A life by happenstance ... or not
Vang interned at Madison’s West High School and was eventually brought on as a fulltime counselor. He would later work with the
Madison Metropolitan School District’s Equity and Diversity Department as an advocate for Southeast Asian families and then as a guidance
counselor at Toki Middle School. Vang then started searching for a side business.
"Orchid Home came up for sale,” Vang said. “I didn’t plan on being in business in that field, but I made an offer.”
Located in Verona at 1013 Gateway Path, Orchid Home is not your average assisted-living facility.
“It was designed as a residential facility,” Vang said. “On the outside, it is supposed to look like any other house in the neighborhood.”
Orchid Home, in fact, looks just like an average home and the seniors living there experience a much more homelike environment than in
larger facilities. Designed for only eight residents, each resident has their own room and bathroom but they share the common living spaces
like the kitchen, dining room and living room. While they don’t offer all of the services of some larger nursing homes and hospices, Orchid
Home does have 24-hour care from certified nursing assistants and other professionals who help with health needs and administer
medication. Meals are prepared for the older adults who eat together at one big table.
“The people who live there feel that this is their home,” Vang says.
Vang, who resigned from the school district, takes a very hands-on approach to running Orchid Home.
“I’m there everyday to interact with residents and their families,” he says. “I think it is very important to have a connection with everyone.”
While not at work, Vang is busy tending to his family that includes his wife, six children (ages two to 20), and his live-in parents.
Madison Metropolitan School District’s Equity and Diversity Department as an advocate for Southeast Asian families and then as a guidance
counselor at Toki Middle School. Vang then started searching for a side business.
"Orchid Home came up for sale,” Vang said. “I didn’t plan on being in business in that field, but I made an offer.”
Located in Verona at 1013 Gateway Path, Orchid Home is not your average assisted-living facility.
“It was designed as a residential facility,” Vang said. “On the outside, it is supposed to look like any other house in the neighborhood.”
Orchid Home, in fact, looks just like an average home and the seniors living there experience a much more homelike environment than in
larger facilities. Designed for only eight residents, each resident has their own room and bathroom but they share the common living spaces
like the kitchen, dining room and living room. While they don’t offer all of the services of some larger nursing homes and hospices, Orchid
Home does have 24-hour care from certified nursing assistants and other professionals who help with health needs and administer
medication. Meals are prepared for the older adults who eat together at one big table.
“The people who live there feel that this is their home,” Vang says.
Vang, who resigned from the school district, takes a very hands-on approach to running Orchid Home.
“I’m there everyday to interact with residents and their families,” he says. “I think it is very important to have a connection with everyone.”
While not at work, Vang is busy tending to his family that includes his wife, six children (ages two to 20), and his live-in parents.
By Laura Salinger
In some ways, former school counselor and business owner Lopao Vang has lived a life of
happenstance. After leaving Laos and gaining entry into the United States, Vang’s family lived in rural
North Carolina for a year until deciding to head out West to join Vang’s older sibling. They made a pit stop
in Milwaukee — to visit another sibling — and tired of traveling, decided to stay. This eventually led them
to St. Paul, Minn. where they met up with other Hmong families. Then again, after attending graduate
school at UW-Stout, Vang set out to return to Milwaukee and stumbled upon Madison on his way. He
never left. When looking for a new career path, Vang chanced upon the opportunity to own an assisted-
living facility. It wasn’t planned, but it is now his life’s work.
Despite some chance encounters, however, Vang has struggled hard to get to where he is today. Vang’
s life is at once familiar — he has faced challenges mirroring those faced by many other Southeast Asian
immigrants — yet, of course, it is also uniquely his.
Born in northern Laos in 1963, Vang grew up in a large family with his father, a teacher, and his
mother, a homemaker. Instability in the region forced the family to move to Laos’ capital, Vientiane, where
Vang’s father worked as a secretary for several offices. Life, as it was, was happy and full until 1975. It
was then that the communist Pathet Lao army would overtake the government and Vang’s life would turn
from comfortable to tumultuous. It all started with a late night visit.
“Two of my brothers were in the military,” Vang explained in a recent interview with Asian
Wisconzine. “They came in the night and told us we had to flee. We had to keep everything secret. We
packed everything we could carry.”
In some ways, former school counselor and business owner Lopao Vang has lived a life of
happenstance. After leaving Laos and gaining entry into the United States, Vang’s family lived in rural
North Carolina for a year until deciding to head out West to join Vang’s older sibling. They made a pit stop
in Milwaukee — to visit another sibling — and tired of traveling, decided to stay. This eventually led them
to St. Paul, Minn. where they met up with other Hmong families. Then again, after attending graduate
school at UW-Stout, Vang set out to return to Milwaukee and stumbled upon Madison on his way. He
never left. When looking for a new career path, Vang chanced upon the opportunity to own an assisted-
living facility. It wasn’t planned, but it is now his life’s work.
Despite some chance encounters, however, Vang has struggled hard to get to where he is today. Vang’
s life is at once familiar — he has faced challenges mirroring those faced by many other Southeast Asian
immigrants — yet, of course, it is also uniquely his.
Born in northern Laos in 1963, Vang grew up in a large family with his father, a teacher, and his
mother, a homemaker. Instability in the region forced the family to move to Laos’ capital, Vientiane, where
Vang’s father worked as a secretary for several offices. Life, as it was, was happy and full until 1975. It
was then that the communist Pathet Lao army would overtake the government and Vang’s life would turn
from comfortable to tumultuous. It all started with a late night visit.
“Two of my brothers were in the military,” Vang explained in a recent interview with Asian
Wisconzine. “They came in the night and told us we had to flee. We had to keep everything secret. We
packed everything we could carry.”
Lopao Vang owns an assisted
living home
living home
Only 12 years old, Vang set out with his parents and four of his siblings to make the
treacherous journey across the Mekong River into Thailand.
“We left everything behind; our house, our pets,” Vang said. “As kids, we didn’t really know
what was going on. It was confusing, it was scary. We had no idea where we were going and
what would happen once we crossed the river.”
But Vang did understand one thing very clearly; they had no choice but to leave. “If you stay,
you might die or be captured and jailed. Those were the risks.”
Vang and his family ended up in Nam Phong, Thailand at a military camp. He remembers dismal
facilities but a camp-life full of children and families.
“As kids, we had fun; playing ball and hide-and-seek at night,” Vang said. “But life was hard.
We lived in very small and cramped houses. There was not enough to eat.”
Vang’s family would eventually move to another camp and apply for entry into the United
States. “The options were for the family to go to France or to the United States. We didn’t know
anything about either country. Finally, my parents decided we would go to the United States. We
applied. Then after that, we waited.”
Vang’s family would eventually be sponsored by a Catholic church in North Carolina. Vang
remembers how drastically his life changed. Like so many Southeast Asian immigrants, barriers
of language and culture were heady and difficult. To make matters worse, Vang’s family was the
only Hmong family in town.
“We didn’t know where to go, we couldn’t drive, we couldn’t speak,” Vang recalled. “It took me
about a year to be able to communicate with classmates. It was very difficult.”
Even the little things, that most take for granted, were challenges; like finding milk to drink.
“In Laos, we don’t have milk,” Vang said. “What we drink is kind of like condensed milk. When I
tried milk in the United States, I expected it to be sweet and warm. It was cold milk with no
flavor. I almost threw up. Then I found chocolate milk and it became my favorite.”
treacherous journey across the Mekong River into Thailand.
“We left everything behind; our house, our pets,” Vang said. “As kids, we didn’t really know
what was going on. It was confusing, it was scary. We had no idea where we were going and
what would happen once we crossed the river.”
But Vang did understand one thing very clearly; they had no choice but to leave. “If you stay,
you might die or be captured and jailed. Those were the risks.”
Vang and his family ended up in Nam Phong, Thailand at a military camp. He remembers dismal
facilities but a camp-life full of children and families.
“As kids, we had fun; playing ball and hide-and-seek at night,” Vang said. “But life was hard.
We lived in very small and cramped houses. There was not enough to eat.”
Vang’s family would eventually move to another camp and apply for entry into the United
States. “The options were for the family to go to France or to the United States. We didn’t know
anything about either country. Finally, my parents decided we would go to the United States. We
applied. Then after that, we waited.”
Vang’s family would eventually be sponsored by a Catholic church in North Carolina. Vang
remembers how drastically his life changed. Like so many Southeast Asian immigrants, barriers
of language and culture were heady and difficult. To make matters worse, Vang’s family was the
only Hmong family in town.
“We didn’t know where to go, we couldn’t drive, we couldn’t speak,” Vang recalled. “It took me
about a year to be able to communicate with classmates. It was very difficult.”
Even the little things, that most take for granted, were challenges; like finding milk to drink.
“In Laos, we don’t have milk,” Vang said. “What we drink is kind of like condensed milk. When I
tried milk in the United States, I expected it to be sweet and warm. It was cold milk with no
flavor. I almost threw up. Then I found chocolate milk and it became my favorite.”
After living in North Carolina for a year, the family decided they would
head to Portland to live with Vang’s older sibling.
“The original plan was to go to Portland. We bought some tickets on
the Greyhound. We had stopped in Milwaukee for a day to visit my older
brother. The drive from North Carolina to Milwaukee was really hard.
Everything looked nice, so we decided to stay.”
They then moved to St. Paul, Minn. where Vang attended middle and
high school. Vang went on to attend the University of Minnesota where he
obtained an undergraduate degree in linguistics and anthropology. He later
received his master’s in counseling from UW-Stout.
“My intention then was to go to Milwaukee, but I ended up in Madison.”
head to Portland to live with Vang’s older sibling.
“The original plan was to go to Portland. We bought some tickets on
the Greyhound. We had stopped in Milwaukee for a day to visit my older
brother. The drive from North Carolina to Milwaukee was really hard.
Everything looked nice, so we decided to stay.”
They then moved to St. Paul, Minn. where Vang attended middle and
high school. Vang went on to attend the University of Minnesota where he
obtained an undergraduate degree in linguistics and anthropology. He later
received his master’s in counseling from UW-Stout.
“My intention then was to go to Milwaukee, but I ended up in Madison.”