The co-founder of Lao Family Community Development is being mourned this weekend, reports the Sacramento Bee.
Chaosarn Chao, a Iu Mien refugee, is credited with assisting thousands of other Southeast Asian refugees to resettle in the United States.
He died at the age of 66 following complications from a bone marrow transplant.
A funeral will be held this morning at 10 a.m. at the Richmond Civic Auditorium in Richmond, CA and a final viewing is set for Monday morning at the Wilson & Kratzer Civic Center Chapel also in Richmond.
“He was instrumental in not just resettling and establishing our community, but for his long support of many other refugees and leading the effort for recognition of Mien veterans,” said Chiem-Seng Yangh, an educator from Sacramento.
The agency he founded with legendary Hmong general Vang Pao now has eight offices in California from Oakland to Sacramento.
He was president of Lao-Mien Veterans Association and founded the Iu Mien American National Coalition. Both helped Lu Mien seniors recover from psychological damage suffered after being victimized by crime.
In 1978, Chao was one of the first ethnic Iu Mien to settle in the United States.
“To his last breath he wanted to be remembered as a humanitarian,” said Chao Rothberg.
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