Portland, Oregon – Cheng “Charlie” Saephan’s face lights up with joy as he proudly holds up a giant check with the staggering amount of $1.3 billion written on it. The 46-year-old immigrant from Laos is one of the lucky winners of the Powerball jackpot in Oregon, taking home a lump sum of $422 million after taxes. Along with his wife and a friend, Saephan’s life has been forever changed by this incredible stroke of luck. But his win has also brought attention to the Iu Mien people, an ethnic group with origins in China, who have faced many challenges and hardships before finding a new home in the United States.
“I am born in Laos, but I am not Laotian. I am Iu Mien,” Saephan proudly declared at the news conference held at the Oregon Lottery headquarters where his identity as one of the jackpot winners was revealed. This statement sheds light on the rich culture and unique history of the Iu Mien people, who have been through a lot before finding a new beginning in the U.S.
During the Vietnam War, the Iu Mien people were recruited by the CIA and U.S. military to assist in guerrilla warfare and provide intelligence and surveillance to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Many of them were subsistence farmers, living in poverty in Laos. When the war ended, and the Laotian civil war began, they were forced to flee their homes to avoid persecution from the new Communist government. They made a treacherous journey on foot through the jungle and crossed the Mekong River into Thailand, where they lived in refugee camps. It is estimated that more than 70% of the Iu Mien population in Laos left the country, and many of them ended up in the U.S.
Thousands of Iu Mien refugees were allowed to come to the U.S., with the first waves arriving in the late 1970s. Most settled along the West Coast, and today there are tens of thousands of Iu Mien people living in the country. While they have faced many challenges in adapting to Western life, including cultural and language barriers, as well as a lack of formal education, they have also brought with them their rich traditions of storytelling, basketry, embroidery, and jewelry-making.
The Iu Mien community in Portland and its suburbs is thriving, with a Buddhist temple, a Baptist church, active social organizations, and businesses and restaurants. Cayle Tern, president of the Iu Mien Association of Oregon, arrived in Portland with his family in 1980 when he was just three years old. Today, he is running for City Council. His family’s story is similar to many other Iu Mien refugees, with his father and uncle assisting American forces in Laos, and he was born as his mother fled to a refugee camp in Thailand.
Tern believes that Saephan’s Powerball win has brought attention to the Iu Mien community and their journey to the U.S. “For me, it’s more than just about the money. We’ve been here since the late ’70s, but very little is known of us. This attention that we’re getting – people are interested in what the community is, who we are, where we came from. That is equally special,” Tern shared while sitting in his uncle’s restaurant in Troutdale, a Portland suburb.
Saephan, who has lived in Portland for 30 years and worked as a machinist for an aerospace company, was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1987 before immigrating to the U.S. in 1994. He graduated from high school in 1996 and is grateful for the opportunities that his new home has provided him. However, his life has not been without its challenges, as he has been battling cancer for the past eight years. But with his Powerball win, he can now provide for his family and take care of his health.
“I will be able to provide for my family and my health,” Saephan said, adding that he plans to find a good doctor for himself. His win has not only changed his life, but it has also brought attention to the Iu Mien community and their resilience in the face of adversity.
The winning Powerball ticket was sold at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland in early April, ending a winless streak that had
