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.
August 17, 2015 - MPR’s Curtis Gilbert reports on Minneapolis city officials efforts to alleviate safety concerns of tap water for many in the Hmong community. Families will spend up to $50 a month buying water, because they don't trust what comes out of the tap in their kitchens.
August 26, 2015 - MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao reports on critical reactions to local St. Paul talk-show host Doua Chialy Her’s commentary on divorced women in the Hmong community. Hmong community activists and women support groups are voicing their anger at what they see as harmful to women and Hmong culture.
October 23, 2015 - MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao interviews local playwright May Lee-Yang and poet/playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay about “Hmong-Lao Friendship Play.”
May 13, 2016 - MPR’s Marriane Combs reports on "Seeds of Change" exhibit at Museum of American Art in downtown St. Paul. The exhibit focuses on the creation of a Hmong collective farm and illustrates how the project is allowing farmers to plan — and plant — for the future.
August 2, 2016 - MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao reports on renewed efforts of the Minnesota Hmong Chamber of Commerce to help support Hmong-owned businesses and grow new ones. The Minnesota Hmong Chamber of Commerce was founded nearly two decades ago, but since that time, it hasn't been very active in the Twin Cities. Some of its co-founders are looking to re-invigorate the group.
September 2, 2016 - MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao reports on Hmong Day at the Minnesota State Fair. The schedule offers a kaleidoscope of events, from honoring military veterans and registering voters in the morning to Hmong dancers and rappers in the afternoon.
October 5, 2016 - On this segment of MPR News with Tom Weber program, MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao present an interview with co-founders of Maiv-PAC, the nation's first-ever Hmong American political action committee. The group sees it as another way to engage on issues of immigration, education, gender equity, and racial justice.
February 24, 2017 - MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao reports on an all-day event called "Success That Looks Like Me," a kind of career day in which students could meet and greet Hmong American professionals.
June 9, 2017 - MPR’s Nancy Yang profiles Sunisa Lee, the 14-year-old St. Paul gymnast who is believed to be the first Hmong American to make the national gymnastics team. Suni, as many people call her, has the goal of making the 2020 Olympic gymnastics team. It’s a goal supported by her parents, coach, and community.
July 13, 2017 - MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao profiles Mai Neng Moua, an immigration attorney working in the Twin Cities. Moua was born in a Thai refugee camp called Ban Vinai and arrived in the U.S. in 1982. She recalls the hardships she overcame while caring for family, facing racism, and achieving her professional goals.