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Meet the Woman Who Created an App to Save Her Endangered Language

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annie vang in red traditional hmong robes


Vang wearing a traditional Hmong hat, “xauv” necklace, and money belt with coins.

Courtesy Annie Vang

After the Vietnam War, Annie Vang’s parents escaped persecution in Laos and traversed the Mekong River in the dead of night to seek safety in Thailand. “My family had no choice but to flee or die,” she says.

Vang and her family are Hmong, an ethnic and cultural group who lost their land—and way of life—after siding with the U.S. in the fight against Communism. Like so many other Hmong people, Vang’s family resettled in a refugee camp before coming to the U.S. in the late ’70s. Growing up in Iowa, Vang remembers being bullied for having an accent and “looking different” than everyone else. “I was told to go back to my country every day,” she says. “I just wanted to be like everyone else and assimilate and forget about my Hmong roots.”

Yet as an adult, the 44-year-old is doing everything in her power to preserve her cultural history. For more than a decade, the app developer has been digitally documenting the Hmong language with HmongPhrases, an app she created to teach the Hmong language to English speakers. “It is critical we capture this, so that our language, legacy, and stories can live on,” she says.

annie vang passport photo

Annie’s refugee photo taken in 1978, right before her family came to the U.S.

Courtesy Annie Vang

The Hmong people—widely considered to be one of the country’s most marginalized Asian American groups—have been in the U.S. for almost 50 years. But until gymnast Sunisa Lee competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they rarely made headlines. After Lee won gold in the all-around competition, there was an uptick in interest surrounding the ethnic group, with Google reporting a spike in searches for the word “Hmong,” and the phrase,“Where are Hmong people from?”

The answer to that question is complicated. Hmong American chef Chef Yia Vang (who, like Vang, lived in a Thai refugee camp) recently told Teen Vogue that the word “Hmong” literally means, “we don’t have a land of our own.”

The Hmong people are primarily from Southeast Asia and remote areas in China. During the Vietnam War, Hmong child soldiers were recruited to fight in a CIA-sponsored operation known as the “secret war.” When the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam—essentially abandoning the ethnic group—more than 120,000 Hmongs became refugees in their own homelands, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Many fled to Thailand, and later to the U.S., where there are now at least 18 Hmong clans sprinkled across the country—the largest in Lee’s hometown of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

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While Vang doesn’t know Lee personally, she says the gymnast’s success has also put Hmong history back in the news. “A lot of people in America had never heard of Hmong before,” she says. “It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside to read articles detailing her journey… because we all think of each other as connected in one form or other.”

When Vang’s own family came to the U.S., they settled in Pella, a small town in Iowa southeast of Des Moines. Her father, Seng Fong, got a job as a welder, and her mother, Mang, stayed at home with Vang and and her five younger siblings. Nobody spoke English, so Vang taught herself by watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood on PBS. Then, she taught her family.

annie vang with her parents in a thai refugee camp

Annie with her father, Seng Fong, and her mother, Mang, in front of a church at the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand in 1976.

Courtesy Annie Vang

The Hmong have a long history of oral speech, but for centuries there was no written language, apart from imagery that appeared on traditional tapestries Vang translates in Hmong as “paaj ntaub.” That changed in the 1950s when William Smalley, an American linguist, reportedly set out to help Hmong people in Laos develop a permanent writing system, which is now used all over the world.

Vang says that because many Hmong people did not learn to read or write in their own language before coming to the U.S., her native Hmong dialect is in danger of disappearing. “A lot of our rich cultural history and stories are lost, because they were not written down or recorded,” she says. “We as a Hmong people have lost so much in our journey searching for freedom.”

The best way to ensure it isn’t forgotten, she came to realize, was to digitally document the language—and encourage younger people to learn to speak it too.

“My goal is to leave a digital footprint of our Hmong language for future generations.”

After some of Vang’s friends asked her how to say basic phrases like “hello” and “goodbye” in Hmong, she decided to create a Hmong-English language app. “There were no online resources for Hmong audio phrases, so I decided to write a list of commonly used phrases and recorded all the audio content myself,” she says.

In 2011, those recordings became the first iteration of HmongPhrases, an app that allows users to search for a phrase in Hmong, play a sound of how to pronounce that phrase, and then practice saying it out loud. “My goal is to leave a digital footprint of our Hmong language for future generations,” Vang says.

annie and her sister song in pink robes and pink beaded hats

Annie (left) with her sister, Song, in traditional Hmong clothing at a Hmong New Year’s celebration in Fresno, California, in 1993.

Courtesy Annie Vang

Since then, HmongPhrases has been downloaded more than 2,000 times. Last January, Vang re-recorded all new audio content, and added new features to the app, which caters to students, teachers, and non-native speakers so that they can have conversations with their Hmong friends. She has uploaded 3,000 translations and created flashcards to help users memorize phrases.

In July, Vang attended Apple’s Entrepreneur Camp, an immersive lab that offers female entrepreneurs guidance on their apps and mentorship from top tech experts, to further develop the app.

By adding more words to HmongPhrases, Vang hopes to ultimately save a language that has traditionally only been spoken within tight-knit communities. “Our language bridges the gaps of communication from the young and the old, so that we can communicate and share stories,” she says.

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Jennifer Lopez Joined Ben Affleck In L.A. With Kids For Thanksgiving

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Jennifer Lopez Joined Ben Affleck In L.A. With Kids For Thanksgiving


On Wednesday night, Jennifer Lopez arrived in Los Angeles with her 13-year-old twins Max and Emme. The family was likely there to join Lopez’s boyfriend, Ben Affleck, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Lopez recently returned from the much colder climate of British Columbia, Canada, where she was filming her latest project, The Mother.

J. Lo touched down in her private jet wearing a teddy fur coat from Coach’s Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, and a pair of Ugg boots. Classic airplane outfit, celebrity style. Lopez and Affleck originally dated in 2002 and broke up in 2004. Their romance was rekindled earlier this year, soon after Lopez ended her relationship with baseball player Alex Rodriguez. The new couple went official in July, while celebrating Lopez’s 52nd birthday abroad.

Affleck’s most recent relationship with Ana de Armas ended in January after about a year together. He had divorced ex-wife Jennifer Garner in 2015 after being married for almost a decade. Garner and Affleck had three daughters, Violet, Seraphina, and Sam.

Before traveling back to the U.S., Lopez posted a story to Instagram Reels about how grateful she was to be headed home.

“Hey everybody, it’s my last day here shooting on The Mother out in Smithers in the snow, it’s been beautiful, but tonight I’m on my way home,” she said, as she walked through the wild landscape in a black coat and beanie.

“I’m so excited for Thanksgiving! I hope everybody has an amazing weekend with their families and their loved ones, there’s so much to be grateful for this year. I’m on my way!”

This is the first major holiday of the year since Lopez and Affleck reunited, so it’s likely to be a big one for both families.

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Everlane’s Black Friday Sale is Packed With Winter Essentials

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This is not a drill: Everlane just kicked off its Black Friday sale. Now through Monday, November 29, the direct-to-consumer brand is offering 20 to 40% off its cozy sweaters, minimalist activewear, and popular jeans. If you’re not super familiar with Everlane, let me spell it out for you: this is a big deal.

The e-tailer might be known for making sustainable, ethically made clothes and accessories at a fair, affordable price, but Everlane rarely has sales beyond its Choose What You Pay section. So, if you want to stock up on cute basics for less, now’s your time to shop.

And, in true Everlane fashion, the brand is taking this opportunity to give back. Everlane is partnering with Rodale Institute and help U.S. farmers transition their farmland to regenerative organic—and donating $15 per order to the cause. A great sale that gives back? I’m sold.

But, hurry! These deals are going to sell out fast, so you won’t want to waste any time filling your e-cart.

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1

The Cloud Turtleneck

$150 $105 (30% off)

Sweater weather is officially here, so why not pick up a few fresh layers? This turtleneck is the S’s: snuggly, stylish, and on sale. 

2

The Authentic Stretch High-Rise Skinny Jeans

everlane

$78 $58 (25% off)

Looking for a great pair of jeans, minus the markup? Everlane’s classic skinny style is not only super stretchy, but it’ll look good with everything from chunky sweaters to silky blouses.

3

The ReNew Teddy Slippers

everlane

$65 $39 (40% off)

Why limit the shearling trend to the upper half of your body? These plush slippers will give even your most worn-in sweats a stylish edge.

4

The Chunky Cardigan

everlane

$110 $77 (30% off)

Sure, this may not be the cardigan Taylor Swift was talking about. But, with an exaggerated collar and ribbed finish, this style would definitely score top marks from the singer herself. 

5

The Canvas Utility Boots

everlane

$115 $59 (40% off)

Brave the cold weather in style with Everlane’s chic boots. The canvas uppers and thick sole make these an ideal, all-weather option.

6

The Lofty-Knit Henley

everlane

$150 $105 (30% off)

Made with a nubby blend of merino wool, alpaca, and recycled nylon, this henley is perfect for a cozy night in, yet stylish enough to wear in public.

7

The Perform Bike Shorts

everlane

$45 $22 (51% off)

No, you can never have too many stretchy pants. Everlane’s bike shorts ooze major Lady Di vibes — for under $25, no less.

8

The ReLeather Court Sneakers

everlane

$110 $66 (40% off)

Made with recycled leather, these refresh sneakers will serve up major curb appeal — and Mother Nature’s seal of approval. 

9

The Field Dress

everlane

$100 $60 (40% off)

Found: a fun, flouncy frock you can wear year-round. For a wintry take, pair with opaque tights and your favorite chunky boots.

10

The Cozy-Stretch Wide-Leg Sweatpants

everlane

$150 $75 (50% off)

With a straight-legged silhouette and wool material, it’s safe to say these are the chicest sweatpants we’ve ever seen. To sweeten an already enticing offer, this pair is half off.

11

The Organic Cotton Flannel Popover

$80 $56 (30% off)

Everlane reimagined the traditional flannel with a cropped silhouette, voluminous sleeves, and a slew of minimalist colors.

12

The Studio Bag

everlane

$275 $192 (30% off)

Large enough to fit all your essentials, but not too big that it’ll weigh you down, Everlane’s Studio Bag is the perfect everyday purse.

13

The ReNew Long Liner

everlane

$158 $118 (25% off)

House Stark was right: winter really is coming. Made with recycled materials, this liner is a great layering piece that’s considerably chicer than the yesteryear’s Michelin Man-worthy parkas.

14

The Felted Merino Beanie

everlane

$50 $30 (40% off)

All set on clothes? Pick up this cheery beanie, which is 40% off its original price.

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29 Winter Fragrances That Exude Main Character Energy

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29 Winter Fragrances That Exude Main Character Energy



29 Winter Fragrances That Exude Main Character Energy

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