Whittier Farmers Market opens Saturday
There will be Caribbean street food by Tropical Fish, and produce from the Minnesota Hmong Agricultural Co-op and the Hmong American Farmers Association. Entertainers will appear every weekend, and roundtable discussions at noon will cover topics related …
Aiding refugees has been our duty and privilege
The largest Christian Vietnamese church has over 4,000 members and the number of Vietnamese Christians is growing. In Minnesota I met Hmong Christian leaders. The Hmong were Animists from the hill country of Laos and close allies to the U.S. during the …
This week’s must-see art shows
Where it’s at: Bockley Gallery, 2123 W. 21st St., Minneapolis. What it’s about: In this solo exhibition of work, Hmong artist Pao Houa Her reflects on the presence of silk flowers in her family home in St. Paul, where her family relocated from Laos in …
St. Paul charter strikes tentative deal to end labor battle
The labor strife that threatened the future of a predominantly Hmong charter school in St. Paul may be over. Community School of Excellence administrators and leaders of the teachers union reached a tentative deal for a labor contract over the weekend.
Immigrants continue to breathe life into St. Paul church
A young female Hmong deacon in her 30s will be hugging a white congregant in his 80s, and youth of many races and ages will be sitting together listening to the Word. This blend is especially evident in the summer when the congregation celebrates Holy …
Minnesota immigrant accused of stealing from Hmong elders in fraud scheme
A MAPLEWOOD man was charged in federal court on Wednesday with having defrauded Hmong elders, out of more than $1.3 million, in a scheme that promised property and homes in a new Southeast Asian homeland. Seng Xiong, 48, is facing one count each of wire …
To Be Both Midwestern and Hmong, Cont’d
Doualy Xaykaothao, a journalist based on Minnesota, recently gave us a look at what it’s like to be Hmong American in the Midwest, and his piece got a good amount of response from Atlantic readers. If you’re unfamiliar with the Hmong, they’re an …
Minnesota memorial honors Hmong soldiers of 1961-1975 ‘secret war’ in Laos
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – A new memorial on the Minnesota Capitol grounds honors soldiers of the “secret war” in Laos. Hundreds gathered Saturday for the dedication of the memorial to the U.S. and Alliance Special Forces in Laos, Minnesota Public Radio …
New memorial honors Hmong service in ‘secret war’
ST. PAUL — Hundreds gathered on a very warm Saturday at the state Capitol for the dedication of a memorial to U.S. and Alliance Special Forces in Laos. The 10-foot tall bronze monument was inspired by survivors of the “Secret War” in the southeast Asian …
Minnesota memorial honors soldiers of ‘secret war’
The memorial was inspired by survivors of the secret war from 1961-1975 in Laos, and their children. Many Hmong soldiers were trained by the U.S. to fight off the communist expansion in Southeast Asia during the war. (Peter Cox/Minnesota Public Radio via …
New Memorial Honoring Hmong Soldiers Opens At Capitol
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A memorial for the Hmong heroes now sits on the mall of the Minnesota State Capitol. It pays tribute to the men and women who served in the “secret war” in Laos from 1961 to 1975. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. provided …
Memorial dedicated to veterans of ‘Secret War’ in Laos
Its petals are engraved with 16 images depicting life in Laos, the “Secret War” of 1961-1975 and the immigration of Hmong to the U.S. The bas-relief images are modeled after traditional Hmong embroidery. (Pioneer Press: Will Ashenmacher) The Minnesota …
Memorial unveiled honoring special forces in Laos during Vietnam War
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – A newly unveiled memorial represents many things to the Hmong and Laos community. “It might be a Hmong theme, but it belongs to all of Minnesota all who believe in freedom,” said Dia Thao, a St. Paul city council member.
A Minnesota monument will help spread the word about the ‘Secret War’
The fighters they recruited and organized were mostly Hmong and Lao villagers. In the mid-1960s there were said to be about 30,000 fighters. After the U.S. withdrew from the region and communist troops took control of Laos, veterans of the Secret War fled …
‘This world runs on the shoulders of men like my father’: Kao Kalia Yang’s ‘The Song Poet’ honors father’s struggle and gifts
In the case of author Kao Kalia Yang, she just had to look at her father, Bee. He’s a Hmong refugee who escaped war-torn Laos with his family after the Vietnam War. They moved to the U.S., like thousands of Hmong, who settled in hubs like Minnesota and …
Dozens fired at St. Paul charter school in suspected union retaliation
The Community School of Excellence, one of the largest Hmong charter schools in St. Paul, has a K-8 student population that is nearly 100 percent Hmong-American. Many of its students speak English as a second language, so the school employs a fleet of …
St. Paul charter school cuts rile union members; school leader says changes needed
The school serves about 1,000 students who are predominantly Hmong immigrants, and about 19 of the 82 staffers are expected to lose their jobs. St. Paul school board adds a student seat for meetings Humboldt says farewell to seniors, honors Chief Smith Joe …
Charter school shakeup riles union members; school leader says changes needed
The school serves about 1,000 students who are predominantly Hmong immigrants, and about 19 of the 82 staffers are expected to lose their jobs. 30 Minnesota colleges offer free tuition for new high school grads It takes a village, people: YMCA helps …
