At the Cross Cultural Workshop, August 14, 2023, Waihon Liew mentioned some books to read about. An attendee named Jason said he is a mailman and there are some Kareni or Hmong on the block he delivers to. When he has to interact with them their kids run inside the house to hide and close the shades. Jason asked how he could let them know he is friendly and the mail carrier is not the police.
Waihon, the instructor, told some key ways to bridge the gap, as the Kareni were a persecuted people in Myanmar (formerly Burma). They learned to be leery of anyone in a uniform.
Waihon gave him a book called, “The Fred Factor,” by Mark Sanborn. The book was inspired by a mailman named Fred Shay.
Do You Know a “Fred” Who Needs to be Recognized?
While eating lunch at the Roseville MN Chick-fil-A, I spotted a “Fred,” named Conrad. He is a Senior Citizen Black Man who is a store Ambassador who makes sure people feel welcome and kids have fun especially when he MOOs out loud so everyone inside hears him. He also takes trays when customers are done and gives out mints and hand cleaning wipes. Conrad goes above and beyond the job to earn the title of a “Fred.”
If you would like to recognize a “Fred” you can let us know at our Twitter/X Account @HD66BGOP and use the hashtag#FredFactor, then explain why he or she is a“Fred.”
The Cross Cultural Workshop on August 14th was a success. We had several members of our bpou as well as other bpous across the Metro and even Linwood, MN. Thanks to Mikki Murray and Tawn Johnson and others in promoting the event to other local party units.
Presentations by May Lor Xiong & Waihon Liew
The first presentation was by Asian American Republicans Chair May Lor Xiong, who was the endorsed MN CD4 Republican candidate in 2022 talked about some of the lessons learned when she ran for office. One might think the Karen of Myanmar (formerly Burma) would have the same cultural ties to Hmong but they are completely different cultures.
May Lor Xiong stressed that people in general want to be part of the solution to problems that present themselves. The best practice is to listen to people and find common values you share and start from there.
May Lor Xiong, the endorsed 2022 CD4 Republican Candidate
Next Waihon Liew, Chair Donna Liew’s husband has many accolades in connecting those from other cultures
Waihon Liew’s Background
Originally from Malaysia, Waihon has his M Sc in Education Leadership and Masters in Cross Cultural Studies. Waihon taught comparative religions and cross cultural studies at St Mary’s University, Winona, as well as similar courses at North Central University, Minneapolis . He has taught under the American Degree Transfer Program at two major universities in Malaysia and has been teaching / mentoring Karen immigrant students at Sejong Academy (K-12), St Paul since 2016.
Through his alma mater, Winona State University, Waihon started a Continuing Education program for schools in Malaysia in March 2023. Because of his work with immigrants and efforts to improve education in Malaysia, he was named Distinguished Alumni of the Decade by Winona State in 2023.
3 Core Values We Share
Freedom
Faith
Family
Waihon talked about the 3 Core Values Karen Immigrants from Myanmar have in common with us. They are Freedom, Faith, and their Families.
In Myanmar they had no concept of politics but they would get dictates from their government what they were supposed to do. So when someone in a uniform shows up at their house there is an element of fear. Jason a BPOU leader from SD 33 Stillwater is a mailman and he expressed how when he shows up at houses were Karens live at, the children run and hide and they close the shades.
Waihon Liew said how they were taught by experience to fear anyone in a government uniform. They were targeted for their Christian Faith and they were forced to flee their homeland for the safety of their families. The Hmong were no different when they fled the country of Laos pursued by the Communists.
Malaysian Flag. See how close to the US Flag this is.The Karen of Myanmar Flag
Books and Movies
Waihon talked of different books and movies to learn valuable lessons from. Here are two of them.
The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn (there’s an audiobook at the Ramsey County Library using the Libby App). Also probably available at Half Price Books. It’s about a mailman named Fred who gives the best possible customer service to those on his route in Denver.
McFarland USA (Movie). It’s about Coach Jim White
Mark Sanborn has several videos online that cover the exceptional service by Fred Shay his mailman for over a decade in Denver.
Ways to Cross Cultures and Be an Influential Leader
Waihon said the best way to be an influential leader is to be a servant to others first. The best example of this is Jesus Christ. In his ministry he was first to serve others before he taught lessons.
In his ministry to the Karen of Myanmar Refugees he was welcomed into their community and given a robe of the Karen colors.
He suggests to listen to others as everyone has a story to tell. Once hearing them, you can relate a story of your own the people you are talking with can understand. Praise others and nurture their values.
If you would like to know more here are some assignments you can do until the next workshop:
Read Books
Support Groups
Servant Leadership
Go to Cultural Events with your kids
Find ways to volunteer
Be intentionally attentive
Learn to be patient (it sometimes takes time for people to catch on to understand the ideas you are putting forth)
Thank You to those who attended
We thank all those who attended our workshop. Initially there was a phone number in the first notice of the event to Chair Donna Liew that was in error. We had such a great showing that future events of this kind will be planned.
Thank you to Chair Donna Liew for the meal she made for the event. Thank you to Waihon Liew and also to May Lor Xiong for their great presentations.
Prior to the Covid lockdowns many people used to go to the library in person. Since then people have gotten into the habit of reading their books from a distance on e-readers. It’s not the same as an in-person visit as it used to be. Seeing the librarians, saying hello to regulars at the library and sipping on a cup of mocha at the attached coffee shop like at the Downtown St Paul Library or at the Ramsey County Library in Roseville MN.
It was also a plus when area school children had their artwork displayed in public. There are some great budding artists out there.
Metropolitan Library Service Agency, or MELSA has an E-Reader System called The Libby App by Overdrive or Libby for short.
Here’s a video from another public library in Texas, with an informal tutorial.
Libby books can be read on a Kindle device, in fact it will ask you which method of viewing your book selections you’d like to read it on. On my laptop computer it makes use of the full screen. It is crisp and fluid in its functioning.
The best news is being able to borrow magazines. Another favorite activity of many at a Library was to go to the area near the fireplace and read, or leaf through a magazine. Libby has that covered. There is no crinkle of pages or the sometimes hard to turn a page due to the metal spine. The magazine pages are vivid and you can enlarge them or just leaf through the pages as you would in an actual magazine. The best thing is it won’t take up too much space on your coffee or end table.
Life has returned to as close as normal as it was before Covid lockdowns. One can still use the e-reader but there are just some things your devices can’t replicate online. Some of the things are seeing the librarians and saying hello, enjoying a mocha from Dunn Brothers, or hearing Howard’s Countdown Trivia at the Roseville Library in the last hour before closing.
Left to Right: Rep Patricia Mueller (R-23B Austin MN), Senator Eric Lucero (R-30 Albertville MN), Senator Mark Koran (R-28 North Branch MN), Rep Patti Anderson (R-33A Dellwood), and Rep Walter Hudson (R-30A Albertville MN). Republican Legislators addressed Republicans from Saint Paul at Falcon Heights City Hall.
On March 27, 2023, House District 66B Republican Leaders had invited Republican Legislators to visit and bring Republicans who live in Saint Paul up to date on what is happening in the Minnesota Legislature. Then they fielded questions about issues pertaining to individual legislator’s committee assignments or general political and policy questions.
Senator Mark Koran & Representative Patti Anderson serve on the Legislative Audit Commission. The Commission found the fraudulent Feeding Our Future. There was a suggestion from the audience to Audit the City of St Paul as the Mayor wants a sales tax increase to pay for fixing the potholes in St Paul.
Representative Patricia Mueller is on the MN House Education Policy Committee as well as the Public Safety Finance & Policy Committee. A suggestion from the audience was to require the St Paul Public School Board to be elected by Wards instead of at-large. She had the understanding that the City would need to do that, but it can only be enacted at the State Legislature as long time Rep Phyllis Kahn of Minneapolis had enacted this sort of action for the Minneapolis School Board.
Senator Eric Lucero is on the MN Senate Education Finance Committee, and the Energy Utilities Environment Climate Committee.
Representative Walter Hudson is in his first term in the Minnesota State House and he has had some very interesting floor debate lately concerning Gun Control and also protecting our children in schools. He is on the MN House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee, and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. He also had a successful podcast prior to being elected in 2022.
Feel free to click on the highlighted Legislators’ links to their legislature pages which contain their contact information, their districts, and what committees they serve on.
Minnesota House District 66B Republicans 