JOHN LEE IS waiting for his daughter to call. On a Friday afternoon in late June, he's sitting in a wheelchair in a hotel lobby in St. Louis with his partner, Yeev Thoj, and four of their six children. In a few hours, their 18-year-old daughter, Sunisa, will compete in the Olympic gymnastics trials, where she is favored to secure a spot on the U.S. team and become the first Hmong American to represent the U.S. in the Games.
"She's calling!" John says, and the group quiets as he picks up the call. Yeev leans in close.