After the Vietnam War, many Hmong people found themselves as refugees. The resettlement of some to the United States began in 1975, with multiple waves continuing until 2006. Today Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to the largest urban Hmong population in the world. The Hmong people in Minnesota have developed a strong and vibrant community in their chapter of the immigrant story in America.
July 6, 2001 - MPR’s Kamoi Goetz profiles the 21st annual Hmong International Freedom Festival sports competition in St. Paul. 25,000 people are expected at the two-day festival which features a parade, food and souvenir booths, and sports competitions. Hmong youth from across the country will compete with Minnesota athletes in soccer, volleyball…and Takraw, a sport that blends aspects of both volleyball and soccer.
August 1, 2001 - U.S. Census figures released indicate the state's Hmong population grew almost 150% since the 1990 census, growing to nearly 42,000 residents. Some community leaders, though, think many Hmong people in Minnesota remain uncounted by the census. MPR’s Art Hughes interviews numerous individuals to get their reaction to government numbers.
August 6, 2001 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with Kow Lee, a 29-year-old Hmong woman, about time limits attached to welfare and struggles for finding employment. Lee came to the U.S. 10 years ago, is divorced, and has 7 children ranging from ages 4 months to 9 years old. Speaking through an interpreter, Kow Lee says raising children in America is very hard.
August 15, 2001 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer speaks with Michael Yang, director of the Immigrant and Refugee Policy Coalition of Minnesota, about ceremony at Bethel College's Benson Hall where 730 Hmong Veterans and widows from Laos will become U.S. Citizens.
August 15, 2001 - MPR’s Kaomi Goetz reports on historic ceremony in which 700 Hmong refugees became U.S. citizens at a bilingual ceremony in St. Paul. The event was made possible by a federal law giving special consideration to Hmong veterans who fought at the side of U-S forces during the Vietnam War.
August 27, 2001 - MPR’s Kaomi Goetz reports on how some Hmong face cultural hurdles to mental health care. A murder case of a Hmong immigrant that stabbed to death two of her children illustrates a larger problem confronting the Hmong community…how to recognize and effectively treat mental illness.
November 15, 2001 - A collection of reports from the MPR special series "The Color of Justice," which investigates the racial disparity in Minnesota’s criminal justice system. This Midday program includes reports by MPR’s Dan Olson, Brandt Williams, and Elizabeth Stawicki, as well as various interviews and commentary of officials, academics, and community members.
November 16, 2001 - “The Color of Justice: The News Disparities” is part five of an MPR special series which investigates the racial disparity in Minnesota’s criminal justice system. Discussions of race and the criminal justice system tend to focus on the disproportionate rates at which African Americans are arrested and jailed. However, the growth of Latinos, Hmong, and Somali in Minnesota has broadened the scope of the disparities issue.
December 6, 2001 - An analysis by the Associated Press shows that St. Paul has the highest level of segregation among cities with large Asian populations. While the AP's segregation index doesn't distinguish among the various Asian populations, experts agree the highly-concentrated living patterns of St. Paul's Hmong citizens boosts the city's segregation rating.
December 27, 2001 - Like all American families, Hmong immigrants place hopes for the future on their youth, but school truancy remains a problem for some Asian American kids. MPR’s Kaomi Goetz looks into the issue and how some are addressing it.