ST PAUL, Minn. — For Karry Moua and her husband Hauly, the story of starting over in a new country hits close to home.
It's why the Lake Elmo pair rents out their homes to refugees.
Different than typical landlords, Karry said she lowers rent or takes late payments if families cannot meet their dues on time. For three decades, she's owned multiple properties across the metro and has given back to countless families.
The Mouas came to the U.S. in 1980. Hauly, who had the rank of major general, had helped the CIA in government efforts to prevent the spread of communism during the Vietnam War era. In the aftermath, he fled from Laos to the U.S. to keep himself and his family safe.
"It [was] very cold. A lot of snow, and it’s a lot different from our country. But I knew we had to start a new life here no matter what," Karry said.
Nine years after they arrived in America, the pair bought their first home, a dream that Karry had built after years of moving from apartment to apartment. The couple described their years of going to night school and working multiple jobs, "day and night, day and night."
"We know it's a lot of difficult. That's why I say I don't want to pay rent forever," she said. "We pay, we rent, we never own. I wanted to purchase the property."
Now, Karry's family's first home is occupied by the Vang family, who came to the U.S. in November. The home is still decorated with the same curtains that Karry made by hand.
A Su Vang, a father of four, brought his family from Vietnam by way of Thailand. He said he was persecuted for his faith and sought safety abroad.
In Hmong, Vang said he feels happy that his family is now safe and comfortable in the United States. Karry, who translated Hmong to English, described Vang's biggest concerns that remain, including speaking a new language and taking care of his family.
Vang resettled in the Twin Cities through the refugee agency International Institute of Minnesota (IIMN). The organization finds houses and stocks them up with essentials for families before they arrive. It also runs a program that can cover up to six months of rent and helps refugees find jobs.
IIMN also helped the Mouas resettle in Minnesota more than 40 years ago.
To help families like the Vangs and Mouas, people can either donate directly or organize a donation drive for refugees. For more information, head to https://iimn.org/how-to-help/donate-goods/.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: