The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE OF THAJ KHU MOUA LIA
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HON. JIM COSTA
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Thaj Khu Moua Lia. Moua Lia passed away on August 14, 2021. Moua Lia was a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as well as an inspiration for the entire Hmong community.
Moua Lia was born in Phac Lac (Nong Het), Xieng Khouang Province, Kingdom of Laos. Throughout his life, he fought to bring more education to the mountains of Laos, leading him to become the first Superintendent of Schools in Xieng Khouang Province.
After studying pedagogy, student testing and placement, special education, and ethnic group school systems in France and Thailand, Moua Lia returned to Laos and began rehabilitating Xieng Khouang Province by reforming the school systems in remote areas that had been ravaged by war. During this time, he helped establish the first institution for Hmong teachers called Samthong College.
His commitment to improving the education system for ethnic minorities in Laos took him all over the world, specifically to Singapore and the United States, where he collected ideas and strategies for how to better approach education in the regions he served.
When Laos fell to communist army forces in 1975, Moua Lia and his family received asylum in France for 15 years. They later moved to Merced, California, where he worked as the Community Outreach Specialist in the local school district, and retired in 2005, still actively supporting the community through various projects.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Thaj Khu Moua Lia. His service and contributions to the Hmong community in the Central Valley and beyond will be missed. I join his friends, loved ones, and community in celebrating Moua Lia's life.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 165
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