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WEBVTT THE FIRST HMONG MAYOR IN THE UNITED STATES. BY DAY, HE IS A JUVENILE HALL COUNSELOR WORKING WITH TROUBLED KIDS. >> EIGHT HOURS I DAY I COME IN AND WORK WITH KIDS WHO HAVE GOTTEN IN TROUBLE, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK. MIKE: BUT AT NIGHT, STEVE LY IS A COUNCILMAN IN ELK GROVE. AND NEXT MONTH, HE'LL BECOME THE FIRST HMONG MAYOR IN THE UNITED STATES, AN HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT THAT HE DOWNPLAYS. >> IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU CAME HERE 200 YEARS AGO OR TWO MONTHS AGO I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT WE AS AMERICANS BRING A STORY. MIKE: AND STEVE LY'S STORY IS AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. IT'S THE A STORY OF PEOPL ESCAPING PERSECUTION. THE HMONG WERE AMERICA'S ALLIES FIGHTING AGAINST THE COMMUNISTS IN THE SECRET WAR IN LAOS. LY'S FAMILY FLED THE REFUGEE CAMPS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA AND LANDED IN AMERICA. >> I HAPPEN TO BE OF HMONG DECENT, YES. 30 PLUS YEARS AGO I CAME HERE AS A REFUGEE AS A 4-YEAR-OLD. AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO ATTEND UC DAVIS. MIKE: AFTER COLLEGE HE BECAME ACTIVE IN THE HMONG COMMUNITY. BACK IN 2007, WHEN GENERAL VANG PAO, A HERO IN THE HMONG COMMUNITY WAS FALSELY ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO OVERTHROW TH COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT OF LAOS. STEVE LY SERVED AS A RALLY ORGANIZE THAT WAS THE BUT NOW LY SAYS HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE ELK GROVE IS PROPERLY COMPENSATED IF STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES APPROVE THE CONTROVERSIAL WILTON RANCHERIA RESORT AND CASINO. >> THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS NOT THAT OF BRINGING A CASINO IN. IT WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE CITY OF ELK GROVE GET THEIR FAIR SHARE IN THE EVENT THAT IT DID COME. MIKE: LY SAYS HE'S FOCUSED ON BRINGING NEW JOBS TO ELK GROVE. TO HELP RELIEVE SOME OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUES.

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The city of Elk Grove is making history with the election of the first Hmong mayor in the nation. Steve Ly was a refugee, who came to the United States as a child with no money and not knowing how to speak English. FAST FACT: -- New mayor is American success story-- Elk Grove has a population of 167,000 people-- Casino proposal hot button issue Now, Ly is an American success story and about to be sworn in as mayor on Dec. 14. By day, Ly is a juvenile hall counselor. “Eight hours a day, I come in and work with kids who have gotten in trouble,” he said. Ly said he is “trying to make sure that they stay on the right track.” But at night, Ly is an Elk Grove city councilman. Next month, he assumes his historic role -– but one that he is downplaying. “It doesn't matter whether you came here 200 years ago or two months ago,” Ly said. “I think what's important is that we -- as Americans -- bring a story.” Ly’s story is an important chapter in American history. It’s the story of people escaping persecution. The Hmong were America’s allies fighting against the Communists in the secret war in Laos. Ly’s family fled the refugee camps of Southeast Asia and landed in America. The Hmong people are an ethnic group with their own language and culture –- but without a country. Most of them hail from Laos, but they fled to the U.S. when the Communists took over and now Minnesota and California have the largest Hmong communities in the country. “I happen to be of Hmong decent, yes,” Ly said. “Thirty-plus years ago, I came here as a refugee as a 4-year-old. And I was very fortunate to take advantage of a free public education. And I was very fortunate to attend UC Davis.” After college, he became active in the Hmong community. Back in 2007, when General Vang Pao, a hero in the Hmong community was falsely accused of plotting to overthrow the Communist government of Laos, Ly served as a rally organizer. In the end, Pao was vindicated when the U.S. Attorney’s Office dropped all the charges against him. That was then. But now, Ly said he wants to make sure Elk Grove is properly compensated if state and federal authorities approve the controversial Wilton Rancheria Resort and Casino. “The jurisdiction of the city council is not that of bringing a casino in,” Ly said. “It was to make sure that the constituents of the city of Elk Grove get their fair share in the event that it did come.” Ly said he’s focused on bringing jobs to Elk Grove and to help ease traffic congestion. “The council has done a tremendous job this past year alone," Ly said. "We've identified and brought in about 6,000 jobs -- but there's still a lot of work to do." As Elk Grove Mayor-elect, Ly will make only $9,600 a year, which explains why he’ll continue to work two jobs. As one city hall insider told KCRA, “Being mayor is a full time job with part time pay.”