Hundreds gather to mourn Minnesota Hmong comedian who was allegedly kidnapped and killed in Colombia

Sakshi Venkatraman
Updated ·2 min read
82

Hundreds of mourners gathered Saturday to say goodbye to Minnesota comedian and Hmong community activist Tou Ger Xiong, who was allegedly kidnapped and killed last month while on a trip to Colombia.

After visiting a friend in the city of Medellín, Xiong, 50, called his brother in the U.S. saying he’d been kidnapped and that his captors demanded $2,000 in ransom, according to accounts by prosecutors and Xiong's brother. His body was found in a wooded area on Dec. 11.

News of Xiong’s death shocked the St. Paul community, and tributes poured in from friends, loved ones and elected officials.

“He was one of the funniest and most sincere people I’ve ever met,” Mayor Melvin Carter said in a series of tweets. “His light enlivened everyone around him.”

In accordance with Hmong tradition, Xiong’s memorial will span three days, beginning with the ceremony Saturday and ending with his committal service Monday.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Feature on Tou Ger Xiong, who bills himself as being multicultural, multilingual, multicool. He's a diversity consultant, comedian, storyteller and rap artist. We're gonna see him in action during two programs at the St. Michael-Alb (Darlene Pfister / Star Tribune via Getty Images file)
GENERAL INFORMATION: Feature on Tou Ger Xiong, who bills himself as being multicultural, multilingual, multicool. He's a diversity consultant, comedian, storyteller and rap artist. We're gonna see him in action during two programs at the St. Michael-Alb (Darlene Pfister / Star Tribune via Getty Images file)

At the funeral, his brother Eh Xiong spoke to NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis about saying his final farewell. He described his brother as someone with deep love for his community and spirit that always drove him to fight for justice.

“It’s sad, my family is sad,” he said. “But we are glad that we can finally put closure to his life here and then move beyond this point.”

Funeralgoers said they’d remember him as someone who brought light and laughter to their lives.

“Everywhere he goes, he leaves a little thing that people will never forget about him,” a friend at the funeral said.

Xiong was born in Laos in 1973, and just two years later his family fled to Thailand as refugees, according to a 2020 Pioneer Press profile. After four years in a refugee camp, the family settled in St. Paul, where Xiong continued to spend his life advocating for the Hmong community.

In a statement after Xiong's death, former Minnesota state Sen. Mee Moua, who is also Hmong, spoke about how deep his impact had been.

​​“Today the Hmong diaspora around the world, whether in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, China, France, Australia, Canada, South America, and the United States of America, have lost a one of a kind modern day hero,” she said. “Tou: In a time when we needed belonging, your stories anchored our Hmong children in their roots. Your songs and your dance invited elders to embrace the new without fear of losing their cultural identity.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com