About Us

The Lao Iu Mien Culture Association, Inc. (LIMCA) is a non-profit community organization, incorporated in March 1982. LIMCA’s mission is to preserve the culture heritage of the Iu Mien who came from the highland Lao tribal community, and to develop social and cultural programs to facilitate the Iu Mien integration into the economic and cultural life of the United States.

LIMCA has several programs operated by volunteer staff and officers who contribute their time and effort to build the agency and to maintain its mission to promote the Iu Mien tradition and culture. LIMCA officers raise fund from year to year to maintain our existing programs.

Our current programs and activities include:
  • Annual Lunar New Year and other special holiday celebrations
  • Annual King Pan’s Birthday Festival
  • Annual High School and College graduation celebration
  • Iu Mien Language & Cultural performances and activities
  • Supports and maintain the cultural practices of the Iu Mien Shamans/Priests
  • Iu Mien Scholarship Fund
  • Women’s leadership project
  • Information and referral services

In November 1996, LIMCA purchased a property at 485-105th Avenue in Oakland, California to establish an Iu Mien Cultural Center that will consist of a King Pan Temple (King Pan Buddha Light Palace) and a Community Center. The building will be used to operate program activities, meetings, weddings, ESL/Iu Mien language instruction, Elderly and Youth activities, Iu Mien library/museum, economic development, and a health care education center.
The LIMCA’s strategy:

The overall strategy was to re-connect to the cultural roots and adapt to the local environments.
  1. We organize families into districts based on kinship and social networks.
  2. We establish leadership formation rooted in Iu Mien history and adapted to a new society.
  3. We build cultural and spiritual spaces that bring people together in productive and meaningful ways.

Learn more about Lao Iu Mien

Download:1984 Refugee Reports: Lao Iu Mien

Watch The Video:Journey To The Core

Favorite Iu-Mien Sites

.