Poua of Del Norte on the Hmong Community, the Housing Market, and Motherhood
Since moving to Crescent City, Poua Vang has become a part of a vibrant Hmong community working towards bringing a meat processing plant to Del Norte. As a mother and an entrepreneur, she just doesn’t feel that it’s quite the right fit yet. She experiences first-hand how small-town sentimentality can get in the way of growth, but she sees a lot of opportunity for development.
Land of Enchantment
As a member of the Hmong Association, owner of a boba shop, full time business analyst, and mother, Poua is staying busy in Crescent City. It’s the surrounding beauty that really helps keep her grounded. “I can walk down the beach. I can go to the redwoods. I tell people, well, the redwoods are my backyard and the ocean is my front yard, so I'm right in between.”
Poua has been living in Crescent City for three years after moving from Madison, Wisconsin, where her family still lives. She’s connected with a local Hmong community to celebrate her culture with. “There is a small community here, and it's really wonderful because everybody just gets together and is very welcoming, and it just feels like home.”
“A lot of the farmers and the Hmong community are really feeling the lack of meat processing facilities.”
An Independent Tradition
As a member of the Crescent City Hmong Association, she is acquainted with the local Hmong population–both mono and bilingual, and the ways their traditions can make it difficult for them to access resources they may need.
“There's a lot of resources out there for them that they don't understand. They think that if they receive a resource, they have to give something back, and so it's kind of that give and take that they don't really understand too much. We are working with them and explaining to them so that they understand that this is really the land of opportunity, and we're able to help provide these services because there are these resources out there for them.”
(Agri)Cultural Needs
The Hmong Association is looking to empower the Hmong community and provide for Del Norte’s ranchers by opening a Hmong-owned meat processing facility. Since a recent closure in Humboldt, the closest facilities are four to six hours away, which makes it pricey for farmers to process their meats, and accounts for unnecessary carbon emissions with the transportation involved.
“A lot of the farmers and the Hmong community are really feeling it. And especially for the Hmong community, we are part of a religion where there's sacrifice of animals. Whether it be a pig, cow, or chicken, it's very hard to be able to slaughter it here, and get it butchered because there's no facility for it. That is why we are really kind of pushing for it and hoping that we get a lot of supporters and partnerships.”
“What my son is learning in first grade in Wisconsin is nothing compared to what the kids in second grade are learning here.”
Small Town Education
While Poua feels connected to the land and her community, she finds that it is a harder place to raise children. Having raised a child in Wisconsin and now in Crescent City, she sees a lack of opportunities for children and families in the area.
“What my son is learning in first grade in Wisconsin is nothing compared to what the kids in second grade are learning here. They're both one month apart, but my son in Wisconsin is in first grade, and our son here is in second grade. My son in Wisconsin is already learning about all the United States presidents, anatomy, and the solar system, whereas here they haven't even touched on it.”
Family-Friendly Development
Poua sees a lot of potential for Crescent City to expand beyond being a retirement town, to a place where families can thrive. She has noticed a lack of youth opportunities like camps and lessons, and has even had trouble finding swimming lessons for her kids so they can safely recreate at the rivers and beaches. She envisions more family-friendly community centers like a YMCA and a Boys and Girls Club where kids can learn new skills and attend camps and events, but feels that there is a pushback to change and development in the area due to small-town sentiments.
“It’s probably the number one complaint that we hear from everyone here – it's so hard to find a place, because Airbnb has taken over.”
Limited Housing Stock
The lack of development in the housing market is impacting families in and around Crescent City. With much of the stock being bought up as Airbnb and vacation homes, livable units have become sparse and expensive.
“It’s probably the number one complaint that we hear from everyone here – it's so hard to find a place, because Airbnb has taken over. I mean, this is a tourist town. I totally get it, it's beautiful. I feel like the very few apartments or condos that do get built here are either way too expensive or, people fill it up real fast. Right behind Walmart, there's a whole new development back there, but there's a huge waitlist already for it.”
Photos by Amy Kumler
“I truly would not raise my family here, unfortunately. I want those opportunities for my kids to be able to learn and grow and be able for them to think for themselves. And if they want to pursue something, they have that opportunity to pursue it.”
A Thriving Youth
As much as she loves living in Crescent City, lack of family activities and educational opportunities has Poua contemplating the idea of moving so her kids can thrive. “It feels like home, the nature is beautiful, and the community is great. But speaking from a mother’s and an entrepreneur’s perspective, Crescent City just does not have the growth that we really need for our family.”
