A day of patriotic celebration and participation Citizenship event will honor local Hmong-Laotian residents as they become American citizens and help them with the democratic process By Monique Balas News-Chronicle Vaughn Vang knows how empowering the voting process can be. A Laotian Hmong, he became an American citizen in 1984. When he first voted in this country, he had some questions, such as, “Does the leader that I vote for know that I voted for him?” and, “Will he listen to me?” Vang now knows the only way for Hmongs to get their leaders to listen to them is if they vote and partake in the political process. That’s why Vang will be helping his fellow Hmongs to understand the American voting process and prepare for the April 1 general elections at a citizenship celebration and voter education seminar on Saturday at the Fort Howard Neighborhood Resource Center. “I encourage Hmong leaders and younger people to make sure everybody understands who we are and what we can contribute in the Hmong community. But we have to know how the system works,” he said. The League of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay is sponsoring the event, now in its second year, which will give area Hmong residents the chance to become Americans in the truest political sense. “We are going to celebrate the fact that they have become citizens and give them a certificate of recognition, then divide them into small groups and have them learn about the roles and responsibilities of the offices,” said Helen Schwartz of the League of Women Voters. “We can’t, of course, tell them who to vote for, but we can tell them a little bit about (the candidates),” she said. The participants at the seminar may register to vote if they have not done so already. Any new area Hmong or Laotian citizens — Schwartz estimated there are about 336 in the Green Bay area over the past two years — are invited to attend. Translators will be available to answer questions and provide information, and league members will disseminate voting information and materials. “They are not Hmong anymore; they are Americans now,” Vang said of the newly inducted American citizens. “They have to assimilate to the system. This is our country now, and the leaders are our leaders.”