Family fled Laos 1988. Citizenship lets my family know we are settled here, grateful man says. 6:00 am, Apr. 20, 2021 ×
Yong Nhia Lor, left, stands with his wife, Judy Xiong, on their back deck in Winona, Thursday, April 15, 2021. Lor, a refugee from Laos who has lived in the United States since 1988, plans to apply for his U.S. citizenship this year. (Brian Todd/btodd@postbulletin.com)
EDITOR S NOTE: This is the first story in a series as the Post Bulletin follows the progress of Yong Nhia Lor as he works to become a U.S. citizen.
WINONA When Yong Nhia Lor arrived in the United States in 1988, he brought with him a small amount of money from his years as a soldier in Laos, and the six things that really mattered: his wife and then-five children.