Events

'American Me': Finding a 'Hmong comedian' in Minnesota is as rare as finding a Norwegian shaman. They don't exist and that's why after Carleton College, Tou Ger branded himself as such.  Storyteller, comedian, and rap artist, Tou Ger Bennett Xiong will take you on a journey of his life from the jungles of Laos, to the refugee camps of Thailand, to the public housing projects of America, and to the campus at Carleton. 

Tou Ger Xiong '96 was born in Laos in 1973. Since Tou’s father served with the CIA, his family had to flee Laos after the communist takeover in 1975. Tou’s family escaped across the border and sought refuge in a Thai refugee camp. After four years in the camp, Tou’s family immigrated to the United States as refugees of war. Tou’s childhood in America began in the public housing projects of St. Paul. In 1992, Xiong graduated valedictorian from Humboldt High School. He went on to receive a degree in political science from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. In 1996, Xiong created Project Respectism, an educational service project that uses comedy, storytelling, and hip hop to bridge cultures and generations. Since then, Project Respectism has evolved into a program that provides cultural entertainment and education for people of all professions and backgrounds. Tou has taken his message about respect to 45 states in the past 20 years. He has given over 1,600 presentations nationwide to audiences of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, sometimes reaching as many as 10,000 people in a week.

Tou’s work as a Hmong artist and activist has been featured on national television, radio, and newspaper. He has been quoted as 'one of the most influential Hmong in America today'. A documentary/rap video of Tou’s project titled, “Hmong Means Free,” is currently airing on public television. Tou also starred in “Portraits From the Cloth,” the first television movie about a Hmong family’s journey from war. He has received the National Alumni Hall of Fame Award from the United Neighborhood Centers of America; the Pride of St. Paul’s Spurgeon Award; the Hmong National Development IMPACT Award; the MN Governor’s Martin Luther King Award for his work in social justice; and the Ordway Theater’s Community Artist/Activist Award. In 2011 he performed in front of the celebrity judges on the TV show “America’s Got Talent”. In October 2016, Tou Ger received the Minnesota Non-Violence Leadership award. He recently acquired the title “Mr. Minnesota” because his wife, Andrea Bennett Xiong was the newly crowned Mrs. Minnesota United States 2016.