Yahoo Movies Sunisa Lee's Olympic Gold Medal Sparks An Eruption Of Hmong Pride
Sunisa Lee won the women’s all-around gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday as a member of Team USA.
But the 18-year-old from Minnesota represented so much more.
She is thought to be the first Hmong American to win a gold medal.
The Hmong are an ethnic group from Vietnam, Laos and parts of China. Thousands immigrated to the United States after the Vietnam War, and Minnesota is home to the greatest concentration of Hmong in the country.
And now the Hmong are reveling in the amazing accomplishment of one of their own.
First, watch her family lose it.
She did it. @sunisalee_ is the queen of the women’s gymnastics all-around finals and her parents. OMG. Tears every where. 🥺 #Gold#TokyoOlympics#hmongpic.twitter.com/n2xM7VJOPq
— Gia Vang (@Gia_Vang) July 29, 2021
And check out the rest of Twitter celebrating, too.
Sunisa Lee has won GOLD for the United States of America gymnastics!
A Hmong American woman, the first ever in the Olympics. Our ancestors are dancing right now. pic.twitter.com/NFh697nYBy— Chenue Her (@ChenueHer) July 29, 2021
for @TIME, i wrote about suni lee and what it means for us to have a hmong american olympian https://t.co/WiCQaEQGG9
— angela vang (@angvaj) July 28, 2021
Congratulations @sunisalee_ winning the All-around Gold medal and #TeamUSA !! Making her country and hometown Hmong community proud 🤩🤩https://t.co/Naq5mcP9K4
— Evelyn Yang (@EvelynYang) July 29, 2021
She did it. @sunisalee_ just won 🥇 gold in the all around! I literally can’t stop crying! All the sacrifice a refugee family had to endure to put you on that podium and now the world has a chance to know who we are. So proud to be Hmong American today! 😭❤️💯🇺🇸#madebyrefugeespic.twitter.com/OhkmI1aiBF
— Tara Vang (@taravang) July 29, 2021
Sunisa Lee is the first Asian-American Olympic all-around champion...and first individual Asian-American Olympic champion in general! Making the Hmong community SO PROUD.
Lee is also the sixth U.S. Olympic all-around champion. The U.S. has won every all-around gold since 2004.— The Gymternet (@thegymterdotnet) July 29, 2021
The first Hmong-American Olympic gymnast is now the first Hmong-American Olympic Champion. Sunisa Lee - you are a trailblazer. One for the history books ❤
— Lily Evans (@LilyEvans2002) July 29, 2021
As the first Hmong-American on Team USA, gymnastics star Sunisa Lee is poised to carry both the hopes of the United States and a community that has not always felt a part of it.#19thReads via @TIME:https://t.co/gm2qTI1HJP
— 19thnews (@19thnews) July 29, 2021
.@sunisalee_ is the FIRST HMONG AMERICAN OLYMPIAN EVER, and now, the FIRST HMONG AMERICAN GOLD MEDALIST. This is huge. https://t.co/tYgjmcF4Nb
— Moriah Balingit (@ByMoriah) July 29, 2021
BIG THINGS!
CONGRATS to the Hmong populations around the world but especially in America! Way to go @sunisalee_ ! Women's Gymnastics stays crushing it! https://t.co/NmXZJPpjvc— Black guy fly (he/him) (@lojukwu) July 29, 2021
Minnesota is home to a vibrant Hmong community which has enriched the state in numerous ways. Sunisa Lee's latest accomplishment builds upon those contributions. We congratulate Sunisa and join in celebrating this historic moment. One of our greatest strengths is our diversity.
— ADL Midwest (@ADLMidwest) July 29, 2021
My hmong coworkers are hyped ! Love seeing their joy and how it makes them feel 🇺🇸🇺🇸
— Emilio (@CruzTheSequel) July 29, 2021
Our #Hmong and other refugee and immigrant brothers and sisters help make America (the United States, specifically) great! Congrats @SPPS_News grad @sunisalee_ ! https://t.co/99TS3F1uVh
— Grant Boulanger (@grantboulanger) July 29, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
