What would it look like for Asian American children to feel confident as their authentic selves? Growing up between cultures often teaches them how to make themselves smaller rather than how to belong. This question is what Sophia Siong sought to better understand. Her story is about choosing wholeness in a world that so often asks Asian Americans to diminish themselves. Sophia Siong, is a recent graduate of Regis University, who is leading community research on how Hmong Americans find belonging. Just north of Denver in cities like Westminster and Thornton is where many Hmong American families reside. According to the Pew Research Center, 360,000 people in the United States identified as Hmong in 2023. Hmong are often seen as an ‘ethnic minority,’ which gives more reason to speak about and share their culture proudly.
For more than two decades, the Nathan Yip Foundation has carried forward a legacy rooted in compassion, vision, and the belief that where a child lives should never determine what they can become. So, each year the foundation hosts a Chinese New Year Gala to raise critical funds for rural education and recognize an outstanding member of the community. Nathan Yip was just 19 years old when his life was tragically cut short in a car accident. He was Linda and Jimmy Yip’s only child, remembered for his kindness, curiosity, and deep empathy for others. While traveling in rural China, Nathan saw educational inequity firsthand, telling his parents, “We can make a difference.” Jimmy and Linda Yip transformed grief into purpose. In 2002, they founded the Nathan Yip Foundation to honor Nathan’s dream and extend hope to children in underserved communities. While the foundation’s early work focused internationally, its mission soon expanded closer to home, where rural Colorado students faced many of the same systemic inequities. Over the past ten years, the Nathan Yip Foundation has become a trusted champion for rural education in Colorado, investing more than $1.4 million in locally driven initiatives. These investments have modernized science labs, expanded career and technical education, and strengthened arts and creative programs. Rural school districts across Colorado face compounding challenges: shrinking tax bases, declining enrollment, persistent teacher shortages, limited access to advanced coursework, and reduced mental health and student support services. These pressures stretch already-limited resources and force difficult tradeoffs, even as educators remain deeply committed to their students and communities. Beginning this year, the foundation is launching a multi-year grant model that will support 5–7 rural school districts in its first cohort. These sustained partnerships are designed to create deeper, more lasting impact that will empower teacher-led, district-supported teams to design innovative solutions aligned to local needs. The response has been extraordinary, with 46 rural school districts applying and requesting more than $3.4 million in funding. This level of demand underscores the depth of need across rural Colorado. That is why the 2026 Chinese New Year Gala is more important than ever. The gala will raise the funds needed to expand the foundation’s capacity. This year’s gala will honor Dr. Larry Chan for his extraordinary service to the Nathan Yip Foundation as a founding board member, and his 40 plus years to the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Chan embodies the values of service, generosity, and leadership that define this work.
The cheerful jingle of money belts, the aroma of fresh and savory sausage, the smiles of friends and family passing each other with a wave or stopping for a photo. My first time at the Hmong American Association of Colorado’s (HMAAC) Hmong New Year celebration this November was full of texture and delight. Despite the snow and frigid temperatures, huge crowds of Hmong people and supporters gathered the weekend of Thanksgiving to ring in the new year. The Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) team had been hard at work in the corner of the vendor hall putting up temporary walls, printing signage, and putting the final touches on our newest exhibit, Inherited Stories: Contemporary Voices. The exhibit interprets traditional Hmong story cloths as modern artworks. Each art piece, created by Hmong artists, reflects an oral history collected from the Hmong community in Colorado. Premiering at Hmong New Year, the exhibit highlights storytelling, memory, and the complex journeys of belonging. Inherited Stories: Contemporary Voices is a culmination of the award-winning research of CAPU intern, Sophia Siong. Her vision transformed her academic work on the Hmong people in Colorado to a more creative format, an art exhibition! As a curator, she selected artists from the community, paired them with oral historians, and helped coordinate the installation in partnership with HMAAC’s Hmong New Year celebration. The re-imagining of Hmong story cloths as paintings and digital drawings made the culture visible and accessible in a new way. Seeing kids, elders, and folks of all ages enjoy the artwork, talk about their favorites, take photos, and connect with the stories was an unforgettable experience. In an incredible line-up of dancers, musicians, food vendors, fashion, corn hole, artisans, and community leaders— CAPU was an honor to be included. And you can bet I’ll be back next year to cheer on the dance showcase, party it up with Chenning Xiong, get inspired by the coolest Hmong fashion, and eat my weight in Khaub Poob. Inherited Stories: Contemporary Voices feels especially poignant at the 50th anniversary of the Hmong people in Colorado (the Hmong have a rich history as a minority ethnic group originating from China with deep roots in Southeast Asian countries, many settling in Colorado after the Vietnam War). The Hmong community in Colorado is growing, and Inherited Stories: Contemporary Voices seeks to highlight their voices, educate the public about the history, and share some incredible artwork and cultural traditions. Colorado Asian Pacific United is currently seeking to travel the Inherited Stories: Contemporary Voices art exhibition to locations across Colorado in 2026. The exhibition includes framed original artworks, artist bios, narrative art labels written by the artists, an introductory text and poster, and supplemental materials about Sophia’s research as requested. If you have any questions about connecting with Hmong storytelling in Colorado or are interested in hosting the exhibition, e-mail contact@coloradoasianpacificunited.org .