>> hi, my name is malia cohen and i'm the current elected representative of the san francisco board of supervisors representing district 10. i'm one of five girls raised by my parents in the southeastern

neighborhoods of san francisco. and i know the history of the difficult challenges that the southeast has faced as my family has faced them, too. however, what i see is what many residents see. neighborhoods that are unlike any other. contradict 10 is comprised of communities where people are familiar with each other, where families have lived for generations and where people look out for one another. i vividly remember being told by my grandmother and friend of my grandparents to work hard, get good grades, serve others and never forget where you come from. and to remember to help those coming up behind you. that's a large part of the reason i ran for district 10 supervisor four years ago, because i have a calling for public service. now, i'm proud to be a product of san francisco's public schools, a beneficiary of the public transportation system as well as the library system. this city made me and now it is my time to give back to the city and the institution that

has given me so much. now, in my first four years on the board of supervisors, i've been proud to deliver for all of the neighborhoods inside the southeastern sector. i've been a community organizer, a small business owner, and a former city employee. my work experience in each of these areas has afforded me the knowledge and skills to spearhead legislation, advocate for important issues, and interface with diverse communities to move forward the policies that have a positive impact on our southeastern neighborhood. the most pressing issues facing our city are housing affordability, jobs, living wages and, of course, public safety. these issues are disproportionately felt in our southeastern neighborhoods. and in my first term on the board of supervisors, i have focused on crafting and supporting legislation that delivers pragmatic and tangible solution to these problems. in my first term on the board of supervisors i delivered for district 10 and residents of san francisco by championing

the development of affordable housing for seniors and families, establishing a mediation program to ensure foreclosed victims have legal support, breaking ground on rebuilding public housing sites, opening new libraries and renovating parks, acquiring new properties for public open space in areas that lack adequate access to clean and safe parks. i've also spearhead landmark legislation to toughen regulations on guns and lethal ammunition to curb the violence. i've been tackling quality of life issues by toughening enforcement standards on blight and substandard housing, increasing the penalty for illegal dumping and reforming the city's regulations of scrap metal dealers. i've been busy creating and protecting local jobs and construction and the manufacturing industry and more importantly, securing funding to reduce domestic violence as well as increasing healthy food options and expanding language

access services so that all of our residents can have access to city services regardless of the language that they speak. i've been instrumental in supporting programs such a free muni for youth and fighting to secure more funds for transportation, fighting poorly planned development projects and sponsoring legislation that gives residents more say in neighborhood planning by establishing a neighborhood land use committee, additional neighborhood notification requirements. i've coauthored legislation that provide a fair chance at jobs and affordable housing for individuals with the conviction history. this removes barrier for those reentering in our communities who want to be productive. i've championed legislation to support pay equity and participated in education campaigns to encourage more employers to evaluate their own policies to ensure that they are paying employees fairly. and i spearhead the investment

of $50 million for pension fund to assist first time home buyer in our city. these issues that impact district 10 don't always generate front page news but they do make a real difference in the lives of residents in our city. and being an elected official isn't thinking about your next elected office, what it will be or how often you can get your name in the paper, but it's been about delivering for constituents that you serve and representing their interest above your own. and that is the approach that i bring to the san francisco board of supervisors. in my second term on the board of supervisors my priorities will be to continue to tackle housing, affordability, prioritizing the construction of new affordable housing units and fulfilling our commitment to rebuild public housing with a zero displacement policy, increasing public safety and bringing more living wage jobs to residents in district 10.

♪ ♪ >> hello, i'm tony kelly and i'm running for supervisor in district 10. i what born in st. louis hospital in the mission, lost my father and mother when i was a teenager and graduated from stanford on scholarship. i moved back to san francisco in 1989 to potrero hill in 1994, and since then i've been a small businessman living and working in district 10. now, district 10 has the city's biggest challenges, but also its greatest opportunities. we have vibrant diverse neighborhoods, yet the worst unemployment, infant mortality, and violent crime rates in the city. we have miles of beautiful waterfront, yet the worst management of open spaces, transit services, and public schools. we are part of one of the richest cities in the world yet city hall consistently cuts deals with big companies at the expense of our neighborhoods. we can and must do better. it's time for a change. and if there is going to be change at the board, if city

hall is going to start paying more attention to the needs of the neighborhoods, it's going to happen in district 10 this year on this campaign. i have been a neighborhood advocate for more than a decade. i've served on task forces and advisory board to the mayor, the port, and the board of supervisors. this is the job i've been trained to do and this is the job we need to do. that's why i'm running to be the district 10 supervisor. when we look at homicide statistics for the bayview precinct, it's clear things haven't gotten any better in the past four years. we can't wait any longer to stop this epidemic of unemployment, crime, incarceration. this tragic cycle is bigger than any one person, but if any one person must address it, it's the district 10 supervisor. my plan for safety in district 10 includes the following items. $10 million in emergency support for families and youth to prevent violent crime in district 10, a renewed

commitment to community policing and community service. and filling the board of supervisors vacant seat on the reentry council. now, there's no question that san francisco also has to do a better job building affordable housing. progress there starts with supervisors who are independent from luxury condo developers. that's why i am not seeking or accepting any contributions from developers, big real estate interests or ellis act evicters to my campaign. developers would rather pay money and they'd rather do anything than actually provide affordable housing units in their developments and the city has been very happy to accept that for years and years while telling us that we can't build 30% affordable housing in our city. if we can't do that for the 60, 70, 80% of us who need affordable housing, we are in deep trouble. the city's retirement fund is $19 billion, none of which is used to build housing in san francisco.

it's invested in wells fargo and bank of america so we're investing in foreclosures with that money, but we're not investing in affordable housing with that money. we need to do that. here are some of the points in my affordable housing plan. a minimum of one-third for low and mod rated income household. immediate construction of all hope sf sites for the city's worst public housing and low interest loan for small businesses and families. i have also developed in-depth plans to address unemployment, the achievement gap in our schools, transit inequity, and public health threats in district 10's neighborhoods. as you may know, a child born today in the bayview can expect to live about 14 years less than a child born on russian hill. some candidates run for office to be something and some run to do something. i'm running to do something. i'm not a trained career politician. i'm not trying to climb that ladder.

i'm not going to photo opportunities or try to decide which side of an issue is better for me. i have been a neighborhood advocate. that is my history, my values, and my commitment. that's why i'm committed to having office hours in the district every day of the year no appointment necessary. i am also commit today responding to every call or e-mail to my office within 24 hours. that's why i've been endorsed by former mayor agnes, supervisors avalos and campos, assemblyman ammiano, san francisco rising, the harvey milk democratic club, sierra club, potrero club, s.f. latino democratic club and neighborhood leaders throughout district 10 and san francisco. to learn more about me and my campaign, please visit my website, tony kelly 2014.com. thank you for your time and i would appreciate your vote this november. ♪ ♪

>> hi, i'm marlene tran, i'm running for supervisor in district 10. if you are a resident in our neighborhoods, you may recognize me sharing information with neighbors, attending neighborhood community meetings or translating for folks. this election marks a great opportunity for the people to elect a true grassroots leader and i'm ready to earn your vote. district 10 is the fastest growing district in san francisco with the most available land for potential housing developments and large capital investments such a the new candlestick park. we have diverse merchant corridors and thriving minority communities ranging from the asian pacific islander, african-american, and hispanic communities. in essence, we are a working class district fighting hard to gain a fair share of the resources in san francisco. and in contrast, we also have the highest rate of violent

crimes, unemployment, environmental and health issues. but a drastic rate of our city's homicides are committed within our district borders. this is alarming and this has to be addressed. with 25 years of grassroots advocacy and collaboration with community advocates, i am the community leader who will stand with you to bring together community outreach, minority groups and coalitions to take back our streets. enough is enough. we will work with local law enforcement and join in district wide public safety programs with language based efforts. therefore, i pledge to work with our law enforcement and all stakeholders to stay focused on fighting violent and petty crimes within our district, and that is just one of my five points of focus to improve quality of life issues in district 10. as an educator for over 35 years in the san francisco unified school district and city college of san francisco,

i understand the value of improving and impacting lives. i will be actively engaged with all stakeholders to make significant improvements in our low performing schools and support city college programs to benefit 80,000 san franciscans' education and community investment come hand in hand. ~ i will fight for neighborhood resource he to secure grants and build partnerships to encourage the frustrated workforce. from savings and day and evening teaching i became a small property owner in visitacion valley. however, given the he economic hardship i experienced in my teens, i fully understand the challenges low-income families face every day. therefore, i have been helping many of my former students and neighbors who are also renters about their housing rights. i am proud to be the only district 10 candidate to be endorsed by the san francisco

moderates and the first choice endorsement from the small property owners of san francisco. to help our businesses thrive, i will be actively engaged with them to offer resource he, referrals and other business needs. given the fact the district 10 will be tied to the future of san francisco, housing developments is important ~. it is imperative that every thoughtful and careful planning processes be considered. as the supervisor, i will work with developers to build responsibly with the approval of community groups and neighborhood consensus. gentrification is happening so we must start the dialogue before it's too late. continuing on my efforts to provide job opportunities, i will seek to expand location of training in construction, computer science, learning, food and service industries and the technology sectors. everyone deserves an

opportunity to be employed to support themselves and their families. i support building stronger transportation that work within district 10. our residents will lie heavily on muni so i will fight to aloe exciteving expanding serve is he. i will advocate alternative transportation through the dedication of increased bicycle lanes and shared lane bicycle markings. i will work towards securing better traffic signage, protecting pedestrians and support the walk san francisco. in closing, i have attended hundreds of meetings in our district and have the true support of a diverse constituency. i am the best candidate to unify all the neighborhoods and break the necessary grass root chains that district 10 needs to city hall as a supervisor. i'm marlene tran. i ask for your vote on november 4th. thank you. [music playing]

california's gold is produced in association with kcet, los angeles and is seen statewide on california public television. this series is endorsed by: >> whenever our nation wants a glimpse of the future, it looks to california, a place that's always embraced the new. as a company founded in california,

we at chevron believe the same. so today we're in our home state harnessing the sun, developing a new generation of fuels-- we've been here more than 125 years and we're looking ahead and seeing what's possible. this is the power of human energy, chevron. [music] >> it's quite impressive when you're driving on highway 99 through the san joaquin valley which is one of the richest agricultural areas in the world. you're surrounded by fields as far as the eye can see, growing all kind of produce from nuts to fruits to vegetables. but this adventure focuses on a whole new chapter of california's agricultural history. it's all very exotic and it's all happening right in the san joaquin valley around fresno and it's very much a part

of california's gold. richard, this is absolutely amazing. when you stand here early morning, this beautiful scenic view out in front of us and looking at what's happening here, where are we and why is this place that you have brought us so special and so wonderful here in california? >> well at first guess you would think that we're in laos. actually we're here in fresno county san joaquin valley of california, the number one county in california and the united sates and we're visiting a farm of an ethnic group called the hmong. >> the hmong? >> the hmong which-- >> they are from--? >> they're from laos which is right next to vietnam and thailand. >> and why are they here and why are they farming here? >> they're here because during the vietnam war, they were recruited as allies by the cia and they were referred to

as the "secret army." and as we all know when the u.s. pulled out of vietnam, had the hmong stayed in laos, they would have been persecuted, killed or jailed because the country was communist and still is communist. so, the united states has and other countries have allowed the hmong to come to their countries as refugees. so, they're here as refugees. >> and why here? why in fresno county? and why farming like this? >> well, in laos it's really interesting. they were either soldiers or they were farmers. and so when they come here, they're no longer going to be soldiers and the next thing they know are to be farmers and this all started back in about 1976, we started getting our first group of hmong farmers. >> and they came to this area of california? >> they came to this area because the climate is similar, the soil is similar, the land is less expensive. if they were on the coast, it would be very expensive.

if they were in minnesota, would be very cold. so, this is comparable to their country. it's a family farm. this is a true-- we talk about family farms in california. this is a true family farm where the kids, now they're in school during the school year but they do come back on weekends and they're out there helping mom and dad in the field. >> and here we go usa, right on the side of the melon here is our farmer, right over here. michael, you're also with the uc extension, agricultural extension. >> correct. >> what're we looking at here? first off, i need to meet this gentleman. who is this fellow? >> this is boua vue. >> nice to meet you, sir. >> nice to meet you too. >> now back at laos, what did you do back there? >> when i lived in laos country, i was a soldier. my leader is general vang pao >> you were a soldier. how old were you when you were a soldier? >> i was a soldier

when i was 10 years old. >> 10 years old? >> yes. >> and now you're here farming. and michael, there're a lot of things being grown here. what are we looking at right here? >> this is winter melon >> these are beautiful. >> and that's the opo >> the what? >> it's opo it's another like a squash type. >> wow! >> the young fruits are used for cooking, for eating but the fruits mature, they harden and used for water container. >> are these from laos? are these grown in laos? >> yes, everything here grown in laos. >> look at the size! are these ripe and ready to eat? >> yeah. ready to eat, eat it raw. it cools, it's okay, it's something. anything like we have-- is something-- like i had another customer that liked my product a lot. >> yeah. we like this kind of stuff!

>> it's taste, it doesn't have any taste like lot of water but when you cook, it's you know, soft. >> and what are you holding there? >> i'm holding a chinese eggplant. >> chinese egg plant! look at these. these are absolutely beautiful and he grows this all here. >> how much land does he have? >> twenty acres. >> right. >> twenty acres. and you grow the melons and again the name of the melons. >> it's winter melon. >> not watermelon! >> not watermelon, winter melon. >> winter melon. [laughter] >> we've some watermelon but, river down, maybe maybe--. >> so you grow american watermelon as well. >> i plant another kind maybe more than 100 type total. >> well, 100? >> yeah, more than a 100 variety of crops in here. >> right on this land? >> yes. >> this is bitter melon. it's bitter melon. >> wait a minute. what are these things? >> several variety of bitter melon. >> oh, look

>> these are called bitter melons and what do they, what do they taste like? >> it's sort of bitter. that's why it's called bitter melon. [laughs] >> what do they do with lemon grass? >> here, smell it. >> oh, it smells like citrus-- like lemon. >> yes. >> and what do they do with this? >> you can make lemon grass tea out of it and a lot of asians, they cut it, they brew, and just throw in your soup, stir fry, it makes the food, the flavor to taste better. >> see, you're right! i would've walked right by this but there it 1s. right down there. lemon grass. that's part of what they're growing here as well. >> okay. >> i'm letting you do all the work. >> yeah. [laughs] >> now, you've got your whole family over here. >> yeah, yeah. >> they help you a lot? >> yeah, they help me sometimes when they come back from school. so but right now they have no school. >> so, they're working

in the fields? >> yeah. they help me just in the morning or sometime when not so hot. >> when it heats up, the kids wimp out and you stay here. he's carrying the melon in. and we've got a whole little display. come over here, michael. and show us, tell u us what we've got set up here because this kind of shows the variety! >> very little of what he has. he has a 100 crops here and over here you have lemon grass, you have the hmong cucumber here. >> look at this. hmong cucumber. >> yes, hmong cucumber. >> and i'm just going down the line here. >> and down here is the winter melon. >> uh-huh. >> and here's the snake gourd. >> snake gourd. >> yes, snake gourd. >> so what's-- you don't eat it? >> everything here's you eat it. >> i got you. >> everything. [laughs] >> these are beans? >> yeah. the long beans. this is the white lighter color.

>> oh, my gosh! look at, what is this? oh, these are the bigger version of what we just saw, on the little green one. >> there're five or six variety. but they're different. >> these are the white ones. >> ya, we have the short ones too. >> look at this, and the green ones, you've got long ones, you've got the puffy ones. oh, these are-- >> the short ones, like that >> oh, wow! >> --still young. maybe even bigger, >> that's the big >> but they're like that-- >> and where does he sell these? what's the market for these? >> he goes to the farmer's market. a lot of farmers, they drive maybe three to four hours from here to l.a. or san francisco. >> have californians developed a palate, a liking for this kind of exotic fruit or vegetables? >> oh, yes, yes. it's all over the place. as farmers they can sell to local or to farmer's market but other farmer does sell to, you know, worldwide.

>> and so, these would go not only to farmer's markets all over california, but these could go all over the world. >> yes, yes. >> wow, look at this. boy, this makes a statement. a bitter melon grown right here in fresno. what are these? these are just-- >> the thai hot chili. >> oh, boy! how hot are these?. >> oh, very hot. you know. very, very hot. >> it's small but ooh! maybe you eat only one or two-- no more. >> that's it. >> yeah >> that's it. >> yeah. >> so when you see these at the farmer's market, remember they're very very hot. >> yeah, very very hot. they are number one in the world. >> this is one who is his uncle. >> so, he's got literally the whole family working and what're we looking at over here? these, these just looks like okra? >> yes. this is a regular okra, yes. >> so, this is traditional okra right here. >> right. if this is sprayed,

not spray like that, we can eat raw. you know, a little stay here. >> oh, can i have a piece? >> yeah. yeah. you can go ahead and try out. >> that's okra. >> okra, yes. >> i know okra. we eat okra. >> can michael translate for me a little bit. okay? [speaking foreign language] >> he said what the family use if you get stomach ache, get something aching in your stomach, you eat this and it cleans it. >> now, see, he spoke hmong because it's easier for him to speak hmong than it is english. the children all speak perfect english. >> oh, yes yes. exactly. >> you know, when we were

soldiers in laos country, too early, we had no school. we were living in a jungle fighting and fighting, you know, like that. we had not the time to learn. also, we had no education. just we come to live in united states and we used only farming only helping only, we had no other way to go. like, if they allowed higher education, we can go away in the office and get some money. >> but you speak very good english. >> oh, not too much. i learned english with my son, my daughter sometimes they come from school they talk and i listen to them. only like that, my school. >> i'm overwhelmed by the feeling i have walking through these fields. i don't feel like i'm in california. i know i'm in california but it has a different feel to it. doesn't it? >> it's the specialty crops, and it's the ethnic farming that we see here.

we don't have the mechazation on these small farms and a lot of that is because of the crops, because they do require multiple harvesting and you just can't mechanize it and lot of it is also due to the fact that they just can't afford to buy the machinery that would mechanically harvest a lot of these crops. >> and it's because i know that these are exotic crops that i feel like i'm in kind of an exotic setting here? >> in part, but i mean, you just you don't see this on the west side of fresno county. you only see this where we have the hmong and the laos farming where they trellis things up. we've got tall growing plants, we've got vining crops and it just makes it look tropical and jungle. we've got as we found out earlier 100 crops on this 20 acres. >> oh boy! she's working away. they start working in the fields young. don't they michael? >> yeah. >> she's got her hoe, she's going to town with it right there. and here are the others. and now what are we walking

through right here? >> these, looks like this is the yu choi. >> the yu choi? >> yes >> have we seen that yet? >> well, you know everything here is grown year around. so you have, you know, mustard greens, yu choi, bok choi, gailan >> is yu choi like green? >> it's a green, yes. >> and you're wearing a traditional-- this is the traditional headgear >> yes. >> can we take it off and take a look at it? >> sure, sure, sure. >> it's very interesting, look at this. there's a little head >> yeah, that holds your head and so you have the air circulate and that keep you cool >> wow! >> under the sun. >> now did you get this here in california? >> yes. we have this local, in local store here. >> so, there are enough hmongs in california now? >> yes. >> things like this can be bought in stores? >> yes, yes. and fresno county is the largest hmong population. they're the largest hmong

in the united states. >> how many? >> we have over 1,200 farmers here and over 800 are hmong farmers. >> wow! so, wait a minute. out of the 1,200 farmers in fresno county, 800 of them are hmong? >> are hmong--. the rest are myan, laotians, cambodians, vietnamese, thai, laos. >> wow. so you're saying there're 1,200 asian farmers. >> yes. >> in fresno county. >> yes, correct. >> and they cover laos, cambodia, vietnam? >> right. >> vietnam. these several groups from laos like the myans and the lua, the kamu, also from laos. >> oh, you really have to know your stuff. don't you? there're a lot of different-- >> yes, very diverse and fresno county is the most diverse and also now has been the leading number

in agriculture in the nation for several years or so. >> richard, did you have to learn all of this, when all of this started happening? >> my education in college was strictly with the traditional american vegetables. so, i had to learn about the unique southeast asian vegetables and the cultures when i came here and part of my previous training was peace corps. so i got some cross cultural training in peace corps. >> but you know what, you've learned not only about these new exotic asian vegetables and fruits, you've learned about the people and about the cultures of that part of the world as well. >> which makes it extra rewarding because to work with the hmong and the laos and the myan, and these other southeast asian farmers, very very nice, very very friendly, hard working, extremely hardworking as you can see out here. so, it's been a pleasure working with them and i've learned as i did in peace corps i learned by working with them. hopefully, i helped them as well but i'm learning equally.

>> so, we got the whole vue family-- give us a wave. they have been here since 1992 and are very much a part of the texture and the fabric right here in the san joaquin valley. they've taken a break for just a minute to say goodbye but as soon as we leave, they'll be back to work. right, mr. vue? >> absolutely! give us a wave. we've had a wonderful time visiting with you this morning and learning about what you grow. now, it gets even more interesting because richard, we have seen the smaller operations, the small family farm operations here. this is a huge operation. you've brought us to? >> to chertia farms which is the largest hmong farm in the united states. >> so, this is a big operation. >> this is a big operation. now, compared to the westside of fresno, it's not big but compared to all the other southeast asian farms,

this is very big. >> okay, and we just happen to have the guy who knows first hand. your name sir is? >> ping. >> okay and your father owns all of this. >> right. >> you're the second generation who's working here. >> pretty much. >> tell us what we've got here? how big is this thing and where do you send all of your products? >> well, their entire farm here consists of a little bit of over a 100 acres and we're growing different specialty crops like opo and moqua and here we've chinese eggplants. >> yeah. now we saw some of these eggplants earlier today, but i've never seen them on the vine like this. look at this. we saw some that are bigger than this. so these aren't quite ready to be picked at, are they? >> no. >> they'll be there how much longer? >> maybe about tomorrow or day after. >> oh, really! >> yeah. >> okay. and where do you ship all of this? >> most of these, we ship throughout california, but we do have markets

out in new york, ontario or vancouver all in canada. >> and is it mainly to the chinese community? to the asian community? or is it other cultures beginning to get into this kind of food as well? >> right. well, the majority of our buyers are chinese. however we do sell speciality crops to more ethnic groups or to even hmong customers out in minnesota and wisconsin. >> really, like this. >> right. >> and what about these? are these popular? >> yes, they actually quite are. they're more of a crop that's, it's more refreshing to the person to eat and you can actually stir fry these and they make a great additive to it. >> okay. so, could we just cut one off there and cut it open and eat it right now or does it need to be cooked and prepared in some kind of way-- this is all new to me. >> you can eat it right now, but, it doesn't get as much flavor if you were to cook it. >> now you were born here in california. >> yes.

right here in fresno. >> so, you're basically straddling two cultures in a way, aren't you? >> yes. >> how hard is that for you? >> it's a kind of horrible because i'm losing one while i'm picking one up. then, as i try to go back, i kind of, you know, forget. >> so you're saying you lose, you're losing your hmong >> yeah. >> heritage and because you're born and raised in fresno, so you're kind of-- do you speak hmong? >> i do, but i'm not as-- i'm as fluent in hmong as my relatives are fluent in english. [laughs] >> so what do you talk when you're at home? talking wi your mom and dad. >> i speak in hmong but sometimes i construct it in the english grammar and it sounds weird to them or awkward. >> yeah. >> now this is fascinating. right here in the middle of the bitter melon field, right behind this umbrella,

look what we've found, and ping this is very interesting. what are we looking at right now? >> well, these are our field workers and usually they, they like to have lunch out in the middle of the fields because it's lot more convenient than going to, like, house or, you know, driving back and forth. >> so, they're just eating right out here in the middle of the field and what're they having and this is fascinating because you said this is typical hmong food, the meal that they would be having. >> yeah, we have boiled pork with sour bamboo shoots and then they have the watermelon slush where they scoop watermelon in. it's more like a refreshment instead of having, you know, straight water. >> a watermelon slush. >> yeah. >> so they've got rice and what've they put inside the watermelon? >> watermelon's basically the watermelon itself just re-scoop it into itself to making all of the slush. >> but the rice has a liquid in it. >> that's just rice with water.

it's instead of having you know, like a cup most hmong people instead of using a cup they'll put just the rice in water. >> wow. you just showed up. i've been talking to your son, i've been talking to your family members. >> well, he probably will be their next generation. >> yes, absolutely. boy! you've quite an operation right here. >> well, it's not that much that i anticipated. i wanted to do more. >> really? >> yes. because this is the biggest farm, hmong farm in california. >> i would say so, and maybe the biggest hmong farm in the united states. >> wow. and what kind of challenges does that present to you, to run a farm this big? >> well, when we used to run a very small farm like a family farm, a couple of acres of plant and now it has become big and we have to know exactly when to put fertilizer, and when

to start and what kind of crop. >> it becomes more complicated, doesn't it? >> yes, very very complicated now. >> when you came here in 1980 from laos, did you have any idea at all what you were going to do, how you were going to, you know, support your family, what you were going to do for a living, what kind of opportunities this country might offer to you? >> well, i think i'm just like any typical hmong people. when we first came to this country, all we knew what we did was got to get away from laos to try to live one more day and so we did not anticipate what to do over here at all until we got over here and we looked around, we thought oh, all the skill that we brought with us was farming and let's put this skill to work. >> and how did you find the san joaquin valley and find that this is where

you'd choose to make your life? >> well, my family came to orange county and we heard that fresno is the best place to grow produce, and we said, "well, let's go up there and take a look." >> so, you came from laos to orange county to fresno. >> that's correct. [speaking foreign language] >> now, you are talking to them in hmong? >> yes, i'm talking in hmong. >> are they just recently here from laos? >> yeah, they are just recently here visiting me. >> visiting? >> yes. >> what do they do? come over, visit, and you put them to work? >> no, they come here. they wanted to test their skill and how we work over here so they can bring this knowledge and use back home. >> so they are citizens of laos? >> they are citizen of laos.

>> they've come over here to work on your farm outside of fresno and then they're going to go back to laos and take what they've learned with them. >> well, i couldn't say they work for me but they come here to, it's more like, get training. >> get training? >> yes. >> and they look like they're-- >> they're all farmers at home. >> they're farmers at home? >> yes, so they wanted to go into mass production. >> so, this is something very special for them to see a big operation like you have? >> yes. >> okay, we are ending up in a very traditional way. aren't we, michael? >> yes. this is the very typical hmong food we're going to have for lunch today. >> okay. now what is it we're having? >> we're having the hmong cucumber scoop. >> it looks kind of like slush. >> yes, it is. >> so, this is just from the -- you just scooped out the insides

of a cucumber and scooped it into here, add up a little water and how are we supposed to eat this? >> we're going to take a spoon >> aha >> and dip in it and--. >> and slurp. >> slurp. >> let's slurp. >> let's eat. >> hmhm! oh, it's nice and cold too! wow. this is such a perfect way to end a perfect day. >> yes. >> thank you, sir for this wonderful introduction for all of us. now, there are hmongs living all over california especially up in the sacramento and yuba city areas. >> yes. this is the heaviest concentration here in fresno. >> right. fresno county is the largest hmong concentration. yes. >> wow. this has been absolutely wonderful.

thank you-- we've got the whole family out here. thank you for making this up for us. you got the boys here, you got the family here. you've got friends and relatives out working in the fields to take their knowledge back to laos with them. life is good, isn't it? >> well, life is so much better than way back home. >> yeah. >> so, i would say life, we have excellent life here. >> yeah. >> it's a good opportunity for us to-- >> go and live the american dream. >> the american dream. boy. that's what we have seen today because not only have we learned about this new chapter in agricultural history, here in the san joaquin valley but we've learned about this new chapter of cultural and ethnic history here in california in the san joaquin valley as well. this wonderful story, this american success story right here outside of fresno, this success story

that is very much a part that is very much a part of california's gold. captioning performed by peoplesupport transcription and captioning what an interesting and inspirational story about the hmong farmers in the san joaquin valley. now if you'd like to go on this adventure again or donate a copy to your local school or library, it's available on video cassette and on dvd. all you have to do is call 1-800-266-5727 and we'll be glad to send it to you right away. funding for this program [with captioning] was provided by: additional funding is provided by: