The Bookshelf: State Sen. Mee Moua

St. Paul, Minn. — Sen. Mee Moua, DFL-St. Paul, made history when she became the first elected Hmong-American legislator in the country in 2002.

In her interview with Cathy Wurzer, recorded last summer, Sen. Moua said books like "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint Exupery and "The Alchemist" by Paulo Cohelo have made a big impact on her life.

She also said she loves to read anthologies like "Making Waves: an Anthology of Writings by and About Asian American Women" and "Making Face, Making Soul/Haciendo Caras: Creative and Critical Perspectives by Women of Color."

Sen. Moua came to the United States as a Hmong refugee when she was nine years old, and she said that even though she never read books when she was young, stories were a big part of her childhood, particularly when she lived in a refugee camp in Thailand.