state medical assistance were run by Hmong in Minnesota. The Hmong were also more involved in political activities that 57 percent of the Hmong in Minnesota regarded themselves as Democrats, shown by a survey in 2008, and several Hmong people, including Madison P. Nguyen, former Hmong refugee women in Minnesota, had been elected political staffs in city offices. Income and poverty rates 2017 data collected by the US government found that Hmong Americans had a median household income of $48,000 compared to the American average of $53,600. The government estimated that 38% of Hmong Americans lived below the poverty line, compared to 16% of all Americans. The 2014 American Community Survey found that per capita income of Hmong Americans was $12,923, significantly lower than the American average of $25,825. When income is compared between US ethnic groups, Hmong Americans are the third lowest earning group. In a 2013, NPR discussion, sociologist Rosalind Chou stated that "when you break it down by specific ethnic groups, the Hmong, the Bangladeshi, they have poverty rates that rival the African-American poverty rate." Culture and politics There are many cultural, political, and social issues that are being debated among Hmong American communities. Topics include political participation, poverty, gang violence, race relations, and education. The Hmong community also retains many ties with the Hmong still in Indochina and remains active in regional politics. In the United States, the Hmong clan system continues to exist, but with less influence over younger generations. Politics and culture vary with the location of Hmong-American communities. The Twin Cities, St. Paul and Minneapolis, are progressive as the queer/LGBTQ+ culture and politics surrounding sexuality and gender are recognized at the local, regional, state, and national level. Sexuality Heterosexuality and heteronormativity are traditionally tied to the Hmong identity and its history but attitudes in Hmong Americans appear to be shifting. In the Hmong American community, non-traditional gender and sexual identities have gained increasing cultural, political, and social acceptance over time. In 2003, Shades of Yellow (SOY) began as a social support network in St. Paul, Minnesota for Hmong LGBTQ+, and then developed into a non-profit organization with an expanded focus on advocacy and education. After SOY closed in 2017, existing groups and new groups continued to provide support for Hmong LGBTQ+ people, such as the Hmong American Women's Association, Freedom, Inc., Cia Siab, Inc., and Hmong Queer Suab. In December 2015, the Sacramento