A massive Powerball win draws attention to a little-known immigrant culture in the US

SALEM, Ore. -- Cheng “Charlie” Saephan wore a wide grin and a agleam bluish sash emblazoned with the words “Iu-Mien USA” arsenic helium hoisted an oversized cheque for $1.3 cardinal supra his head.

The 46-year-old immigrant's luck successful winning an tremendous Powerball jackpot successful Oregon earlier this period — a lump sum outgo of $422 cardinal aft taxes, which helium and his woman volition divided with a person — has changed his life. It besides raised consciousness astir Iu Mien people, a southeast Asian taste radical with origins successful China, galore of whose members fled from Laos to Thailand and past settled successful the U.S. pursuing the Vietnam War.

“I americium calved successful Laos, but I americium not Laotian,” Saephan told a quality league Monday astatine Oregon Lottery headquarters, wherever his individuality arsenic 1 of the jackpot's winners was revealed. “I americium Iu Mien.”

During the Vietnam War, the CIA and U.S. subject recruited Iu Mien successful neighboring Laos, galore of them subsistence farmers, to prosecute successful guerrilla warfare and to supply quality and surveillance to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail that the North Vietnamese utilized to nonstop troops and weapons done Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam.

After the struggle arsenic good arsenic the Laotian civilian war, erstwhile the U.S.-backed authorities of Laos fell successful 1975, they fled by the thousands to debar reprisals from the caller Communist government, escaping by ft done the jungle and past crossed the Mekong River into Thailand, according to a past posted connected the website of Iu Mien Community Services successful Sacramento, California. More than 70% of the Iu Mien colonisation successful Laos near and galore coiled up successful exile camps successful Thailand.

Thousands of the refugees were allowed to travel to the U.S., with the archetypal waves arriving successful the precocious 1970s and astir settling on the West Coast. The civilization had affluent traditions of storytelling, basketry, embroidery and jewelry-making, but galore initially had trouble adjusting to Western beingness owed to taste and connection differences arsenic good arsenic a deficiency of ceremonial education.

There are present tens of thousands of Iu Mien — pronounced “yoo MEE’-en” — successful the U.S., with galore attending universities oregon starting businesses. Many person converted to Christianity from accepted animist religions. There is simply a sizeable Iu Mien assemblage successful Portland and its suburbs, with a Buddhist temple and Baptist church, progressive societal organization, and businesses and restaurants.

Cayle Tern, president of the Iu Mien Association of Oregon, arrived successful Portland with his household successful 1980, erstwhile helium was 3 years old. He is present moving for City Council. Saephan's Powerball triumph is important for different Iu Mien, helium said.

“It means truthful overmuch due to the fact that each of america came with truthful little," Tern said. "I instrumentality pridefulness successful seeing our members of the assemblage beforehand and flourish, and I conscionable consciousness truthful bully for him.”

Saephan, 46, said helium was calved successful Laos and moved to Thailand successful 1987, earlier immigrating to the U.S. successful 1994. He graduated from precocious schoolhouse successful 1996 and has lived successful Portland for 30 years. He worked arsenic a machinist for an aerospace company.

He said Monday that helium has had crab for 8 years and had his latest chemotherapy attraction past week.

“I volition beryllium capable to supply for my household and my health,” helium said, adding that he’d “find a bully doc for myself.”

Saephan, who has 2 young children, said that arsenic a crab patient, helium wondered, “How americium I going to person clip to walk each of this money? How agelong volition I live?”

He said helium and his 37-year-old wife, Duanpen, are taking fractional the money, and the remainder is going to a friend, Laiza Chao, 55, of the Portland suburb of Milwaukie. Chao had chipped successful $100 to bargain a batch of tickets with them.

Chao, was connected her mode to enactment erstwhile Saephan called her with the news: “You don’t person to spell anymore,” helium said.

In the weeks starring up to the drawing, helium wrote retired numbers for the crippled connected a portion of insubstantial and slept with it nether his pillow, helium said. He prayed that helium would win, saying, “I request immoderate assistance — I don’t privation to dice yet unless I person done thing for my household first.”

The winning Powerball summons was sold successful aboriginal April astatine a Plaid Pantry convenience store successful Portland, ending a winless streak that had stretched much than 3 months. The Oregon Lottery said it had to spell done a information and vetting process earlier announcing the individuality of the idiosyncratic who came guardant to assertion the prize.

Under Oregon law, with fewer exceptions, lottery players cannot stay anonymous. Winners person a twelvemonth to assertion the apical prize.

The jackpot had a currency worth of $621 cardinal earlier taxes if the victor chose to instrumentality a lump sum alternatively than an annuity paid implicit 30 years, with an contiguous payout followed by 29 yearly installments. The prize is taxable to national taxes and authorities taxes successful Oregon.

The $1.3 cardinal prize is the 4th largest Powerball jackpot successful history, and the eighth largest among U.S. jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery.

The biggest U.S. lottery jackpot won was $2.04 cardinal successful California successful 2022.

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Johnson reported from Seattle.