who would become her future husband. Leaving her own mother behind, she joined his family at a refugee camp, a choice that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Eventually becoming a mother herself, Tswb raised her daughters in a state of constant fear and hunger until they were able to emigrate to the US, where the determined couple enrolled in high school even though they were both nearly thirty and worked grueling jobs to provide for their children.

Now, her daughter, Kao Kalia Yang, reveals her mother's astonishing saga with tenderness and clarity, giving voice to the countless resilient refugees who are often overlooked as one of the essential foundations of this country. "Haunting and painfully relevant" (Booklist), Where Rivers Part is destined to become a classic.

Somewhere in the Unknown World

Yang, Kao Kalia — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

From "an exceptional storyteller," Somewhere in the Unknown World is a collection of powerful stories of refugees who have found new lives in Minnesota's Twin Cities, told by the award-winning author of The Latehomecomer and The Song Poet.
All over this country, there are refugees. But beyond the headlines, few know who they are, how they live, or what they have lost. Although Minnesota is not known for its diversity, the state has welcomed more refugees per capita than any other, from Syria to Bosnia, Thailand to Liberia. Now, with nativism on the rise, Kao Kalia Yang—herself a Hmong refugee—has gathered stories of the stateless who today call the Twin Cities home.
Here are people who found the strength and courage to rebuild after leaving all they hold dear. Awo and her mother, who escaped from Somalia, reunite with her father on the phone every Saturday, across the span of continents and decades. Tommy, born in Minneapolis to refugees from Cambodia, cannot escape the war that his parents carry inside. As Afghani flees the reach of the Taliban, he seeks at every stop what he calls a certificate of his humanity. Mr. Truong brings pho from Vietnam to Frogtown in St. Paul, reviving a crumbling block as well as his own family.
In Yang's exquisite, necessary telling, these fourteen stories for refugee journeys restore history and humanity to America's strangers and redeem its long tradition of welcome.
A Macmillan Audio production from Metropolitan Books

Where Rivers Part

Yang, Kao Kalia — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Born in 1961 in war-torn Laos, Tswb's childhood was marked by the violence of America's Secret War and the CIA recruitment of the Hmong and other ethnic minorities into the lost cause. By the time Tswb was a teenager, the US had completely vacated Laos, and the country erupted into genocidal attacks on the Hmong people, who were labeled as traitors. Fearing for their lives, Tswb and her family left everything they knew behind and fled their village for the jungle. Perpetually on the run and on the brink of starvation, Tswb eventually crossed paths with the man who would become her future husband. Leaving her own mother behind, she joined his family at a refugee camp, a choice that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Eventually becoming a mother herself, Tswb raised her daughters in a state of constant fear and hunger until they were able to emigrate to the US, where the determined couple enrolled in high school even though they were both nearly thirty, and worked grueling jobs to provide for their children. Now, her daughter, Kao Kalia Yang, reveals her mother's astonishing saga with tenderness and unvarnished clarity, giving voice to the countless resilient refugees who are often overlooked as one of the essential foundations of this country.

The Diamond Explorer

Yang, Kao Kalia — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Follows Hmong American Malcolm as he embarks on a journey to become a shaman like his grandparents before him.

Caged

Yang, Kao Kalia — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"A young Hmong girl has never been outside the camp she lives in with her parents and thousands of other families. Most days, she spends her time playing with her cousins and pretending they can fly above the clouds and far away from here. When her family's papers are finally approved, she's uncertain if she's ready to leave everything--and everyone--she's ever known behind. But on the day she leaves, her favorite aunt, Golden Flower, sees her off with the words, Your wings have arrived"--Publisher's website.

Where Rivers Part

Yang, Kao Kalia — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"In the 1960s when Kalia's mother, Chue, was born, the US was actively recruiting Hmong Laotians to assist with CIA efforts in Laos's Secret War. By the time Chue was a teenager, the US had completely vacated Laos, and the country erupted into genocidal attacks on the Hmong people, who were perceived as traitorous for their involvement. Notably, from 1964-1973, Laos became victim to the heaviest bombardment by the United States against communist Pathet Lao, becoming the most heavily bombed country in history. Fearing vengeful soldiers looking to take their lives, Chue and her family quickly fled their village for the jungle, leaving all that they knew behind. Perpetually on the run, the family was often on the brink of starvation, and death loomed. During this tumultuous period, Chue met her husband, Bee, and unwittingly left her mother behind forever when she escaped to a refugee camp with his family, a mistake she would regret for the rest of her life. There, Chue, Bee, and their daughters lived in a state of constant fear and hunger until they finally made it to America. The determined couple enrolled in high school classes despite being in their late twenties and worked grueling factory jobs to provide for their family, yet most who meet Chue know nothing of her extraordinary resilience and traumatic past. In Where Rivers Part, told from her mother's point of view, Kao Kalia Yang unveils her mother's epic struggle towards safety and the important undocumented history of a time and place most US readers know nothing about, offering insight into America's Secret War in Laos with tenderness and unvarnished clarity. In doing so, she excavates the plight of many refugees, who suffer silently and are often overlooked as one of the essential foundations of this country. For readers of The Wild Swans by Jung Chang, The Spirit Catches You When You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, and those who flock to stories about survival during wartime, Where Rivers Part is not only a personal account of resilience and survival but also a powerful and transporting look into Laos's Secret War and the lived experiences of the Hmong people"-- Provided by publisher.

Daim ntawv qhia mus rau hauv lub ntiaj teb

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Vim lub caij nyoog txawj hloov zuj zus, ib tug me nyuam ntxhais hluas lub ntiaj teb los yuav tau hloov mus tib yam nkaus. Nws tau tsiv mus nyob rau hauv ib lub tsev tshiab nrog nws tsev neeg. Nws tau ntsib thiab pom neeg lub neej kev yug los thiab pom nws lub neej nyob rau hauv lub tsev thiab sab nrauv nws khaws tau ntau yam kev kawv. Nws yuav npaj rau leej twg thiajli muaj nqis?

Yam uas zoo nkauj tshaj plaws

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States. When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother-a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth-who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life." --Amazon.

The Shared Room

Yang, Kao Kalia — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

When someone you love dies, you know what doesn't die? Love. On the hot beach, among colorful umbrellas blooming beneath a bright sun, no one saw a little girl walk into the water. Now, many months later, her bedroom remains empty, her drawers hold her clothes, her pillows and sheets still have her scent, and her mother and father, brothers and sister carry her in their hearts, along with their grief, which takes up so much space. Then one snowy day, the mother and father ask the girl's older brother, "Would you like a room of your own?"

Somewhere in the Unknown World

Yang, Kao Kalia — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Although Minnesota is not famous for its diversity, the state has welcomed more refugees per capita than any other. Yang-- herself a Hmong refugee-- has gathered stories of the stateless who today call the Twin Cities home. In their retelling, these stories of refugee journeys restore history and humanity to America's strangers and redeem its long tradition of welcome. -- adapted from front flap

A Map Into the World

Yang, Kao Kalia — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"As the seasons change, so too does a young Hmong girl's world. She moves into a new home with her family and encounters both birth and death. As this curious girl explores life inside her house and beyond, she collects bits of the natural world. But who are her treasures for? A moving picture book debut from acclaimed Hmong American author Kao Kalia Yang."-- Provided by publisher.

The Song Poet

Yang, Kao Kalia — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

"From the author of The Latehomecomer, a powerful memoir of her father, a Hmong song poet who sacrificed his gift for his children's future in America. In the Hmong tradition, the song poet recounts the story of his people, their history and tragedies, joys and losses; extemporizing or drawing on folk tales, he keeps the past alive, invokes the spirits and the homeland, and records courtships, births, weddings, and wishes. Following her award-winning book The Latehomecomer, Kao Kalia Yang now retells the life of her father Bee Yang, the song poet, a Hmong refugee in Minnesota, driven from the mountains of Laos by American's Secret War. Bee lost his father as a young boy and keenly felt his orphanhood. He would wander from one neighbor to the next, collecting the things they said to each other, whispering the words to himself at night until, one day, a song was born. Bee sings the life of his people through the war-torn jungle and a Thai refugee camp. But the songs fall away in the cold, bitter world of a Minneapolis housing project and on the factory floor until, with the death of Bee's mother, the songs leave him for good. But before they do, Bee, with his poetry, has polished a life of poverty for his children, burnished their grim reality so that they might shine. Written with the exquisite beauty for which Kao Kalia Yang is renowned, The Song Poet is a love story--of a daughter for her father, a father for his children, a people for their land, their traditions, and all that they have lost"-- Provided by publisher.

The Latehomecomer

Yang, Kao Kalia — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Driven to tell her family's story after her grandmother's death, Kao Kalia Yang's memoir is a tribute to the remarkable woman whose spirit held them together through their imprisonment in Laos, their narrow escape into Thailand's Ban Vinai Refugee Camp, their immigration to St. Paul when Yang was only six years old, and their transition to life in America.