2008 Woodie Awards
UA Hmong students take stand against genocide
Niketa Reed
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Life & Style
They were the forgotten U.S. allies. Fleeing by the thousands into the jungles in Laos to avoid prosecution, torture and death in the mid '70s, the Hmong people are still believed to be in refuge for aiding the U.S. in the Vietnam War. Much like the letter in their name, the "H" for help has gone silent and largely ignored for more than 30 years.
Awareness of the Hmong genocide is a major focus for the Hmong Student Organization, which is a UA registered student organization that was established in 2003, to support, promote and encourage Hmong students academically, culturally and socially, said HSOA president Pachee Thao.
Controversies in the clash between communist parties and states prelude the Hmong's involvement with the CIA's "Secret Army" during the Vietnam War. This allegedly spurred retaliation from a communist regime in Laos, placed in power after the U.S. pulled out of southeast Asia in 1975, according to footage in the documentary "Hunted Like Animals" by filmmaker Rebecca Sommer. Issues of forced repatriation, from places of refugee like Thailand, remain in question.
"There's a lot of Hmong crisis going on right now that many people aren't aware of, but before they can fully understand the crisis, they need to know who the Hmong are - and the only way they'll know is through our organization," Thao said. "HSOA reopened me to my own culture, which in a sense made me want to open the culture to the public. I felt like I had a duty to perform, and that duty, nonetheless, was to voice the campus and the community that there is a Hmong minority group out there.
"We want to be known, we want to be heard, " Thao said.
The Hmong ethnic group descends from the southeast region of Asia. Today, the Hmong population has migrated heavily to southern provinces in China, parts of northern Vietnam, Thailand, and internationally through the Hmong Diaspora, according to the online Encyclopedia Britannica.
UA senior and HSOA member Stephanie Vang is proud of how much the organization has grown and improved over the years.
Awareness of the Hmong genocide is a major focus for the Hmong Student Organization, which is a UA registered student organization that was established in 2003, to support, promote and encourage Hmong students academically, culturally and socially, said HSOA president Pachee Thao.
Controversies in the clash between communist parties and states prelude the Hmong's involvement with the CIA's "Secret Army" during the Vietnam War. This allegedly spurred retaliation from a communist regime in Laos, placed in power after the U.S. pulled out of southeast Asia in 1975, according to footage in the documentary "Hunted Like Animals" by filmmaker Rebecca Sommer. Issues of forced repatriation, from places of refugee like Thailand, remain in question.
"There's a lot of Hmong crisis going on right now that many people aren't aware of, but before they can fully understand the crisis, they need to know who the Hmong are - and the only way they'll know is through our organization," Thao said. "HSOA reopened me to my own culture, which in a sense made me want to open the culture to the public. I felt like I had a duty to perform, and that duty, nonetheless, was to voice the campus and the community that there is a Hmong minority group out there.
"We want to be known, we want to be heard, " Thao said.
The Hmong ethnic group descends from the southeast region of Asia. Today, the Hmong population has migrated heavily to southern provinces in China, parts of northern Vietnam, Thailand, and internationally through the Hmong Diaspora, according to the online Encyclopedia Britannica.
UA senior and HSOA member Stephanie Vang is proud of how much the organization has grown and improved over the years.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 10
dai thao
posted 4/18/08 @ 12:49 PM CST
HSOA,
Thanks for your advocacy work! In 2004, we did the long walk for freedom, the 1200 miles march from st. paul to DC, to bring attention to the plight of the secret war veterans in the jungles of laos, it is energizing to see HSOA taking on and standing up for justice and equality - keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Dai Thao
Ying vang
posted 4/19/08 @ 3:00 PM CST
We, the older Hmong generation, feel much relief when our young Hmong generation starts waking up now to realize what has been going on to their people since the last half century ago. (Continued…)
hamiltongrad
posted 4/24/08 @ 11:05 PM CST
this is such an interesting and moving article. Thank you.
Sandra
posted 4/30/08 @ 12:07 PM CST
hi.. umm..i would like to learn more about the genocide. im doing a research paper on it and i can't really find any info on it..but..i'm trying
to make the gencode known to people. (Continued…)
Pam Vang
posted 6/19/08 @ 4:49 PM CST
Hi, I am thinking about starting a project to help the Hmong people in Laos. I want to make everyone more aware of the issue and ask for the state of minnesota to help. (Continued…)
Cindy
posted 6/20/08 @ 1:41 AM CST
Hi I wanted to learn about this organization and how you work. I also wanted to know if there is anything we can do to help. I live in texas and have a few friends who want to join in this effort as well. (Continued…)
Gao
posted 10/27/08 @ 11:51 PM CST
I am a student at San Jose State University in California. I am majoring in Social Work and would love to have a fundraiser for the New year celebrations we have in California and was wondering where I would be able to send the money that I raised to help the Hmong community back in laos or thailand?
Kelly
posted 12/17/08 @ 5:25 PM CST
Please. I am Hmong. I want to help so bad. I watched a video on Youtube and I cried hard, like I've never cried before. It broke my heart to watch it. (Continued…)
Post a Comment