Hmong town idea dries up as visionary disappears

[Amara]

When Fresno investor Dang Vang went public with his plans to build a Hmong town business center in east-central Fresno, hundreds of people showed up for his announcement, and dozens eventually put down cash to reserve space for their booths.

One year later, Vang's business partners aren't sure where he is, and the project appears to be dead. Many in Fresno's Hmong community wonder what happened to the tens of thousands of dollars they put up.

Nelson Vang, former director of development for the company, said he hasn't spoken to Dang Vang, also known as David Vang, since September. Nelson Vang said he spent $3,600 of his own money to pay the design engineer, and his business partner said he had no money to reimburse him.
Peter Moua, a professional civil engineer who has his own side business, was the design engineer for the project. He said that money was for the cost of surveying the property. In addition, Moua said he spent roughly $6,000 in time and materials on plans for the project, for which he still has not been paid.

Nelson Vang, who is now executive director of United Hmong International – the organization that hosted one of the Hmong New Years celebrations in Fresno – said his business partner told him 80% of the 314 booths for rent in the center had been paid for, although he has no way to confirm if this is true.

Those who had paid for booths said the cost to rent one was $500, although some got discounts. Most said they paid in cash. Using those numbers, roughly $125,500 could have been collected by Dang Vang and his wife, Chong Yang. That would not include any other investments.
Many in the Fresno Hmong community were excited at the prospect of having a Hmong center, which could give an economic boost to a population that is often poor and uneducated. Many came to Fresno to find jobs as farmworkers.

Yer Lee, 50, was enthusiastic about the idea and paid $400 for a booth, but said she never heard anything about the project again.
"I need my money back," Lee said.

Sam Bliatout, who owns the Asian Village shopping center on King's Canyon Road near Willow Avenue, shared an office with Dang Vang and said he hasn't seen Vang in about a year. Friends, as well as people trying to deliver legal papers, have been looking for Vang, he said, but Bliatout does not know where he is.

Vang's company, Asian Development Company LLC, no longer is housed at the Asian Village but is still active according to the secretary of state's website.

The 20-acre property on Maple south of McKinley leased by the Hmong Town Company, for which Nelson Vang is listed as the agent, has been bought by an irrigation company.

Phone numbers associated with Dang Vang have been disconnected, and he no longer resides at his listed address. A search of the Fresno County Superior Court database did not reveal any lawsuits regarding him or his company.

Dang Vang was arrested in 2007 along with 11 others in connection with a plot to overthrow the Laotian government. He wrote a 19-page document detailing the plans for "Operation Popcorn," an apparent reference to POP, the acronym for Laos' Political Opposition Party. The majority of the case was thrown out in November.

Some Hmong people say Dang Vang is still in town. Nelson Vang said he heard Dang Vang and his wife may be living in an empty house.
Moua said some of the people who had rented booths called him asking what had happened, and he told them if they wanted to pursue legal action, he would go along with it.

But many people did not want to sue.

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, paid $600 for two booths – a discounted price – but she did not want to be named because she knows the couple well. She did not want to sue Dang Vang and his wife.
"I just feel like, let God handle that," she said.

Nelson Vang is not interested in suing either. His wife and Dang Vang's wife are sisters.

Moua said a lawsuit probably wouldn't go anywhere, regardless, because Dang Vang probably does not have the money to pay.

Nelson Vang said he still hopes to create a Hmong center, but he will not be working with his former business partner. He is currently negotiating details, he said, which he said he cannot disclose until they are finalized.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/07/25/2477349/hmong-town-idea-dries-up-as-visionary.html

[Reporter]

Conflicts. Conflicts. Conflicts.

[countthe$$$$]

I felt sorry for all the people who were giving Dang cash for "booths" that would never be opened.  This "hmong town" idea was doomed to fail from the start.  And to call him a "visionary" is an insult. 

[Gawmp]

So if Dang is involved with the plot to overthrow the LPDR government, would that mean that the money he collected was used for that?

[92hb_hb]

he's probably back in thailand/laos w/ his new young wife..  don't worry, he'll be back when the $$ dries up..

[i-tsis-k-u]

I tell ya'll. Never do business with Hmong People. 

[sammyxiong]

I really hate to admit this but this quote hits the bullseye!  

Actually, this quote is nothing but an illusion. People who believe in such nonsense are themselves hypocrites, for they obviously do business everyday, all the time, with their family members, their cousins, their aunts and uncles, their buddies...and themselves...a ll of whom are Hmong! Plus, all the non-Hmong folks in their daily lives do business with all of the above, all the time, regardless.

Now, it may be the case that our community should be extra cautious and better informed when doing business with certain folks with a checkered and controversial past (Hmong or not), but to generalized an entire people as such is not helpful. It actually perpetuates a dangerous stereotype about our people as a whole.

The truth is that there are many successful and legitimate Hmong entrepreneurs and business folks out there, not only in this country, but around the world.

[MTTYwjsiab]

Wow! Dang Vang may get rich quick by swallowing the weak of his own kind but the amount estimated he collected is not going to be lasted him long.  I hope someone will coordinate those who got ripped off to pursue this case to the district attorney office. Sure, he is a visionary of making rice paddy on the back of some Hmong back.  Mr. Vang is cutting his own route of becoming a successful business man.

[F-16]

Whoever trust Dang Vang must have been really stupid.  This guy used to be super rich back in the 90s but instead of using his money to promote the Fresno Hmong Community he spent his wealth on Hookers in Thailand and GVP to win Laos back.  Last I've heard his house got foreclosed and true he may be homeless.  Do not blame Hmong Entrepeners as a whole.  Nelson Vang and Peter Moua were not stupid yet they chose Dang because  they are related.  If they don't sue people like this the bad apples will never go away.

[MISS-HMONG-LORD]

Like in many, many, many, many (and I mean many  ) other hmong business doing before and yet to come...when the tough get's going, use family ties to get yourself out.  Because they think twice before reporting your to your clan leader or take you to court.

[sammyxiong]

SOrry if I hit a sensitive spot there sammo...I guess it's like the saying "never say never" when "never" was used in there.  I guess exchanging a tiolet paper roll from a distant cousin is doing business with Hmongs....hmmm ok yeah thats business.  

As an example is the above story but hey I'm the "hypocrite" so you should start a Hmong town business for I am sure you wouldn't cheat any of your borthers, sisters, aunts, uncles and especially me!  Business is booming for you cause Hmongs do business with Hmongs all the time so you have a win win situation.  

Correcting and clarifying what you and others said about the quote does not equate having "a sensitive spot."

There are shady business deals in every community, much more so in some for sure...and we as a Hmong community are no exception. The actions of a few bad businesses can certainly ruin the reputation of the whole, or at least give others, including consumers in our own community, some pause. But this does not mean everyone should get suckered into believing the false statement that we should never do business with Hmong people because of the action of a few.

Most businesses anywhere are started by individuals and their immediate families...and if that family happens to be Hmong, well there you have it, Hmong doing business with Hmong! This is no different than any business models out there. Have you heard of the Walton family? In fact, many of the things we buy and use everyday (an act of doing business with) are named after an individual or family! How many Hmong businesses have you frequented? What goods and services did you benefit from as a result of a Hmong business professional? Unless you live in an island somewhere all by yourself, you have contributed to the businesses of Hmong business folks, without doubt.

Yeah, it's ridiculous to say that Americans should stop doing business with other Americans because of people like Kenneth Lay or Bernie Madoff? Or that Jews should stop doing business with Jews because of, Madoff?

[kye]

Interesting!!!!

Those that do the crime should serve the time. We are letting too many of these -uckers getting away ripping off the community especially the hard working.

[sammyxiong]

Interesting!!!!

Those that do the crime should serve the time. We are letting too many of these -uckers getting away ripping off the community especially the hard working.

What's interesting is that many of these schemes and controversies have been able to persist for so long with impunity because of a pervasive atmosphere of tolerance by the so-called "Hmong leaders" for the past 30 years...partly because they themselves were involved in such schemes, and even some are actually the inventors of these schemes!

What's also interesting is that much of the controversies, whether they be political or business related, in our community consisted mostly of the internal squabbles and power struggles of those who continues to claim themselves as the "Hmong leaders" in our community.

What's most interesting though is the fact that these are the same folks who likes to preach about "freedom" and "democracy" and, "Hmong unity" the most!