Dai Thao, St. Paul’s first Hmong city council member, vowed to represent all residents of Ward 1, one of the city’s most diverse.
Thao, an information technology manager and community organizer, was sworn in Thursday in front of a city council chamber crowd that reflected that diversity. Surrounded by his family, he gave an emotional speech about his struggles with poverty, his vision of St. Paul as a livable city and his determination to protect “the weak from the strong, the vulnerable from the powerful.”
And although he and the city leaders gathered to usher him onto the council spoke of his election as a historic moment for the Hmong community, Thao stressed he would look out for all constituents.
“I want to make it clear I am here for all communities,” he said, adding, “Our diversity is our strength.”
Earlier this month, Thao garnered more than 40 percent of the vote in defeating six other city council candidates. He replaces Nathaniel Khaliq, who was appointed last summer when Melvin Carter III resigned to take a state education position. For the first time since 1980, the council has no black members.
Ward 1 includes the Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods. As Mayor Chris Coleman noted in introducing Thao, this is an eventful time for the ward as it gears up for the arrival of light-rail service next year. The new council member worked with a coalition of nonprofits to secure three additional Central Corridor stops in the neighborhood.
Coleman said Thao also has an important role to play in a key city goal: “the incredible challenge we face making sure all our children are educated.
“Today is a powerful statement we make that the Hmong community is here in St. Paul and an important part of St. Paul,” Coleman said.
He noted briefly the moment his grandmother, an immigrant from Ireland, watched her son, Coleman’s father, Nick, get sworn in as state senator.
Carter said Thao’s election was bittersweet: The city council will feature no black members, but on the flip side, a strong voice for communities of color has joined it. Carter pointed out some black residents of Ward 1 strongly supported Dai Thao.
“Dai is clearly an authentic fighter for our community,” said Carter, “and he’ll be a great city council member.”
Thao, the father of three, has worked on the legislative election campaigns of Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates. He was also active with efforts to defeat the state’s voter-ID and marriage amendments. He has organized for TakeAction Minnesota, the liberal advocacy group, and ISAIAH, a faith-based social justice coalition.
He said Thursday that he sees his leadership as a compact with the residents of his ward. He promised to protect their interests tirelessly, but he said they also must continue to be their own advocates: “I need you also to hold up your end of the bargain.”
He shared some glimpses of what city council President Kathy Lantry called “an impressive story”: He talked of his childhood in a Thai refugee camp and his coming of age in a North Minneapolis housing project. He spoke of swatting a cockroach in his apartment building’s basement, where he sometimes slept to escape the summer heat — a kind of epiphany that fueled his resolve to do better in life.
He also acknowledged the work of his wife, community organizing partner and campaign manager, Amee Thao.
“Every campaign she’s worked on, she won,” he said. “I hope she continues to work on mine.”
Mila Koumpilova can be reached at 651-228-2171. Follow her at twitter.com/MilaPiPress.
