Our son -- Jay Xiong

Dear Neighbors,

We are Doua Yang Xiong and Va Xiong, and we want to share with you a little bit about our son, Jay Xiong. As the oldest child in our family, he is a symbol of the hard work we strive to achieve as parents who are illiterate refugees and immigrants.  When we arrived in America forty years ago, we came with the clothes on our back. In our stomachs were endless appetite for a greater future for our sons and daughters, and in our minds were visions of a brighter path to social and economic independence, something that we had never known before.

As Jay's mother, I am most proud to call him son, because he helped raise his younger siblings like his own children, being forced to grow up even faster himself as a mature person. I spent two decades working in an assembly plant so my children could reach for the stars. It was with the support of our own children that we were able to make it work and now I run my own small cleaning business.

As Jay's father, I could not be more proud to call him our oldest child. Never one to back down from hardship, challenges and opportunities for serving others, Jay has always led by example. When I came to this great country as a veteran, I had hard work and a strong will to provide for my family. We struggled, and lived in public house, getting by on public assistance while I worked as a janitor during the day at SEARS and at night for West Publishing. A few years ago, I suffered a stroke while on the job. It has been a difficult for us, but one thing that will never be taken away from me is the pride and affection I have for my children. Jay's hard work lives on in his drive to serve all of us.

As Jay's parents, we ask you to attend the Senate District 67 DFL Precinct Caucus on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, 7 PM at Harding High School. And we ask that you become a delegate for our son Jay Xiong to the Senate District 67 DFL Convention in March, in hopes that he can go on to become the DFL endorsed candidate and continue the good fight for all of us. Nothing makes us happier knowing that the young man who we raised wants to dedicate his service to friends and neighbors like you.

Sincerely yours,
Va & Doua Yang Xiong

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