Rising Stars: Meet Law Thao

Today we’d like to introduce you to Law Thao.

Hi Law, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up, I found myself surrounded by my parents and family telling stories. Their oral stories unraveled their biographies and it got me curious about the stories of Hmong people and where I come from. Storytelling in Hmong culture is powerful. I wanted to get to know what the Hmong story was and I began my curiosity with my mom. She was 22 years old, and came to the United States as a refugee. I listened to my mother as she spoke about her aspirations for the American Dream. It hasn’t always been easy for her to balance her Hmong and American identities living in the United States. In her stories, I could hear similar themes and difficulties I face when I reflect on my own experience. It has taken me a long time to reach this place of understanding with my own identities. I searched inwards and outwards asking myself several questions; finding hidden gems of long lost photos that sparked deep conversations about the livelihood of my family back in Laos and Thailand; and the traditional Hmong cultural practices and beliefs. There was so much richness in all of what I found within my culture. I wanted to use the skills I had in video making to showcase the different parts of Hmong culture.

The pandemic affected everyone in different ways and I found myself trying to figure out what my creative process could look like. I refocused my video-making around my passion in Hmong culture. I applied for the 2021 Minnesota States Arts Board Artist Initiative grant, and was selected. I was ecstatic and my passion to create and share videos of my culture was reignited. I begin with sharing my passions – the why’s and videos on “The Xauv, Hmong clothing” and “The Hmong chicken soup”. These videos influenced by my mother’s enlightenment. I really enjoyed creating content and relearning the small details of my culture and hearing the stories of those who’ve shared with me and our community. I am still creating more and excited for what is to come.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been bumpy – but I wouldn’t change a thing. Each tough moment got me to where I am today. There were times when I struggled to find a balance in my passion to create videos highlighting culture. I would say that I was experiencing a form of imposter syndrome – lost in creating the work and defining what it means for me to be an artist. I learned that trusting and being patient with myself and surrounding myself with supporting folks has helped me overcome that. I learned to take risks in the work that I was doing, means that I am coming from an authentic and genuine place – which is what I love and want to share with the world.

My family and friends have been a huge supporter of my work. Especially my mother for being part of the videos I create, through her storytelling and the support in sewing Hmong clothing and items.

I also like to give a shoutout to my small team. Christopher Her and Aimee Vue they both have been my backbone of support, providing thoughts, ideas, reviews and feedback on the content I create. They believe in the work and I am very grateful for each of them!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a creative, my work is focused on cultural identities, personal narratives, and storytelling. I have learned extensively about my Hmong roots and identity through passed down stories from my ancestors’, hand-stitched story cloths, Paj Ntaub, artwork, and traditions. The content I create revolves around Hmong culture. I strive to emphasize the significance of sharing personal narratives by revisiting one’s own self-discovery process and holding onto cultural roots. I believe that when we share our life stories through a cultural lens, our unique experiences enable us to acknowledge, empathize, and make endeavors to understand our own intersecting identities.

I am most proud of learning about other people’s stories – sharing similarities and being able to make someone’s day with the content I create.

Reflecting on my culture has been a beautiful thing for me, and I think this reflective activity is something we can all benefit from– it’s an opportunity to connect in a deeper part of life. I reached a place where I embraced my Hmong heritage, through the connections with my family roots, stories, maintaining my native language, finding my own balance in this society and sharing my own experiences. I’m excited to be on this journey of uncovering cultural roots, discovering unheard stories, and amplifying the narrative of the Hmong culture to mainstream media.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Authenticity I feel is most important to my success – just being my real and true self.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.lawthao.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawthao
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lawthao
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Law_Thao
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvJIDEXtYOwFnMnt1d1FLYg/featured