Museum showcases community diversity, history

GREEN BAY — A new exhibit at the Neville Public Museum of Brown County explores the arrival of the Hmong people in Wisconsin and their history as a culture.

“Who are the Hmong?” will be shown at the museum until May 26. It tells the Hmong story in four parts: ancient culture, as United States allies during the Vietnam War, as refugees after the war and as friends and neighbors in Wisconsin, said Rolf Johnson, director of the museum.

“This is an incredibly important and powerful story, and not one that many people know,” Johnson said. “This is a different exhibit for us, with such a powerful story and the involvement of the actual community makes the exhibit very special.”

Many members of the Hmong Asian-American Community Center in Green Bay helped put the exhibit together, either through donations of time or the artifacts that comprise the exhibit, Johnson said. The museum is making an effort to showcase the community’s diversity better, he said, and the Hmong community and exhibit are part of that.

“We would not have been able to create something this rich without the help of the Hmong community,” Johnson said.

Mary Vong is the president of the Hmong Asian-American Community Center, and she said that the exhibit does a great job of explaining the Hmong people for the general public as well as new generations of Hmong.

“This exhibit lets our community and younger generation really know, ‘Who are the Hmong?’” she said. “It puts my family history and background in place.”

Many of the artifacts are accompanied by photographs of the items being used, which provides great context, Johnson said.

The exhibit cost about $25,000 to put together, he said

Traditional games, cookware, paodo — or story cloths — clothing and other items are on display. One of the most powerful pieces is a prosthetic leg made from the remaining aluminum of a bomb from the Vietnam War era, Johnson said — the bomb responsible for the horrific injury.
It’s a credit to the ingenuity of the Hmong people, he said.

The Hmong population has origins in Laos, Thailand and China, Vong said, but live all over the world now.

“We really applaud what the Hmong have done,” Johnson said. “They’ve assimilated (to the United States) so quickly. It’s an amazing story.”

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Tragedy and tradition inform Hmong couple’s grandparenting

Ue and Pha Vang (back) sit with their son Ethan, left, and grandkids Preston and Fina at their home in Onalaska. (Rory O'Driscoll/La Crosse Tribune) Pha and Ue Vang maintain brave faces, smiling occasionally, as they talk about the challenges of raising three orphaned grandchildren. But sporadically, pain peeks through their eyes as they chronicle their lives since their son-in-law, Dang Xiong, killed their daughter, Pahoua, and then committed suicide in La Crosse in May 2009. “Our life was turned upside-down,” Ue said. “The first year was really hard.” Making that year tougher was the birth of their own son Ethan just two months later. He had heart problems that eventually required surgery and was diagnosed with Down syndrome. “We have been through a lot,” Pha said. In the Vangs’ Hmong culture, the father’s side of the family normally would be responsible for the orphaned children. But after a battle, the Vangs won custody of the two boys — Anthony, now 8, and Fue, 7 — and Ariel, 5. The children can visit the father’s relatives, Pha said, adding, “So far, we don’t have any objections to them spending days or nights with them.” Pha, 50, and Ue, 43, are among the roughly 1,500 La Crosse County residents who live in the same house as their grandchildren, and among about 400 who are responsible for raising their grandchildren. Originally from Laos, the Vangs came to the United States in 1985. They moved to La Crosse in 2002 and to their modest, three-bedroom home in Onalaska in 2005. In addition to Pahoua’s children, the Vang household includes their other son, Pao, his wife, Panhia, and their two children, 2-year-old Fina and 5-month-old Preston. Pha and Ue take care of Fina and Preston during the day while their parents work. When the Vangs aren’t working themselves, that is. Pha is a teacher’s assistant from 8:30 a.m. to noon, when he goes home so Ue can get an hour’s sleep before she goes to her nurse’s assistant job from 2 to 11 p.m. Juggling work and caregiving is the biggest challenge, Pha said. “In our culture, usually the elders stay home and watch the kids,” he said. “In our case, we are still working and watching the kids, too. We have to arrange our schedules to take the kids to the doctor, too.” For example, Pha takes Anthony to counseling sessions for depression and anxiety related to his parents’ stormy relationship and ultimate deaths. “He feels bad about himself,” Pha said. “I am trying to get help for him. He’s on a waiting list for a Big Brother.” With all of the caregiving, Pha said, “I don’t have time for myself. But there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re hoping that, when the kids grow bigger, we will have time for ourselves. “Every day, we hope someday everything will be fine and we will be a happy family again,” he said. When the stress seems like too much, he said, “Friends come and talk to us and calm us down.” The Vangs also get help from agencies such as the La Crosse County Birth-to-3 Program. The program provided services for Ethan, who moved on to preschool Friday. Susan Fossen, who works at the Parenting Place and is service coordinator for the B-3 program, said she will miss the little guy and the Vangs. “I’ve been completely impressed with them from the first time I met them,” Fossen said. “They have such unwavering love and support for their children and their grandchildren. “There is no difference in the love they give to their son and to their grandchildren,” Fossen said. “They are thoughtful, calm and loving.” Pha’s advice for other grandparents tasked with raising their grandchildren: “You should have a lot of fun with your grandkids. Sometimes, you love them more than your own. They’re adorable, and you should get to know and love them.” Hmong traditions buoy the Vangs’ hope for the future. “American culture is different,” Pha said. “In our culture, family is the most important thing. Together, we solve problems, with more people, more ideas and more hands. “In the old country, there was no Social Security, but caring for each other replaced it,” Pha said. Ue added with a smile: “In our culture, when we get older, they will take care of us and not send us to a nursing home.” Source

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Record earns first ever Hmong Association Fellowship Award

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) - From 6 to 8 a.m. every Sunday morning you will hear a different language being spoken on the WIZM-1410 radio station. That's because the 2-hour program is entirely in Hmong. Midwest Family Broadcasting Vice President Dick Record received the first ever Hmong Association Fellowship Award May 17. Record advocated the creation of Hmong radio programming back in 1983, to help the Hmong community stay updated on current music, news, and events. "Every radio station and television station has a responsibility to operate in the public interest...and these are the kinds of things that I think the audiences and the people and the government are looking for," Record said. Record hopes the program will continue to encourage diversity and understanding in the La Crosse area. Source

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Hmong ceremony offered for mayor

Nao Shoua Xiong of Wausau, a Hmong shaman and a statewide clan leader, will hold a blessing ceremony for Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple as Tipple begins his third term. The event, which is open to the public, will be held at 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at Xiong’s home, 1204 Rosecrans St. The event also will include food, drink and a social time. Xiong said the ceremony will symbolize how the Hmong community and Tipple “will continue our collaboration and work together in the community.” For more information, call Xiong at 715-581-3991. Source

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History of the Farmers' Market

The Dane County Farmers' Market stands as a connection between Madison and the farms that surround it By: Sarah Karon It was just after midnight in 1972, and Jim Barnard was steering a refrigerated box truck down Wisconsin’s craggy peninsula. Fruit from his Door County farm packed the truck: Cinderella plums, Seckel pears, totes brimming with Cortland and Macintosh apples. The drive to Madison was five hours, one way. But Barnard was eager to take part in what was then a fledgling experiment: a Saturday farmers’ market on the city’s Capitol Square. Just ten other vendors showed up at the first Dane County Farmers’ Market that morning in late September. Forty years later, it’s the largest producer-only market in the country, with three hundred members, up to 170 sellers weekly, a five-year vendor waiting list, and as many as twenty thousand daily visitors. The market is a hub of social activity, as much a tourist destination as an outdoor grocery store. It’s an emblem of Wisconsin’s agricultural riches, attracting chefs and gardeners, vegans and carnivores, and people who treasure building community through food. And it’s a particular point of pride in Madison, where buying and eating local long predates the now-ubiquitous farm-to-table movement. “There’s this elevation of the farmer as rock star at the market,” says Kiera Mulvey, executive director of the non-profit FairShare CSA (community-supported agriculture) Coalition. “There’s a real appreciation for the contributions that farmers make to the Madison community.” That much was evident at the first farmers’ market, where Barnard and his fellow vendors quickly were overwhelmed with customers. The following Saturday, eighty-five sellers came to the market; two years later, that number had more than tripled and the market drew two hundred thousand annual visitors. A Wednesday morning market opened in 1975 to help meet demand. The market’s popularity outpaced its organization. Vendors weren’t assigned stalls, so many slept in their trucks on Friday night, waking at dawn to stake out a spot on the Square. “There was a rule—you had to drive once around the Capitol before you could park,” recalls Rich Salzman, whose parents were among the market’s first vendors. “So the cars would hot-rod around the Square at five in the morning.” Nowadays, things are more civilized. A seniority system, established in 1990, guarantees longtime vendors first pick of location, and in the late nineties, when the number of sellers swelled to four hundred, market managers capped membership and instituted a waiting list. Vendors must be properly licensed and abide by the market’s strict rules: All products, from emu eggs to kohlrabi to spicy cheese bread, must be grown or made in Wisconsin, and at least one producer must be behind every table. Reselling is forbidden. The idea, market manager Larry Johnson says, is not only to promote Wisconsin products but also to encourage “hands-on, dirt-under-the-fingernails” production. The payoff is obvious: Consumers get to meet the person who grows their food, while vendors can forge relationships with shoppers. Customer feedback is nice for the ego, too. Willi Lehner, who owns Bleu Mont Dairy in Blue Mounds, says he loves giving people cheese samples and “watching their eyes roll back in their heads.” And then there are more tangible rewards. Johnson says consumers spend about $10 million annually at the Dane County Farmers’ Market and another $6 million at nearby shops and cafes. “A lot of times people say, ‘Oh, having a farmers’ market is going to take away my business,’” says Alfonso Morales, a UW–Madison professor of urban and regional planning. “But it’s a complementary activity, not competition.” The farmers’ market has shaped Madison’s food-centric culture, too. White-tablecloth restaurants cook with market ingredients, but so do the city’s bakeries, pizzerias, pubs and street carts. And our palettes are getting more sophisticated, thanks to the market’s increasingly diverse vendor population. Hmong and Hmong American farmers, who now make up fifteen percent of sellers, have introduced marketgoers to Southeast Asian staples like bitter melon, bottle gourds, shell pea tips and long beans. The market has also helped make fresh, locally grown food more accessible to people with limited income. In 2008, vendors began accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly known as food stamps), when less than twenty percent of the nation’s farmers’ markets did so. Shoppers at the Dane County Farmers’ Market redeemed $3,000 worth of SNAP vouchers that year; in 2011, redemptions had soared to $49,000. But many market traditions remain unchanged. Jim Barnard and his wife, Crystal, now both in their late sixties, still spend forty hours each week shuttling tart cherries and moongold apricots to Madison for the Wednesday and Saturday markets. “We’re invested in the market, since we helped start it,” Crystal says. And, she adds, customers expect them. “We’re historic fixtures. If our truck breaks down and we can’t get there, we’ll hear about it.” Source

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Weaving Hmong culture through literacy

Every culture has a different story to tell that builds America into the melting pot it is today. Students throughout Stevens Point elementary schools are getting a unique taste of these tales that promote literacy and culture.

The UW-Stevens Point Student Education Association (StWEA) received a $1,000 Community Learning Through America’s Schools (CLASS) Grant, which funded Hmong literacy books for donation to local classrooms and hosting read-aloud sessions.

CLASS Grants are earned to perform community service projects designed and organized completely by students. StWEA’s proposal stated: “The Stevens Point Area School District has an increasing enrollment of students with diverse backgrounds, which presents the opportunity to promote awareness of the Hmong culture.”

“It goes very well with our character education,” said Kim Johnson, a second-grade teacher at McKinley Center and UW-Stevens Point alumna.

McKinley Center is the first of the many Stevens Point schools that will receive book donations and a read-aloud.

Though understanding different cultures is important, it is equally important to understand the similarities they share. John Lenz ‘13, a member of StWEA and broad field social science education major, compared the story Hmong story “Gao Zoua Pa” to common fairytales such as Cinderella and Snow White.

As part of the grant, StWEA partnered with the UW-Stevens Point’s Hmong and Southeast Asian American Club (HaSEAAC). HaSEAAC members participated in the read-aloud dressed in traditional Hmong clothing to showcase their culture and taught the elementary students the Hmong tradition of storytelling through a paj ntaub or story cloth. The children got a chance to create a paj ntaub drawing Hmong symbols to depict their own stories about family, food and hobbies.

“I do things with them, but it’s different me telling them compared to someone coming from the university,” said Johnson. “It shows what possibilities they can do when they grow up and graduate.”

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Hmong-Inspired: Fashion Show

Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 1721 W Canal St, Milwaukee. Free Parking.

Reception 6:00 pm, Event 7:00 pm

General Admission $30, VIP seating $60. Register online or learn more about sponsorship oportunities. Appetizers will be served. Cash Bar. All ages welcome. 

oin Viv Ncaus: A Hmong Women’s Giving Circle for this tribute to Hmong women & girls—our identity keepers.

A visual feast featuring the work of four contemporary Hmong designers along with a retrospective of Hmong fashions.

Featuring Hmong designers: Malika Lor (Milwaukee), Seelia Vachon (St. Paul, MN), Johnny Vang (Madison), and Chia Yang (Berlin, WI)

A common thread of Hmong culture and history is Hmong resilience to survive in the face of annihilation. An example is Hmong clothing. No matter where they find their home, Hmong women have maintained a cultural legacy through clothing. After the Chinese forbade Hmong people from using their writing system, it was Hmong women who came up with the idea to sew Hmong phrases onto baby carriers as a means of re-membrance and communication.

Today, Hmong women in Wisconsin have found ways to incorporate the styles or patterns of their new home into the clothes they fashion. As Hmong culture evolves throughout the world, Hmong people can always identify who they are through the clothes they wear. This fashion show continues the creative tradition of clothes-making. It begins with showcasing the evolution of Hmong fashions over time and culminates in a visual feast featuring the work of three contemporary Hmong designers.

Join us as a sponsor and support the work of the giving circle. As a sponsor you are helping Hmong women create a stable funding source within the community to support a culture where Hmong women and girls have the right to equality, safety, opportunity and self-determination. This event will bring together Hmong community members and supporters from all over Wisconsin. This Hmong-Inspired fashion show is an opportunity for us as Hmong women to support new Hmong talents and share Hmong women herstory through traditional and modern Hmong fashion. Become a part of our history by sponsoring this event and help us elevate and show case the beauty and strength of Hmong women.

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Hmong Heritage Month kickoff event aims to preserve culture

Wausau West High School senior Victor Chang, right, and Wausau East High School senior Vang Lee act out a scene from a traditional Hmong play Saturday at the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau during the kickoff event for Hmong Heritage Month. / (Dan Young/Wausau Daily Herald)

Members of Wausau's Hmong community said they hope lessons at home and cultural celebrations such as one held Saturday will help younger generations remember and preserve their culture.

About 50 people celebrated the kickoff of Hmong Heritage Month on Saturday at the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau with music, dance and food. The event featured the Hmong tapestry youth dance group performing to modern and traditional Hmong songs, and speeches by community leaders.

 This year's theme, "We are one," reflects the Hmong community's efforts to share its culture with younger generations and with non-Hmong residents. Events later this month include a resource fair, family fitness day, a book reading and a banquet.

 "We live here in America and our kids are forgetting who the Hmong people are," Wausau Area Hmong Mutual Association Board President Chawa Xiong said. "It is important for us to celebrate the Hmong heritage and teach our kids and the community."

Coincidentally, several Hmong youths joined a protest earlier Saturday that was critical of Xiong and his leadership.

Mee Yang, 56, of Wausau, takes her family's culture seriously. Yang's daughter is interested in fashion design and the two often sew clothing that infuses modern fashion with traditional colors and style of the Hmong culture.

 "The clothing is where my aunt (Yang) and her daughter remember their culture," said Noah Her, Heritage Month organizer, who translated for Yang.

Retired teachers Alvie, 60, and Don Lutz, 61, both of the town of Cassel, said they attended because they taught many Hmong students and respect their culture. They also have visited China and Hong Kong and have four adopted Korean nieces and nephews.

 "We just try to get more information on other cultures because there is always something new to learn," Don Lutz said.

 Marathon County Administrator Brad Karger spoke at the event and told the audience that the vast majority of families who settled in the county immigrated from other countries at some point in the last 160 years.

 "Too many of us don't know our own heritage," Karger said.

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Hmong leader from Madison honored in DC for work against domestic violence

Photo by TRUE THAO
Kabzuag Vaj speaks at the Capitol during a rally in the spring. On Thursday, she will be recognized at the White House for her work against domestic violence.

A local Hmong leader is being recognized at the White House on Thursday in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Kabzuag (pronounced Kaj-u-wa) Vaj is co-founder and co-executive director of Freedom Inc., a Madison nonprofit organization that works with poor and low-income communities of color focusing on the root causes of violence against women and children.

"It's kind of surreal because we don't know too many people who get this type of award," said Vaj, 37, Wednesday by phone as she arrived in Washington, D.C.

Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, will join Lynn Rosenthal, White House adviser on domestic violence, in hosting 14 leaders who are dedicating their professional lives to ending domestic violence on a local level.

At the event, part of Obama's Champions of Change program, participants will share their personal stories and discuss lessons they've learned.

Vaj was born in Laos and arrived in Madison in 1981 as a refugee with her mother and siblings. None of them spoke English.

She started doing domestic violence work in the Hmong community in 2000 with the Milwaukee-based Hmong American Women's Association Inc., but she was located in Madison. When the organization lost state funding, she started her own group.

Freedom Inc. was incorporated in 2003, but it is not a typical domestic violence services organization, Vaj said.

In order to eliminate violence, an organization needs to go beyond providing services, she said.

"There should be a more holistic approach looking at different forms of oppression that contribute to violence against women and children," she said.

Freedom Inc. provides a niche where women of color can come for services and also build leadership abilities, Vaj said.

True Thao, youth program coordinator for Freedom Inc., who has worked with Vaj for 10 years, calls her a mentor and credits Vaj for helping her turn her life around.

"She's an incredible woman. Her vision, the work she does, her energy," Thao said.

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Students honored for Hmong story book

An award-winning multicultural literary magazine is honoring D.C. Everest Oral History Project students for their creative work in promoting cultural diversity and an appreciation of nature and ecology.

The magazine Skipping Stones is awarding D.C. Everest High School students who worked on “Zaj Lus: A Bilingual Hmong Story Book” with 2011 Skipping Stones Youth Honor Awards. “Zaj Lus” is a bilingual story book that helps pass along Hmong folk tales to younger generations.

Yer Thor, one of three oral project leaders and a senior at Everest High School, nominated “Zaj Lus” for the award. “It is a bilingual book, written in both English and Hmong. It is especially important to the Wausau area,” Thor said. “It is vital to share the Hmong culture with those in the surrounding area and across the world.”

All the work on the book, including the design and layout, was done by Hmong students working with the Oral History Project. There were three project leaders, Yer Thor, Kim Yang and Anna Thor, four assistants and 13 student volunteers. The illustrations were done by Bao Lee and Noghlibelinda Yang, both graduates of Everest High. To find out more about the Oral History Project or to order this and other student-produced books, log on to http://www.dceoralhistory.com/.

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A real hero returns home

Hundreds honor 1st Sgt. Shua P. Yang, retiring after 23 years of Army service

1st Sgt. Shua P. Yang choked back more than just a few tears when it was his turn to take the podium at the Elks Club in Sheboygan.

After viewing a special video of his accomplishments covering a 23-year Army career, and listening to the well-wishes and words of thanks from the 200 people who came Saturday night to celebrate his service to his country, Yang thanked those who were special in his own life — his extended family, his friends, and especially his wife of 18 years, Kaokalia, and his four children: Jak, Maggie PajYing, Joshua ChueYee and Thomas MouaCheng.

"I might be a soldier, but I'm a father first," said Yang, who will retire at the end of October as the highest-ranking noncommissioned Hmong soldier in Army history. He was promoted in 2007 to first sergeant, and last December returned stateside from the last of his five overseas deployments to Iraq, where he served as head of intelligence for a 4,600-soldier division.

Yang saved the most praise for Kaokalia, who took the lead in helping to raise the family while he was away on duty.

"She is the strength of the family," Yang said.

And in turn, Yang's eldest son, Jak, presented a surprise gift to his father, a plaque he made himself while away at school in Boston. It read: "A soldier and a loving father protecting the ones he loves."

"Here you go, Dad," said Jak, 20, who flew in for the special dinner ceremony.

Yang, 44, was born in Laos, moved to the United States at the age of 9, and grew up in Sheboygan after his family settled here. He attended St. Paul Lutheran School and graduated from South High School in 1986 and was a key member of the Redwings' soccer team.

After two years in college at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in 1988, Yang decided to enlist in the Army, following the military footsteps of his father, Churchill Yang, who served in the Laotian Army and was a colonel in the Secret War, during which Hmong soldiers fought alongside U.S. troops against the communist North Vietnamese army in the Vietnam War's Laotian front.

"My dad is a big example of why I went into the service," Yang said in an interview just before the dinner.

His Army career took him to all parts of the United States and all corners of the world, to Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iraq, where he served in Desert Storm in 1990 and then two tours in Iraq in 2006 and 2009-10. He went through Airborne training and intelligence training, all duly recorded in a slideshow honoring his career that was aired Saturday night.

"I had a good time and it meant a lot to me," Yang said of his career. "The Army helped me a lot, it helped me mature. I met a lot of people and the biggest thing was the travel and to see all kind of people and to learn from that."

Being away from the family for extended periods, though, has been difficult for Yang, who wants to settle in Sheboygan with his family following retirement. He currently is stationed with 1st Stryker Combat Brigade, 1st Armored Division, at Fort Bliss, Texas.

"The biggest reason I want to retire is because my family is away from me," Yang said, adding that he may look into running for local political office after he returns to Sheboygan.

Kaokalia Yang, who produced the video and photo displays of her husband's career for the audience, said she's very proud of his service to his country, and to his family.

"To us he's our hero," she said. "We're proud of him. All these (people attending) are family and friends. Out of state, in state, a lot of support. So we have this party to celebrate."

Chasong Yang, Shua's older brother and the executive director of the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association in Sheboygan, said his brother enlisted in the service "against his mother's wishes."

"After 23 years, he's made his mom and dad proud and he's made all of us proud," Chasong Yang said. "Today is not a retirement, it's more of a welcoming home."

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Hmong leaders to meet to curb violence

Hmong clan leaders will learn specific steps they can take to prevent domestic abuse and violence in their communities at a July 9 conference in Wausau.

The daylong conference, called Breaking the Silence, Collaboratively, will outline for the state's Hmong clan leaders protocols they should follow when they learn about family abuse -- or the threat of it.

The protocols were developed by the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Core Committee, a group that has worked for the past two years to curb Hmong domestic violence. It was formed in summer 2009 after Hmong military and cultural leader Gen. Vang Pao condemned domestic abuse during a visit to Wausau.

The July 9 meeting at The Rose Garden will celebrate the work already done by the Core Committee, said Mao Khang, a committee member and Southeast Asian coordinator for The Women's Community in Wausau.

"But it also is just the beginning," Khang said. "We hope to bring in allies of the larger community, (and show) how we can work together to keep the family safe; keep the community safe."

Khang was instrumental in bringing Vang Pao to Wausau after a string of high-profile domestic abuse cases involving Hmong families made headlines. Those included the slayings of Pa Houa Thao in 2007 and Padalina Thao in 2006, both from Weston.

Those cases also spurred Weston to form its own anti-abuse and violence group, Everest Men Respect, which often has worked in tandem with the Hmong Core Committee.

Weston Village Administrator Dean Zuleger thinks the efforts of both groups have made an impact, and was impressed with the number of Hmong leaders who participated in the process.

"I wish all cultures and subsections of cultures would take this as seriously as Hmong culture in Wisconsin has taken it," Zuleger said.

Many Hmong-Americans still organize themselves under the traditional clan system the culture has embraced for generations. Hmong clan leaders help preserve cultural traditions, but also help Hmong families and groups solve problems as a community.

In the past, clan leaders were apt to cover up cases of abuse, asking victims to return to their homes with promises that the situation will get better, Khang said.

The Committee not only has created protocols for clan leaders that give victims more options, but also have given clan leaders mediation training, the last session of which will be held at the July 9 conference.

Now clan leaders "know there are options and ways to deal with victims," Khang said. "I know it will not happen overnight. The clan leaders must be persistent, strong and dedicated to this cause, or it will not work."

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Hmong veteran calls for GI benefits

WASHINGTON — Sheboygan resident Phia Lee, one of thousands of Hmong who aided the CIA during the Vietnam War, said Thursday that Laotian-Hmong veterans deserve GI benefits for their service.

Lee, who participated in a Capitol Hill forum on Laos and Vietnam with his son, Ge Lee, said through an interpreter that the “Hmong people and Laotian people have helped American people since the 1960s, and the United States government should give benefits to Lao veterans.”

Phia Lee came to the United States in 2004 as part of a wave of Hmong refugees who had been living at a Buddhist temple in Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand. After the communist takeover of the Laos and Vietnam governments, thousands of Hmong fled Laos, fearing persecution for their alliance with the U.S. during the war.

“He lived a long time in a cave,” Ge Lee said about his father.

Philip Smith, director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis, one of the sponsors of Thursday’s forum, said Phia Lee represented the Hmong story of “moral courage and fight for survival.”

The Hmong struggle to survive has again been in the news since early May, when the Vietnam government began cracking down on mass protests by Hmong people in the Dien Bien province near the border of Laos. The protesters have been demanding land reforms and religious freedom.

Smith said 72 demonstrators have been killed by the Vietnam military, including a woman who was bludgeoned with an AK-47 assault weapon. He said there also have been casualties on the Laotian side of the border. The death toll could not be independently verified. Foreign journalists have been barred from the area.

Smith and others said the crackdown underscores the abuses of human rights and civil rights that the Hmong have been subjected to since the communist takeover of the region. He said Hmong land is being confiscated by corrupt military officials, and Hmong Christians are persecuted for practicing their religion. Smith called on the Obama administration and Congress to investigate and impose sanctions.

“No Hmong Bible is permitted in Vietnamese language in this area,” Smith said. “Efforts to smuggle Bibles into that province have been met with severe repercussions.”

Thongchanh Boulum of the United League for Democracy in Laos Inc. told of life under an authoritarian regime. He said those in charge “rely on violence and terror to gain and maintain power. They use lies to justify violence.” The people, Boulum said, “have no right of expression, no right of assembly — nothing at all.”

Jane Hamilton-Merritt, an expert on Southeast Asia and Hmong and a human-rights advocate, said the current situation is a familiar one. She said what’s happening in Dien Bien is drawing little attention in the U.S. because of all the focus on Middle East uprisings and the war on terrorism.

“Hmong are once again being persecuted, and the worst part about it is the press can’t get in,” she said.

In reviewing a State Department file on Laos and Vietnam, Hamilton-Merritt said she found “page after page” of human and civil rights violations but nothing on freedoms enjoyed by Hmong people.

“If you’re on land that has the potential for a golf course ... your land is taken, and you’re not compensated,” Hamilton-Merritt said.

She praised the fortitude of Hmong people who have survived or escaped abuse and persecution, and she questioned whether she would be as strong in the face of such adversity.

“I don’t know if I would have the courage to do anything,” Hamilton-Merritt said. “But Hmong have courage. It is in Hmong DNA that they will not suffer for too long.”

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Hmong Families Learn How to Eat Healthy

Hmong families in northcentral Wisconsin are learning to eat healthier as part of Marathon County's Hmong Heritage Month.

A dietitian educated families at the Boys and Girls Club in Wausau on Saturday on what foods Hmong families should be cooking with.

An emphasis was placed on rice, because the majority of families eat white rice for two or three meals a day.

"We're going to try recipes that contain whole grain products such as brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread and see if they will like it and see if they will try that with their family," Mao Moua Vue, a dietitian said.

Fruits and vegetables were also highlighted as important foods for their diet.

The recipes they made were french toast with sweet potatoes and carrots, oatmeal and a Hmong salad that included a variety of vegetables.

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Hmong Heritage Month Benefit Concert Held This Weekend

It's time to immerse yourself into a beautiful cultural event that's full of color, music, and dancing. It's yet another chance this April for you to participate in the 8th Annual Marathon County Hmong Heritage Month festivities.

Posted: 7:50 AM Apr 20, 2011
Reporter: Bao Vang
Email Address: bvang@wsaw.com

It's time to immerse yourself into a beautiful cultural event that's full of color, music, and dancing. It's yet another chance this April for you to participate in the 8th Annual Marathon County Hmong Heritage Month festivities.

So far, the local Hmong community has hosted a kickoff celebration, a health forum with Hmong doctors, and healthy cooking demonstration.

This weekend, some area students are going to step into the spotlight at a concert benefit held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 23 at Wausau East High School. Proceeds go to the Chad Kue Foundation.

Performances include a variety of musicians, dancers and speakers. The dance group "Nkauj Hmoob Huam Pham" performed live on Sunrise 7. Click on the link in this web story to view the performance.

On Friday, April 29, the Hmong Heritage Month planning committee invites you to join them at a luncheon for more cultural performances, a lecture by Paul Hillmer, author of "A People's History of the Hmong," an Asian-styled meal and a recognition ceremony for local organizations and individuals. Register with the Wausau Area Hmong Mutual Association at (715) 842-8390.

Saturday, April 30, all families are welcome to a Family Fitness Day and Health Resource Fair from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at John Muir Middle School in Wausau. Committee members are planning games and activities to get the whole family active.

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Hmong: Heritage Month Starts This Weekend In Marathon County

Thirty-five years ago this month, the first Hmong family arrived in Marathon County. In the following years, hundreds of other families followed and settled into the community.

Now, there are more than 5,000 Hmong who call this area home. Every year in April, they make it a point to celebrate their journey and life in America.

A small group of people have been working hard for months to coordinate several events that revolved around this year's Hmong Heritage Month theme, "Spring Into Health."

Here are the following programs planned throughout April:

* Kickoff -- 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 at the Marathon County Public Library Wausau Headquarters. Program includes guest speakers, cultural performances and trivia. Free and Open to public. Contact Vong Lao at (715) 701-0822.

* Healthy Hmong Cooking Demonstration -- Session 1 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and Session 2 from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 at Boys and Girls Club in Wausau. Registration required. Contact WAHMA at (715) 842-8390.

* Storybook Hour with Miss Hmong Wausau Blia Lee -- 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 16 at Marthon County Public Library. Free and Open to Public. Contact Sharyn Heili at (715) 261-7200.

* Reflecting on the Past, Targeting for the Future-Hmong Health -- 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 at Horace Mann Middle School. Registration required. Contact Zoua Yang at (715) 701-0822.

* Luncheon -- 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 29. Program includes networking, cultural performance and lecture by author Paul Hillmer, "A People's History of the Hmong." Contact WAHMA at (715) 842-8390.

* Family Fitness Day and Springing to Health: Resources for Better Living -- 9 a.m - 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at John Muir Middle School. Program includes fun family team-building exercises and games and a health resource fair. Contact Bao Vang at (715) 370-7812 or Peg Allen at pegallen67@gmail.com

The committee is also awarding prizes to active participants throughout the month with an event tracker. It tracks each event you attend and for those who attend most to all programs will be entered into a drawing for big prizes. More information will be available at the Kickoff event Saturday, April 2 at Marathon County Public Library. The drawing for prizes will be held on Saturday, April 30 at John Muir Middle School.

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Everyday Hero: Helping her family led Lou Lor Lucassen to help others

Pharmacist Lou Lor Lucassen helps a customer Thursday during a prescription pickup at Walgreens at West Mason and Oneida Streets in Green Bay. / M.P. King/Press-Gazette

Pharmacy career inspired by challenges faced, desire to help

BELLEVUE — When Lou Lor Lucassen's dad lost a lot of weight after he was diagnosed with diabetes, her mother, who doesn't speak English, blamed his medications.

She said the family's confusion played a part in her decision to become a pharmacist.

Today, Lor Lucassen helps members of Green Bay's diverse population understand their medical symptoms and learn to properly use medications. For her work she was named a 2009 Green Bay Press-Gazette Everyday Hero. Heroes are those who make the community a better place to live and work.

As a pharmacist for Walgreens in Green Bay, Lor Lucassen often serves Hispanic and Hmong customers. She knows some Spanish and hopes to take classes so she can better serve that growing population, Lor Lucassen said.

"It's very satisfying when you can help someone," she said. "There are times when someone is explaining their symptoms and you can suggest something that might have been missed or maybe they didn't think of before."

Her work impressed Tina Hollenbeck, a former Green Bay teacher who worked with her younger siblings.

"I observed her interacting with a Hispanic family who had come to have several prescriptions filled (at Walgreens,)" Hollenbeck said in her nomination of Lor Lucassen. "At first, the parents attempted to rely on their middle-school aged son to translate as Lou explained (in English) the dosage instructions for each medication, but it was became obvious he really didn't understand what to tell them. … Then, Lou amazed everyone within earshot as she began giving the prescription instructions to the parents in fluent Spanish herself."

That's because she knows how scary it is to not understand, Lor Lucassen said.

Lor Lucassen's journey began in a refugee camp in Thailand where she was born. The family came to the U.S. when she was 6.

She and her siblings learned English while helping the family navigate the unfamiliar customs — and cold weather — of Northeastern Wisconsin. Lor Lucassen was smart.

After graduating from high school, Lor Lucassen studied to become an electrician, but soon realized a trade job wasn't for her. She worked in a pharmacy and eventually enrolled at the University of Wisconsin's pharmacy school.

Her father was a professor in Laos, but worked in a factory in his adopted country. He stressed the importance of education, Lor Lucassen said. She was attending pharmacy school when her father passed away and knows he would be proud.

But her mom thought Lor Lucassen should follow Hmong traditions: to marry young and stay home to raise a family. Her two older siblings stayed close to home and took factory jobs, though one now lives in Oklahoma. She has two younger siblings in college, one at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and one at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, and two siblings in high school.

Lor Lucassen married at 17, but even then her "mother thought I was very old," Lor said. She lives and works in the area to stay close to her family.

The generation gap is huge when moving to a new land, she said.

She's proud her younger siblings, too, are pursuing higher education.

"I think I influenced them," she said.

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Brothers in Arms: 'It is worth it to fight for freedom'

Cha Yeng Lee, in the living room of his Sheboygan home, talks about his experiences in the Special Guerrilla Unit during the Vietnam War and how the unit helped U.S. troops fight the Communist regime

Cha Yeng Lee recalls his 15 years fighting in the Secret War

Yer Lee considers her father, Cha Yeng Lee, a hero — for raising her and her brothers and sisters in their adopted hometown of Sheboygan, and for his sacrifices wh
en he helped U.S. troops fight the Communist regime during the Vietnam War.


Among the many framed photos and certificates hanging in his home, Cha Yeng Lee also has on display a Congress-issued Commendation and Citation for Vietnam War Service in Laos, dated May 14, 1997, recognizing the contribution made by him and other Hmong and Lao soldiers in the Secret War.

"I look up to him," said the 20-year-old nursing student at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, the youngest of her father's six children. "He's guided me … he's always there for me."

This is why Yer Lee has been helping with the artwork on the Lao, Hmong and American Veterans Memorial, a to be dedicated July 15 at Deland Park in Sheboygan.

"I felt I can give something back to my father and the soldiers," Yer Lee said.

Thousands of Hmong soldiers died during the years of the Secret War, and Cha Yeng Lee, 69, who served from 1960 to 1975 in the Special Guerrilla Unit, says he was a hero simply for fighting — and surviving.

"I was not killed, and I would like to think I was one hero, because many other people were killed, and I survived," Cha Yeng Lee said through an interpreter.

The memorial being built in Sheboygan, Lee said, is special for him and his family. It will offer testimony of the role the Special Guerrilla Unit soldiers played in assisting U.S. soldiers during the war. Lee said he is thankful for the support of local government and the generosity of those who donated the money to build the memorial.

"It means a lot to me, because I am getting older now, and pretty soon I'll be gone," said Lee, who rose from the rank of private to captain during his service. "It is good for my children, and the future generations will know I am here and I am lucky because I didn't get killed."


Cha Yeng Lee talks about how he was wounded by a mortar attack in the Secret Army in 1964 during the Vietnam War. Lee was wounded by a mortar attack in 1964 during a skirmish in Padong, suffering injuries to his knee and left leg, pain he still can feel at times.

Lee was wounded by a mortar attack in 1964 during a skirmish in Padong, suffering injuries to his knee and left leg, pain he still can feel at times.

He said he joined the Special Guerrilla Unit because the Communists invaded Laos to take their farms and land.

"It is worth it to fight for freedom, to stay alive, to be owners of land," Lee said. "Our fight was justified because the Communists came and we did not like the Communist regimes."

On excursions over the border to South Vietnam during the war, Lee fought side-by-side with U.S. soldiers.

"Our job and duty was to protect them, so they won't get killed," he recalled. "We must do whatever it takes to protect them."

Lee was recently married for a second time. His first wife, Xia Xiong, died in 1990. Since 1996, he and his children have resided in Sheboygan, where he says they have found a good life — far different than that of being "plain farmers" in Laos, with little money. He is now retired, after working several jobs in Sheboygan.

"We have everything," Lee said about living in Sheboygan. "We have cars, we have telephones, TV … I think America is much better than in Laos."

On the walls of the family's comfortable upper flat on Sheboygan's north side are many photos and plaques, reminders of the war, as well as a framed recognition of his service, and his certificate of U.S. citizenship. Five of his children still live in the area, and some have attended college.

"I'm hopeful for the younger ones that they try to go to school and they try to work to support themselves because I cannot do that (anymore), and I am pleased to see the younger ones have a brighter, better future," Lee said.

Yer Lee said her father, as an elder, traditional Hmong, is respected by many people in the community.

"Many people come to ask him for help," she said.

As for Cha Yeng Lee, the Lao, Hmong and American Veterans Memorial in his new hometown will be a reminder of all of the help the soldiers of the Special Guerrilla Unit gave to this country.

"It is something that (shows) we helped commit to help the United States during the Secret War and the memorial will tell all the story why we helped the U.S. government," Lee said.

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High school student designs Hmong-inspired clothing line

Lincoln High School senior Kang Chu Thao holds up her favorite of the pieces of clothing she has designed that will be part of a fashion show Saturday afternoon at Lincoln. Also shown are other pieces Thao made, as well as some traditional Hmong clothing that will be part of the show. (Sue Pischke/HTR)

MANITOWOC — Kang Chu Thao has wanted to work in the fashion industry since she was a little girl. Now a senior at Lincoln High School, she has taken a big step in that direction by designing a line of clothing that combines Hmong influences "with a modern twist."

The 18-year-old will showcase her designs at a fashion show she's putting on at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium at Lincoln High School, 1433 S. Eighth St. Doors open at 3 p.m. The show will last 30 to 40 minutes, and refreshments will be served afterward.

Admission is one gently used article of clothing to be donated to the Manitowoc County Domestic Violence Center.

Thao said she hopes members of the public will attend her show.

"I worked really hard to try to get this out to the public," she said, referring to flyers made and distributed with the help of a friend.

Independent study
Lincoln doesn't offer classes in fashion design, Thao said, so she applied to do an independent study course. The class involved designing and sewing clothing and planning the fashion show.

"I made 10 pieces of my own," Thao said.

Some she made "from scratch," and for others, she employed the strategy of "recycle, reuse and redesign," meaning she bought items at thrift shops and remade them.

Her fashion show also will feature 10 pieces of traditional Hmong clothing. All of those are from her own collection, purchased or made by her mother.

"They're very special to me," she said, and they're also her inspiration for the clothing she designed.
Combining cultures

Thao described the clothing she made as having "more of a sophisticated look." The designs are simple, and she incorporates Hmong symbols and patterns and traditional Hmong colors, which are vibrant and "neon."
Fashion designers use elements of other cultures, such as African-American, Japanese and Chinese, in their designs, but none of the major designers incorporate a Hmong influence, according to Thao.

Pursuing that "fresh idea" is what she wants to do as a career. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a double major in merchandising and design.

"It's just all really about finding myself and knowing how to share my culture with the rest of the world," she said

Thao's parents came to the United States from a refugee camp in Thailand in 1992. Their customs and culture were lost, Thao said, and she won't be able to fully experience her culture. She has felt it would be easier to be of one culture or the other, but now she has found a way to connect them through fashion.

"Creating and showcasing the clothing that I've created enables me to share my Hmong culture with my community," she said.

Thao said she wants to use her artistic ability to improve her community by sharing the Hmong culture.

Selecting models
Thao put out flyers seeking fellow Lincoln students to serve as models for her fashion show. She met individually with those interested, because she was looking for more than just an interest in modeling. She approved all 19 who expressed interest.

Self-directed
Thao "absolutely, no doubt" will be successful in her career as a fashion designer, said art teacher Gloria Pivonka, one of two teachers overseeing the independent study project.

Pivonka said Thao's maturity level "contributed to bringing all this together," and she described her as "self-directed."

"From start to finish, she's done everything," Pivonka said, referring to handling all aspects of the project. "She's taken it to the professional level."
Cindy Hodgson: (920) 686-2966 or chodgson@htrnews.com

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Editorial: Vang Pao's death means loss, change for area Hmong

The death last week of Laotian Army General Vang Pao is a great loss for Hmong Americans and marks the end of an era for this country's Southeast Asian refugees.

Pao, 81, died Thursday in Clovis, Calif., from pneumonia.

The charismatic leader was revered by tens of thousands of Hmong people who fled to the U.S. following the Vietnam War. He gained prominence first as part of the Royal Lao Army and later as head of a CIA-backed secret army, leading Hmong guerrillas against communists during the Vietnam War. Postwar, his reputation grew as he helped Hmong refugees resettle in the United States.

Many of the thousands of Hmong who live in Northeastern Wisconsin are mourning his death.

Staryoung Thao, executive director of the United Hmong & Asian American Community Center in Green Bay, told the Green Bay Press-Gazette he was sad to hear the news. He said Pao's passing would be "a turning point" for his people.

"It's a great loss to the Hmong community. It is a sad time for everyone," Thao on Tuesday told a member of the Press-Gazette editorial board. "… He had been considered one of the greatest leaders within the Hmong community, from postwar, (for) many generations, until now."

The Hmong community center, 401 Ninth St., on Sunday held a candlelight vigil to remember Pao. Between 200 and 300 people came to pay their respects, many weeping as they touched the leader's photograph, said Wa Yia Thao, the center's elected president.

Staryoung Thao estimates there are between 5,000 and 6,000 people with Hmong ethnic background — either those who migrated or who were born here — living in Brown County.

Though beloved by Hmong communities around the nation, Pao also was a controversial figure. Accounts surfaced that while he was a military leader, he had ordered executions of political prisoners and even of some of his followers, in addition to rumors that he helped finance his army through the opium trade.

In 2007, he and 10 others were indicted on federal charges for allegedly plotting to overthrow the communist government of Laos, a violation of the federal Neutrality Act. The charges against him were dropped in 2009.

The indictment in 2007 was enough to stop an effort in Madison to name an elementary school after Pao.

Still, Pao's legacy of fighting for the rights of his people cannot be denied. Among his accomplishments is his establishment of the Lao Family Community organization, which provides social services nationwide. The nonprofit group teaches English and basic life skills to refugees.

"We don't know that we will have anyone like him," said Wa Yia Thao, "or that we will have someone … who will replace him. The Hmong feel there will be no one who will be able to do as much as General Vang Pao."

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