Iu Mien Community Services (IMCS) was founded in 1994 by traditional Iu Mien community leaders' intent on developing a unified and systematic approach to preserving the Iu Mien culture and addressing the many problems besetting Sacramento's Iu Mien community. A non-literate Southeast Asian hill tribe, the Iu Mien started arriving in the U.S. in the late 1970s, victims of the Vietnam war. To address the community's many glaring needs, IMCS incorporated and achieved tax exempt status in 2001. Since its founding, it has compiled an impressive record of assistance to the Iu Mien community.
Its accomplishments to date include:
- Uniting the greater Sacramento Iu Mien community around the goals of preserving Iu Mien culture and systematically addressing community problems.
- Taking the lead in providing crisis intervention services, such as those needed after a 2008 bus crash that killed 11 individuals including those from the Iu Mien community, and four murders in Fall 2010.
Since 1999, we have partnered with the Sacramento City Unified School District, California State University Sacramento, and the University of California Davis to present the annual Iu Mien Student Conference (IMSC). Since then, this conference has been attended by approximately 7,000 Iu Mien students and prompted at least 80% Iu Mien students to complete high school and enroll in colleges and universities.
In 2003, the community hub opened its doors and provided service linkage, case management, interpretation and translation, and information and community referrals. Since then, it has provided these services to approximately 360 Iu Mien per year. We founded Healthy Village, a regular gathering of elderly Iu Mien community members. Since its inception, services expanded to include mental health education and resources, with an emphasis on delivering programs focused on reducing stigma in mental health, expansion and capacity building for culturally competent, wraparound access to resources and services for improving health equity.
In April 2013, we opened our new S.A.E. Mien Youth Club (Seek. Act. Embrace Mien Youth Club) which provides a safe environment in which Iu Mien youth can explore what it means to be Mien Americans.
In March 2020, due to COVID-19 and the Shelter-In-Place order, we adjusted our services and programs to comply as described below.
- Healthy Village Senior Group in-person bi-weekly gathering is replaced with a monthly food drive and mental health check-ins (via telephone) until further notice. Our staff and volunteers provide and delivery PPE, foods, and information resources to individuals and family households.
- ComMIENity Language Program transitioned to a weekly, online two-hour language lesson for members interested in learning the Mien language. The group meets twice a week on Mondays and Tuesday evenings via Zoom.
- S.A.E. Mien Youth Club presents weekly meetings on Fridays via zoom, Instagram live, and essentials and food are also delivered to youth and their families once a month.
- Annual Iu Mien Student Conference 21st anniversary scheduled for March 11, 2020, at Sac State was canceled. The planning committee are in discussion to resume the activity in 2021. Date, time, and position TBD.
- Annual Honoring our Journey was hosted online on October 31, 2020.
Beginning January 2021, IMCS overcome a rapid change in staff and board of directors. For the first time in IMCS history, our Executive Director and Board President are represented by Iu Mien women.
- Executive Director: Susan Saechao, previously the Operations Supervisor in 2020. She is our very first woman Executive Director.
- Board President: Ashlee Saelee, previously Vice President of the Board of Directors. She is the third woman Board President.
In addition, we have partnered up with SAVE (Sacramento Alliance for Vaccine Equity) to provide vaccinations in our community. We continue to facilitate our social programs through monthly food drive, mental health check-ins, and virtual activities through Zoom as well as, across our social media platforms.
In April 2022, IMCS resumed in person activities by hosting the first Iu Mien Cultural Festival with over 200 attendees along with 21st Iu Mien Student Conference.
In February 2023, we launched a Tai Chi class at Asian Resources, Inc on Monday's, to bring the community balance in mental and physical health and to bring strength and healing through the art of Tai Chi.
COVID-19 is still a battle we are trying to handle in our community. Thankful for our partnership with Health And Life Organization (HALO), we were able to host monthly COVID-19 vaccine clinics from January to May 2023.
In March 2023, George Sims Community Center started to host our Healthy Village Senior and SAE Mien Youth programs. The Healthy Village Seniors meet on Tuesday from 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM and our SAE Mien Youth Club meets on Fridays 5:00 PM - 7:00PM.
On April 29, 2024, the Iu Mien Student Conference will resume at Sac State.