Bridging culture and language barriers, new cultural broker is champion for the Karen community
Lah Pwee recently joined M Health Fairview as our newest cultural broker, helping people in the Karen community in Minnesota navigate healthcare and other services. Lah, a refugee from Thailand, came to the United States in 2008. From a young age, Lah knew that she wanted to make a difference in her community.
“I lived in a refugee camp for 11 years before we moved to Minnesota,” said Lah. “When I first arrived here with my mom, we struggled with food and bills and needed help navigating systems. It was a lot and I always told myself that when I grow up, I want to support my community.”
Cultural brokers — people who understand health and healing from their community’s perspective as well as that of mainstream culture — work with the communities they represent. By developing trusting relationships with those they serve, cultural brokers help families navigate healthcare and other complex systems while building their self-advocacy skills.
“I do a lot of advocating for community members and help fill gaps so they can meet their needs," said Lah.
Assistance may include helping a client complete a form for food assistance, call for car insurance quotes, or schedule a mental health care appointment. Positions are funded by philanthropy and part of M Health Fairview, but the brokers spend most of their time at trusted host locations in the communities they represent.
“Our cultural brokers speak the same language of those they are assisting and often have shared life experiences,” said Keith Allen, the director of community health programs with M Health Fairview. “Being in community helps the cultural brokers build lasting connections with those they serve,” said Allen.
Lah is hosted at Karen Organization of Minnesota, where she worked previously as a manager of the youth and family coaching program. There, she joins long-time cultural broker Lwepaw Kacher. Lah can also be found a couple days each week meeting with families at Prodeo Academy and Sejong Academy, both charter schools located in St. Paul.
Lah shared that most Karen families do not know English when they come to the United States, and they do not have a support system. Language, social connection, and transportation are huge barriers to accessing healthcare and other social supports. For example, Lah worked with a client who had their food stamps card turned off but didn’t know why.
“I helped the client go onto the website and found out the issue,” Lah said. “It was an easy fix, but often small issues become large ones when someone is struggling to navigate unfamiliar systems.”
Growing up in a household with parents who didn’t receive an education, Lah is passionate about sharing the importance of education with students and their families. She believes it’s important way for community members to learn about the possibilities available to them and better navigate systems.
Lah is currently in school to achieve her master’s degree in social work, she has a love of learning.
“My friends tell me that I’m smart because I know so many things,” said Lah. “The truth is that I’m always learning, and now I get to help people at the same time.”
Our organization partners with local organizations to support the cultural brokers, including Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), Hmong American Partnership, American Indian Family Center, Family Values for Life, and Karen Organization of Minnesota.
Our cultural brokers are one of the ways our health system is addressing the social determinants of health, factors that may not seem to be health related but have a big effect on public health – such as access to food, affordable housing, and reliable transportation.
“M Health Fairview is committed to improving health and advancing health equity in our communities,” said Allen. “This work is only possible with the support of our partners like Karen Organization of Minnesota. Together, we are working to make a positive impact on the lives of everyone in our community.”
