Previous Contributors
Pang Yang
Pang Yang is a dedicated multilingual veteran teacher and the mother of seven children. Her 20+ years of K-12 classroom experience includes the teaching of English Language Learners and Hmong Heritage Language Learners. She is an active member of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders and serves on several school/community committees, and the co-convenor of the National Coalition of Hmong Teachers. In addition, Pang started up a new non-profit, MN Zej Zog. She holds a B.A. from Concordia University and a Masters of Arts in English as a Second Language from Hamline University. She was named the MN Council on the Teaching of Language and Culture 2019 Teacher of the Year. Pang spearheaded the initiative that led to the founding of Project Tshav Ntuj. She served as a Board member of PTN from its inception in July 2019 to March 2021. In her time as a Board member, Pang provided key contributions through many leadership roles including community relations, networking, grant writing, event coordinating, and advocating for mental health education in Hmong youth.
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Dr. Ia Xiong
Dr. Ia Xiong is a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. She specializes in multicultural issues and trauma-informed care. Her work focuses on historical trauma experiences in the Hmong community and managing stress through mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques. She is a 2019 Bush Fellow and committed to advancing culturally appropriate mental health services for the Hmong. In her free time, she loves to write and travel. In addition, she is a proud mama of two.
Calvin Yang
Calvin Yang obtained his BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, his MA in Counseling Psychology from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, where he then decided to pursue his Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and is now a doctoral intern at California State University - Fullerton. Mr. Yang is in the final stages of his dissertation project. The focus of his study is on the psychological well-being of Hmong men, particularly immigrants who identify as second generation or later. He is examining the degree to which Hmong men’s bicultural self-efficacy and their perceptions of their relationships with their fathers are predictive of their current psychological functioning. In his spare time, he creates and publishes content on social media to teach and educate about the Hmong culture and language. He acknowledges the intergenerational gaps, incongruences in cultural values, and challenges with communication due to varying levels of language proficiency. Therefore, Mr. Yang created Dictumdose to help reconnect generations through storytelling, explaining ancient proverbs, and encouraging the community to explore their ethnic and cultural roots.
Mr. Yang is a founding board member of Project Tshav Ntuj. He served as PTN board member from July 2019 to March 2021. During Mr. Yang’s term, he made many important contributions, including his role as PTN’s lead media coordinator and social media content builder. Mr. Yang also co-hosted PTN’s first virtual concert.