I first learned of the Iu Mien while I was trekking in the mountains of northern Thailand when I came upon Iu Mien villages in 1978. The Iu Mien or Yao originated from China. At one time they were probably a large independent kingdom, but seemed to have gotten dispersed due to war and persecution from a stronger kingdoms. They are found in many provinces in China as well as Thailand, Laos, Vietnam. Their traditonal religion is mainly an older form of Taoism from a certain period in history. I found the Iu Mien to be the most hospitable and friendly of all hill tribes I came across in the mountains of northern Thailand at least to me.

It was amazing to see the Iu Mien settling here in the bay area in 1980. I have been photographing this community since they arrived as refugees from Laos. It's great to see their progress as they assimilate and grow in the American society.

I would like to personally thank the many Iu Mien and their families whom I have known for over 25 years for making me a part of their community. Photographing the Iu Mien community is an ongoing personal project. I will be adding more images as time goes on.