CITY OF FRESNO
Office of Councilmember Brandon Vang
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ JERRY P. DYER, Honorable Mayor NELSON ESPARZA, Council President
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ TYLER MAXWELL, Council Vice President ANNALISA PEREA, Councilmember, District 1
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ MIKE KARBASSI, Councilmember, District 2 MIGUEL ARIAS, Councilmember, District 3
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ BRANDON VANG, Councilmember, District 5 NICK RICHARDSON, Councilmember, District 6
WHEREAS, the City of Fresno is home to one of the largest Hmong communities in the United States, many of whom resettled in the Central Valley after surviving the aftermath of the United States’ withdrawal from Laos in 1975; and
WHEREAS, following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Laos, many Hmong civilians who had been allied with U.S. efforts were left without formal protection and faced displacement, violence, and uncertainty under the newly established communist government; and WHEREAS, the period known within the community as the Silent Suffering and Survival Era, from 1975 to 1988, represents a prolonged humanitarian crisis in which Hmong families endured food shortages, untreated illness, exposure, military violence, and constant movement through mountainous and jungle regions in search of safety; and WHEREAS, survival during this era depended on the courage and leadership of Unrecogni zed Humanitarian Responders, civilian protectors who guided families through dangerous terrain, helped secure food and water, and supported movement toward safety and passage across the Mekong River; and
WHEREAS, among these humanitarian responders were Strategic Aides, individuals who memorized escape routes, scouted ahead for danger, coordinated group movement, and helped safeguard elders, children, and families during one of the most difficult chapters in Hmong history; and WHEREAS, Dirksen Nhia Khue Moua, born June 15, 1959, in Nam Than, Laos, served as a Strategic Aide between 1983 and 1988, guiding hundreds of Hmong families through the jungles during the Silent Suffering and Survival Era and contributing directly to their survival and safe passage; and
WHEREAS, since resettling in Fresno in 1989, Mr. Moua has been a proud District 5 resident, small business owner, farmer, and respected elder whose courage, resilience, and lifelong contributions have strengthened the cultural and economic fabric of the Fresno community; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED, that we, Mayor Jerry P. Dyer and the Fresno City Council, do hereby proclaim June 25th, 2026, as:
“Dirksen Nhia Khue Moua Day”
In the City of Fresno
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and affixed the Great Seal of the City of Fresno, California, this Twenty-Fifth Day of June of the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Six.
Dirksen Nhia Khue Moua