Susan Kaying Pha[1] is a Hmong-American politician and businesswoman serving as a member of the Minnesota Senate for the 38th district. Elected in November 2022, she assumed office on January 3, 2023.

Early life

Pha moved to the United States from Laos with her family as a refugee at age three.[2] She was raised in San Diego and Fresno, California,[3] as the oldest of eight children and part of the Hmong community in the United States.[4]

Career

From 1996 to 2011, Pha worked as a real estate agent. In 2010, she founded a publishing company. Pha was elected to the Brooklyn Park City Council in 2016. She was elected to the Minnesota Senate in November 2022,[5][6] the second Hmong woman to do so.[4]

References

  1. ^ Happy Women's Day: Susan Kaying Pha Sworn in as City Council Member of Brooklyn Park, 2018-03-08, retrieved 2022-12-08
  2. ^ Adwan, Noor (2022-11-09). "Susan Pha wins election to Minnesota Senate". Sahan Journal. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  3. ^ "'People were looking for a change': a Q&A with Susan Pha, Brooklyn Park's first council member of color". MinnPost. 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  4. ^ a b Chang, Jonathan; Chakrabarti, Meghna; Skoog, Tim (November 17, 2023). "Debunking myths about the Asian American academic experience". WBUR. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Adwan, Noor (2022-11-22). "Senator-elect Susan Pha plans to uplift Minnesotans of color". Sahan Journal. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  6. ^ "Susan Pha". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-12-08.