Born in the spring of 1943, See Yang was raised by her mother’s family after the loss of her father. In 1972, she met her husband, and by 1975, with a young child in her arms, she fled to Thailand to escape persecution. With no money and little food, she used her skills in paj ntaub to help support her family, where she would create large, detailed pieces that told the story of her people, survival, and hope.
In 2005, with help from her late husband’s brother, See and her children resettled in the United States. After a short time in Chicago, she moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she found support and community at the Southeast Asian Healing Center, then called Kajsiab House, and received support in getting citizenship and access to benefits.
Though age and fading vision have made it hard for her to sew, she continues to find peace in gardening—especially growing Hmong cucumbers and corn—and watching gardening videos. Once a female soldier, she now finds comfort in her family, memories, and the resilience she carries every day.