Interview with Muang Saephan: LIMCA and Preserving Iu Mien Culture

[Note] A full transcript is currently in the works. Please check back later!

About: Muang is a Mien-America from Oakland, California who is now serving as the Executive Director for a non-profit organization in East Oakland called the Lao Iu Mien Culture Association (LIMCA). LIMCA is dedicated to holding spaces for the Iu Mien through the annual King Pan festival and supporting Iu Mien youths through programs such as the Iu Mien Scholarship Fund (IMSF).

In this interview, Muang discusses the history of LIMCA and how they have preserved Iu Mien culture while supporting Iu Mien youths. She also expresses the intersection of being an Iu Mien and a woman serving as a community leader and a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

Keywords: community organization, youth program

Index:

00:00:13 - What LIMCA is

00:08:33 - Recruiting for volunteers

00:12:26 - Journey into being Executive Director

00:17:55 - High school youth program

00:29:07 - Being the Executive Director

00:33:58 - Being an Iu Mien licensed clinical social worker

00:39:21 - Being a woman in leadership

00:54:02 - Mental health during pandemic

01:03:54 - Pandemic’s impact on current roles

01:11:27 - Closing remarks