Today we’d like to introduce you to Pagnia Xiong.
Hi Pagnia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was not supposed to be a singer.
As a first-generation Hmong American daughter of war refugees, I discovered my vocal gift at age 10. My parents raised a breed that had never existed in the history of my people. Per our culture, they groomed me to be an educated and obedient nyab, a future daughter-in-law, and discouraged my craft. With this conflict and its impact on me, it would take 18 years to accept my calling as a vocal artist.
As an aspiring teenage singer growing up in a small midwestern city, opportunities were scarce. I pushed myself to sing at family functions and local events, mainly with my siblings’ support. As I improved, I quietly sought the next best options an hour away from home in St. Paul, MN, where the most prominent US Hmong population exists. I competed and won numerous vocal contest titles, including Hmong Idol, a national singing competition. Valuable experiences were had, which made my ambitions even bolder than my parents’ vision for me.
Today, I am an internationally recognized Hmong-American music artist and creative producer passionate about using my voice and personality to heal and inspire others to dream big. With influences from my culture, life experiences, and inner truth, I have performed globally for over 200,000 people and recorded three full-length albums. My work has garnered 40,000+ followers and over 1.4 million video views online. For over twenty years, I have been fortunate to inspire people worldwide through music, live performances, visual productions, and a positive online presence.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My ambitions were bold as I continued my musical journey. Yet, I quietly committed to it as an obedient daughter, part-time employee, and full-time honor student.
Although I kept music close, my mental health deteriorated after high school graduation. When I earned a full scholarship to a Big Ten school, I hesitantly pursued an education degree. The conventional choice kept peace between me and the many voices that discouraged me from music. Upon graduation, I accepted my fate as a teacher until I could no longer. I remember the noon yoga class at the local YMCA being the only reason I would open my eyes. Every day, I battled with being a good Hmong daughter for my parents and fulfilling my deepest desires as a singer. There was no solution. I was suffering from depression, and my mental health was collapsing.
During this period, I unexpectedly discovered intergenerational trauma from a Hmong-American female psychologist at a summit focused on women and girls. It was the first time I realized how my family and culture, the community I always wanted to belong to, had contributed to my suffering. I learned that day that I have the power and responsibility to change my life.
And I have.
Today, I am a vessel inspiring thousands of people through music, especially Hmong women and girls, to love, heal, dream, and live for themselves.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artistry is determined by who I am at the soul level. I am first a human being who profoundly values the human experience, especially the dynamic spectrum of human emotions. This value correlates with my awareness of the Hmong community’s generational wounds, including my own. This awareness fuels my creative work as a performing artist. Through three full-length albums, live performances, visual media, and writing, I unconsciously started a movement to inspire multi-generations of Hmong people to heal intergenerational trauma through impactful bilingual music and storytelling.
When performing, I display what being human boldly means to inspire self-reflection and self-healing.
I want my audience to cry.
I want my audience to be uncomfortable.
I want my audience to take deep breaths and sigh loudly.
I want my audience to sit through a complex song.
I want my audience to scream and shout.
When I sing, I hold a safe space for my listeners to release what no longer serves them. I also commit to this intention through stories, blogging, videos, and music on my online platform. For two seasons, I have produced a unique music project titled “The Love Healing Series” to send fans love, light, and healing as a holiday gift. With over 375,000 organic views, this series revealed how deeply my community desires to receive love and healing and the power and responsibility I have to give it through my musical gifts.
I am most proud of persevering and honoring my vocal gift at such a young age, against all odds, to be the artist I am today: using my calling and serving people by bringing light to their pain and healing.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
You will always be on the right path when you follow your heart. It’s easier said than done, but you will never have to wonder, “What if?”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pagniaxiong.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagniaxiong/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pagniaxiongofficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/pagniaxiongofficial
Image Credits
Pa Chia Xiong, Tchoua Xiong, Roosevelt Mansfield, and Kong Lor
