From War Nightmares to Cosmic Power: Kou Thao on Hmong Resilience, Queerness & Collective Healing

From War Nightmares to Cosmic Power: Kou Thao on Hmong Resilience, Queerness & Collective Healing

💌 "I dedicate this letter to my younger self — to little Bruce, to little Kou —to remind you that we are worthy of love, dignity, and compassion." 🦋 ━━━━━━━━━━━ Welcome back to Letters Tou Mai Podcast — Season 2, Episode 2. ✨ I'm your host, Xai /Sai/ Yang — Hmong Mental Health Social Worker, storyteller,and the creator of a space where letters speak and stories heal. Today's guest stopped me in my tracks. Kou Thao — also known as Cosmic Kou —is a queer, indigenous Hmong writer, cosmic shaman, and one of the most courageous storytellers I've ever sat across from. In this episode, he writes a handwritten letter to his younger selves: Little Bruce and Little Kou. Wha tpours out of him will remind you why vulnerability is the bravest thing we can offer another human being. 🌟 ABOUT KOU THAO / COSMIC KOU: Kou Thao is a 2024 PEN America Emerging Voice Fellow, 2017 Aspen InstituteIdeas Festival Fellow, 2014 White House Champion of Change, and 2013 BushFoundation Fellow. He is a queer, indigenous Hmong writer and cosmic shaman whose work bridges ancestral wisdom, quantum healing, and radicalself-reclamation for the Hmong diaspora. 🎧 IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER: 🌾 Growing up Hmong American with no Hmong community around him🏚️ The crushing weight of his parents' "American Dream" expectations⛪ Surviving a conservative Hmong CMA church that told him God didn't love him 🍷 His abusive relationship with alcohol — and the moment he chose sobriety forever 🌈 Coming out as queer and Hmong — and finding SOY (Shades of Yellow), the world's FIRST Hmong LGBTQ+ organization 🕊️ Reclaiming queer Hmong ancestors who have ALWAYS existed 🌙 SUNDS (Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome) and how Hollywood whitewashed the Hmong story into Nightmare on Elm Street🌌 Launching Cosmic Kou — a healing practice rooted in quantum energy work, breathwork, and meditation 📚 His upcoming memoir — a love letter to the entire Hmong community 💬 NOTABLE QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: ✨ "Our body knows more than we think. Trust your body's wisdom." ✨ "Dark days are followed by the sun — shine your light bright." ✨ "Healing begins with embracing our collective grief and love for our ancestors." 🌐 CONNECT WITH KOU THAO / COSMIC KOU:🌍 Website: www.kouthao.com [http://www.kouthao.com]📸 Instagram: @cosmickou📘 Facebook: @thecosmickou🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/cosmickou📝 [http://linktr.ee/cosmickou📝] Substack: cosmickou.substack.com [http://cosmickou.substack.com]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ▶️ YouTube: @LettersTouMaiPodcast📸 Instagram: @letterstoumaipod📘 Facebook: @LettersTouMaiPodcast🦋 Bluesky: @letterstoumaipod.bsky.social [http://letterstoumaipod.bsky.social]🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1796963906 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1796963906] 🟢 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1796963906🟢] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7LMG435540e5TRk2DAsiHu [https://open.spotify.com/show/7LMG435540e5TRk2DAsiHu━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━]

S2E1 - 'Why My Dad Loves' [Short Film]: Behind the Scenes with Nkaujoua “NK” Xiong 2025 Hmong

S2E1 - 'Why My Dad Loves'  [Short Film]: Behind the Scenes with Nkaujoua “NK” Xiong _ December 2025 Hmong 🎙️🖋️ LETTERS TOU MAI PODCAST 🖌️ 🎙️ In this episode, Xai Yang interviews Nkaujoua “NK” Xiong about her journey as a Hmong filmmaker, her documentary 👨‍👧  'Why My Dad Loves,' and the importance of storytelling in connecting generations 🫂.  Nkaujoua Xiong shares her journey as a Hmong filmmaker 🎥.  The significance of storytelling in preserving cultural identity. ❤️  Insights into the making of 'Why My Dad Loves.' The role of vulnerability in connecting generations. Challenges faced by Hmong filmmakers in the industry. The impact of 🎞️ personal narratives on community building. #Hmongfilmmaker #NkaujouaXiong #storytelling,#culturalidentity #Hmongdocumentary  'PODCAST DESCRIPTION: In a world dominated by digital screens & instant gratification, there is an increasing divide in our human connections and difficulties expressing our vulnerabilities. Letters Tou Mai Podcast explores the tapestry of storytelling by transforming written [analog] letters in tou spoken words. Podcast Host, Xai /Sai/ interviews courageous guests as they dedicate their 💌 letters tou a loved one, showcasing vulnerability through their: -PAST EXPERIENCE    -PRESENT REALITIES -FUTURE ASPIRATIONS  -WISDOM-SHARING:  HOST (About me) Xai /Sai/ (He, Him, His) is a first-generation Hmong American man, social worker, and community/Union organizer with over 12 years of experience. Xai is passionate about building community through storytelling, self-expression, and the importance of affinity with their human counterpart.. Xai believes each generation builds upon the next and seeks to uplift the Next G3N (Generation). Xai is a child of Hmong refugees who came here from Laos and has lived in New York City for over 10 years. Xai enjoys biking and checking off his Wanderlust. 🕊️ (BKSY) | 🏙️ (FACEBOOK) | 📸(INSTAGRAM) |📻 (SPOTIFY) 📺 YOUTUBE: @LettersTouMaiPodcast

S1E6 - A Miss Hmong Teen Story: Grief, Body Positivity & Family Love

S1E6 - A Miss Hmong Teen Story: Grief, Body Positivity & Family Love 🔗 ⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/]https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠] 🎙️🖋️ LETTERS TOU MAI PODCAST 🖌️ 🎙️ “As Miss Hmong Wisconsin Teen 2025, my platform is to REDEFINE "Beauty" and emphasize what it truly means to accept and love yourself for who you truly are, flaws and all” -Lisa Yang - In this episode of Letters to My Podcast, host Xai /Sai/ interviews Lisa Yang, a second-generation Hmong American. Lisa shares her vulnerable story through a touching letter to her mother, exploring themes of grief, personal growth, self-love, body positivity, and the vital importance of family bonds within Hmong culture. Lisa reflects on her experiences with loss and the profound impact of her father's death, highlighting the powerful lessons learned from her mother's sacrifices. The conversation also touches on the challenges of blended families and the significance of kindness and support in navigating life's challenges. NOTABLE QUOTES "I wanted to dedicate this letter to my mom for her sacrifices." "Losing dad forced me to grow up quickly." "Success is earned and not given." "Kindness starts with us and it's contagious." "Life is too short, spend time with loved ones." "I need to talk to someone, I need to get help." "I wish I created a better bond with them." "I am proud that I was able to observe that" "Be true to yourself and pursue your passions" #vulnerability #storytelling #HmongCulture #grief #family #personalgrowth #letters #mentalhealth #community #identity #childhood #bodyimage #pageantry #aspirations #leadership #selflove #communityservice 'PODCAST DESCRIPTION: In a world dominated by digital screens & instant gratification, there is an increasing divide in our human connections and difficulties expressing our vulnerabilities. Letters Tou Mai Podcast explores the tapestry of storytelling by transforming written [analog] letters in tou spoken words. Podcast Host, Xai /Sai/ interviews courageous guests as they dedicate their letters tou a loved one showcasing vulnerability through their: PAST EXPERIENCE: PRESENT REALITIES: FUTURE ASPIRATIONS: WISDOM-SHARING: HOST (About me) Xai /Sai/ (He, Him, His) is a first-generation Hmong American man, social worker, and community/Union organizer with over 12 years of experience. Xai is passionate about building community through storytelling, self-expression, and the importance of affinity with their human counterpart.. Xai believes each generation builds upon the next and seeks to uplift the Next G3N (Generation). Xai is a child of Hmong refugees who came here from Laos and has lived in New York City for over 10 years. Xai enjoys biking and checking off his Wanderlust. 🔗 ⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/]https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠] 🕊️ (BKSY) | 🏙️ (FACEBOOK) | 📸(INSTAGRAM) |📻 (SPOTIFY) 📺 YOUTUBE: @LettersTouMaiPodcast

Bonus: The profound impact of grief and loss

S1E5 - Sharon | A Storytelling Journey: Hmong Culture, Grief & Community on Letters Tou Mai Podcast. Join Xai and Sharon for a heartfelt conversation exploring grief on this bonus episode. 🔗 ⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/]https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠] This conversation delves into the profound impact of grief and loss, as shared by Sharon, who experienced the deaths of close family members during the pandemic. The discussion explores the complexities of grief, the importance of acknowledging emotions, and the journey towards healing. Sharon emphasizes the need to make peace with grief, seek support, and find ways to cope with the emotional turmoil that follows loss. Through personal anecdotes and insights, the conversation highlights the significance of community and mental health support in navigating the challenges of grief. takeaways * Grief is a unique experience for everyone and can manifest in unexpected ways. * Making friends with grief can help in coping with loss. * Therapy and support systems are crucial in the healing process. * Grief can lead to feelings of anger and distrust, which need to be addressed. * Acknowledging the void left by loss is an important step in healing. * Your thoughts directly influence your emotions and overall well-being. * It's essential to allow space for both sadness and joy in life after loss. * Community support plays a vital role in coping with grief. * Grief is a lifelong journey that requires ongoing attention and care. * Expressing emotions and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Sharon "You have to make it work." "Your thoughts are your emotions." "I choose to no longer suffer in silence." 🔗 ⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/]https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠] 🕊️ (BKSY) | 🏙️ (FACEBOOK) | 📸(INSTAGRAM) |📻 (SPOTIFY)

S1E5 - Sharon | A Storytelling Journey: Hmong Culture, Grief & Community

🔗 ⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/]https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠] 🎙️🖋️ LETTERS TOU MAI PODCAST 🖌️ 🎙️ Listen to the latest touching episode of Letters Tou Mai Podcast featuring Sharon and writer/community organizer Sharon as they delve into the power of storytelling, exploring Hmong culture, cultural identity, and the profound importance of vulnerability in building strong community and navigating interracial relationships. This insightful conversation covers the complexities of grief and finding strength through shared experiences, offering valuable perspectives on personal growth, mental health, and the wisdom gained from life's journey, including healing through shared experiences and artistic expression. Tune in for encouragement and discover the significance of positivity. #PodcastLife #HmongCommunity #CulturalIdentityPodcast #VulnerabilityInRelationships #GriefSupport #PersonalDevelopment #StorytellingPodcast #Podcast #Storytelling #HmongCulture #Vulnerability #Community #CulturalIdentity #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth PODCAST DESCRIPTION: In a world dominated by digital screens & instant gratification, there is an increasing divide in our human connections and difficulties expressing our vulnerabilities. Letters Tou Mai Podcast explores the tapestry of storytelling by transforming written [analog] letters in tou spoken words. Podcast Host, Xai /Sai/ interviews courageous guests as they dedicate their letters tou a loved one showcasing vulnerability through their: PAST EXPERIENCE: PRESENT REALITIES: FUTURE ASPIRATIONS: WISDOM-SHARING: HOST (About me) Xai /Sai/ (He, Him, His) is a first-generation Hmong American man, social worker, and community/Union organizer with over 12 years of experience. Xai is passionate about building community through storytelling, self-expression, and the importance of affinity with their human counterpart.. Xai believes each generation builds upon the next and seeks to uplift the Next G3N (Generation). Xai is a child of Hmong refugees who came here from Laos and has lived in New York City for over 10 years. Xai enjoys biking and checking off his Wanderlust. 🔗 ⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/]https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠ [https://linkin.bio/letterstoumaipod/⁠⁠] 🕊️ (BKSY) | 🏙️ (FACEBOOK) | 📸(INSTAGRAM) |📻 (SPOTIFY) 📺 YOUTUBE: @LettersTouMaiPodcast