2025 Wrap Up: 50th Joint Commemoration, Honoring Our Legacies

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Minnesota Humanities Center blog. Serving on this Advisory Council has truly been one of the greatest honors of my year. As one of the three individuals who represented the Hmong community.  A community of more than 100,000 strong in Minnesota, I felt a deep responsibility to ensure all our stories were represented with dignity, accuracy, and heart.

As someone born in Minnesota and part of the first generation of American-born Hmong, navigating the line between what is “Hmong” and what is “American” has always been a challenge. Our history is rarely taught, seldom visible, and often misunderstood. Growing up, I lived in two worlds at once.  One shaped by the refugee experience of my mother, and one shaped by the American culture around me. This project allowed me to bridge those worlds in a meaningful way.

From our very first Advisory Council meetings, what struck me most was how much similarity existed across all our communities. We came in with separate histories Hmong, Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and American.  Yet when we shared our family stories, losses, and hopes, so many of our experiences mirrored each other. That sense of unity fueled our shared vision for this grand commemoration. Working jointly on such an amazing project felt not only natural, but necessary.

My personal connection to the Vietnam War era runs deep. My mother fled through the jungles of Laos and eventually made her way to America through Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. Her journey one of survival, loss, grief, trauma and resilience is the same story carried by thousands in our community. Being part of this commemoration meant honoring her sacrifices, and the sacrifices of every family who lived through this era.

It was also an honor to help coordinate the SGU Veterans and other Veterans to take part in this event. Their presence reminded us that the war’s legacy spans multiple generations and multiple identities refugees, soldiers, American Veterans, and immigrants who rebuilt their lives here.  Learning from the Veteran community, not just within the four Southeast Asian groups but also from U.S. Veterans of the Vietnam War era, deepened my understanding of how widespread the suffering ended up being along with their own sacrifices.

What I gained from this experience is seeing how our stories wove together into a more complete picture like paj ntaub (A flower cloth or “story cloth”).  One that recognizes every community’s struggle and sacrifice. Understanding our history, amplifying underrepresented voices, acknowledging the heavy toll and impact this had on all our communities only furthers the fact that this should never be repeated.