Once the Vietnam War began, Xaykaothao's mother moved her family to France and, eventually, the United States.

[4] In 2001, Xaykaothao was a member of the Peabody award winning Newscast Unit that covered the September 11 terrorist attacks.

[6][4] Xaykaothao covered major stories like the effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Thailand,[7] the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

[8][2] Later on, Xaykaothao left NPR to become a correspondent for Minnesota Public Radio, where she covered race, immigration, and culture.

[4] In 2001, Xaykaothao was a part of the NPR team that won a Peabody Award for their coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks.