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Honoring Mai Chong Xiong for her years of service to the City of Saint Paul and Ward 1 and proclaiming Friday, December 23, 2022 as Mai Chong Xiong Day in the City of Saint Paul.
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WHEREAS, Mai Chong Xiong is an Eastsider and grew up in Frogtown; and
WHEREAS, Mai Chong attended the College of Saint Benedict and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree and where she also participated in Student Senate, served on the Cultural Affairs Board, was a legislative intern in the United States Senate; and
WHEREAS, Mai Chong moved to Dayton’s Bluff where she lives with her husband Dan, two children, Chloe and Declan, and her parents-in-law; and
WHEREAS, Mai Chong volunteered for Dai Thao’s first City Council race in 2013, and began working for Councilmember Dai Thao in the City Council as a legislative aide in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Mai Chong served as a co-chair on TakeAction Minnesota’s board and as a board member for Victoria Theater Arts Center; and
WHEREAS, among Mai Chong’s numerous and notable achievements as a member of the Ward 1 team were helping to pass Earned Sick and Safe Time, secure a median to create pedestrian safety at Hmong Village on Johnson Parkway and Ames Ave, secure city funds for Hmong Village’s parking lot, pass a $15 minimum wage in Saint Paul, pass a tenant rights ordinance in Saint Paul, fund Community First Public Safety Initiatives in Saint Paul that shifted away from traditional policing and invested in domestic violence prevention, gun violence prevention, and youth empowerment; and
WHEREAS, in addition to her work at the city, Mai Chong’s policy wins at the statewide level as a leader of TakeAction Minnesota include state recognition of Hmong American Day, leading the committee to help Hmong Veterans get formal recognition as American veterans so they can also receive veteran benefits such as being buried in the American veteran cemeteries, testifying and advocating for statewide earned sick and safe time and paid family leave, successfully fighting for Minnesota statewide minimum wage increase in 2014, and defeating Voter ID and Marriage amendments in Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, Mai Chong was able to use her substantial experience organizing and advocating for legislation aimed at helping people to organize a victorious campaign resulting in her historical election to the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners in 2022; and
WHEREAS, when Mai Chong is sworn in and takes office on January 3, 2023, she will be the first Asian American, first Hmong American woman, and youngest person ever elected to the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, Mai Chong has spent her career advocating for a future rooted in racial, social, and gender justice for all; and
WHEREAS, she is a fierce fighter for the future we deserve -- a future where all people regardless of race, class, gender, and age can live dignified lives in joy, hope, and love; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED in honor of her outstanding leadership and her commitment to equity throughout her years of service to the community and the City of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul City Council recognizes Friday, December 23rd, 2022, as Mai Chong Xiong Day in Saint Paul and wish her success as she takes on her role as Ramsey County Commissioner District 6 and in all of her future endeavors.