Kong Xiong was born in spring 1950 in Xam Neua, Laos, to Sai Nue Xiong and Mee Yang. Her father was a village leader, and her mother cared for their family and farmed. After surviving the Secret War, Kong fled with her husband and two children to Thailand, living in Nong Khai and later Ban Vinai refugee camp.
In 1991, Kong and her family resettled in Philadelphia before moving to Madison, Wisconsin, where she now lives with her daughter. Kong finds healing through paj ntaub, a traditional Hmong textile art that helps her manage stress and practice mindfulness. She likes to attend the Southeast Asian Healing Center, where she receives support from staff and her peers while learning new skills like sewing and quilting. The program has helped her connect with vital resources, travel, and build a life of creativity and community in the U.S.