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DATELINE: St. Paul, Minnesota
The Midwest U.S. state of Minnesota is home to the largest Hmong community outside Asia. They originally came from Laos as refugees after the Vietnam War. At least half of Minnesota's 60,000 Hmong live in St. Paul, the state's capital and second-largest city. The only indoor Hmong shopping center in the area sells many items that remind the Hmong of home. VOA's Deborah Block has the story from St. Paul.
The International Market Place is a vibrant shopping center with a wide variety of goods and services, ranging from food to jewelry to a hair salon. Nou Vang owns the market along with her husband and operates a food booth. She says the shopping center is a place where Hmong people can enjoy themselves.
"They can make friends in here. They can meet friends in here. And that's why a lot of people come here and they can see a lot of business around here too. So they can get food. They can get...