Youa K. Vue was born in 1960 in Xieng Khouang Province, Laos. As a child, she did not attend school and helped her family around the house meanwhile her brothers and father went to war. She lost her brother, who was killed in action at Phou Pha Thi. His body was never recovered. Her father passed away due to aging. When the war ended in 1975, her and her surviving families went into the jungle to escape the communist troops. In 1979, she made a tough decision to leave her mother and siblings behind to escape the terror in Laos. Her mother and siblings did not want to leave as they feared of being killed or ambushed by communist troops.  Then, after days of walking, Youa and the group that she was in were able to cross the Mekong River into Thailand. While on their way to Thailand, she met her husband and married him. She said he would protect her if the enemy attacks or if anything bad happens. By 1987, they came to the U.S. Luckily, her mother and siblings survived and remained back in Laos.