Hmong Resources

There are many thousands of Hmong Americans in the Midwest and other areas around the country, but teachers and librarians are not always able to easily find resources that represent those students and families. Over the past few years, I've been working to find helpful resources and I wanted to make a space to gather the books and other things I've found. If you know of others, please share them in the comments.

Publishers/Bookstores:
HER Publisher
Hmong ABC (bookstore - online & St. Paul location)
Hmong Baby (publisher)
Minnesota Reading Together Project (books to order & free pdfs)
My First Hmong Book LLC (beginning readers)
Project Hmong (publisher - early readers & bulletin board border)
Reading Karma (publisher)

St. Paul Public Schools - Hmong Language & Culture Products

Individual Books:
Astrid & Apollo series (early chapter books)
Hmanganime (Hmong Fantasy/Anime Coloring Book - free)

Hmong ABCs
Hmong in Wisconsin (WI Historical Society book)
Hmong New Year 2015 - La Crosse, WI (Electronic book - free access)
Hmong New Year 2017 - La Crosse, WI (Electronic book - free access)
Leej Twg Hlub Koj? Who Loves You?
Ntxhais (high school senior project online comic)
The Plain of Stone Jars
Ten Little Fish/Kaum Tus Me Nyuam Ntses (board book)

Who Are the Hmong People

Yer and the Tiger - audio online via Classical Storytime

Hmong Clothing/Accessories
Big Eye Little Eye (online & St. Paul location)
Muaj Tiag Clothing Co.

RedGreen Rivers

Other Resources

Duachaka Her's Resource page

Fresno Unified School District Dual Language Immersion

Hmong American Experience (latest news & stories about Hmong Americans) 

Hmong Embroidery (online textile museum) 

The Hmong Language Resource Hub

Hmong Museum

Hmong Museum coloring pages

Hmong Times (MN online news)

Joe Bee Xiong

Learn About Hmong

Madison Schools Hmong Cultural Resources Guide

Neng Now
Wisconsin Life: Hmong

Artists
Hmong Artist List curated by Duachaka Her

Hmong Artist List curated by HmongThrills 
Mai Chao (a student was able to interview her - watch here)
Multiple Artists spotlighted
Shoua Yang (he did a great virtual visit at my school)

Musicians - I'll need to find more ;)
Maa Vue

Maa Vue 'If I Became a Rapper' (fun rap using math)

Hmong instruments for purchase - Neng Now

Children's & YA Authors 
V.T. Bidania (awesome virtual visits for both 3rd & 4th grade)

Mai Chao
Hua M. Conry
Lori M. Lee

Doua Moua

Mykou Thao

Chia Gounza Vang
Ka Vang
Kao Kalia Yang

May Y. Yang

Children's & YA Illustrators
Duachaka Her (comics)
Dara Lashia Lee
Billy Thao

Spoken Word Poetry/Essays/Read Alouds (Videos)
Come Home (spoken word poem by Kevin Yang)

Hmong American Day Read Alouds (not all follow copyright regulations)
'Hmong American Experience: Life Between Two Worlds' (Poem by Nakita)

Kuv Ua Tau/I Can Do It/ (read aloud by Mykou Thao)

Leej Twg Hlub Koj? Who Loves You? (read aloud)

A Map Into the World (read aloud by Kao Kalia Yang)

The Most Beautiful Thing Read Aloud & School Visit with Kao Kalia Yang
Ka Vang (spoken word poem)

Retro Review: Bamboo Among the Oaks: Contemporary Writing by Hmong Americans

Title: Bamboo Among the Oaks: Contemporary Writing by Hmong Americans
Edited By: Mai Neng Moua
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Pages: 205
Availability: On shelves now - published 2002
Review Copy: From public library
Age Level: Adult

Summary:  Of an estimated twelve million ethnic Hmong in the world, more than 200,000 live in the United States today, most of them refugees of the Vietnam War and the civil war in Laos. Their numbers make them one of the largest recent immigrant groups in our nation. Today, significant Hmong populations can be found in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Michigan, and Colorado, and St. Paul boasts the largest concentration of Hmong residents of any city in the world.

In this groundbreaking anthology, first- and second-generation Hmong Americans -- the first to write creatively in English -- share their perspectives on being Hmong in America. In stories, poetry, essays, and drama, these writers address the common challenges of immigrants adapting to a new homeland: preserving ethnic identity and traditions, assimilating to and battling with the dominant culture, negotiating generational conflicts exacerbated by the clash of cultures, and developing new identities in multiracial America. Many pieces examine Hmong history and culture and the authors' experiences as Americans. Others comment on issues significant to the community: the role of women in a traditionally patriarchal culture, the effects of violence and abuse, the stories of Hmong military action in Laos during the Vietnam War. These writers don't pretend to provide a single story of the Hmong; instead, a multitude of voices emerge, some wrapped up in the past, others looking toward the future, where the notion of "Hmong American" continues to evolve.

In her introduction, editor Mai Neng Moua describes her bewilderment when she realized that anthologies of Asian American literature rarely contained even one selection bya Hmong American. In 1994, she launched a Hmong literary journal, Paj Ntaub Voice, and in the first issue asked her readers "Where are the Hmong American voices?" Eight years later, this collection -- containing selections from the journal as well as new submissions -- offers a chorus of voices from a vibrant and creative community of Hmong American writers from across the United States.

Review: Typically I am only reviewing children's and young adult materials so I want to make it clear that this is written for adults though I am sure that mature young adults may also be interested. I read this book years ago, but pulled it out again recently because I was looking for some Hmong poetry to share at our school. I remembered that there were poems in this collection and I thought that possibly I could at least use a few lines from one of the poems. I did find what I was looking for in the poem "Walking Manifesto #2" by Pacyinz Lyfoung. It is prefaced with this statement, "For the First People, who never appear in any Asian American history because we too forget that before any of us--white, black, yellow--came here to argue race issues and our rights, they were here first" (p.55). Even my younger students could understand and appreciate this poem which is ultimately about peace, justice and equality.

The many voices and variety of formats in the book combine to make a spectacular collage of Hmong experiences. As readers we are fortunate to have this text available to us. There are so many ways of life in America. Sometimes we don't see the diversity within a cultural group. This book provides us that opportunity. It also lets us know that there are uncountable ways to be Hmong American beyond these examples and that over time there are still changes. This book also reminds us that we each have a story to tell no matter our heritage. We yearn to tell our stories  and publication of this book helps magnify the voices so that they can be heard by many more people. I so appreciated that the authors shared themselves with us.

This is a fantastic work and I would highly recommend it to anyone. 

If you would like to hear some of the poems and learn more about the book, please watch the book discussion below.

One More Thing

My first pile of Hmong flashcards

The newest bit of learning in my life comes in the form of a Hmong language class at the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association. I have a Hmong name to use in class, Nkauj Ntxawm, and have started to learn a few of the basic phrases and sentences for conversation. 

The classes make my head spin though. It feels like a workout for my brain. My brain scrambles to make connections between what I hear, see, and write and hardly keeps up with the pace. Luckily I found an app that helps me practice outside of class too called Hmong Phrases by Annie Vang.

So why am I taking this class? The look on my students' faces when I use words from their home language or ask them to help me with my pronunciation is the reward. Fortunately, there is also an interpreter at our school who is encouraging and stops by my office and speaks to me in Hmong. I am hoping to keep at this long enough to be able to hold a conversation, but it seems a bit overwhelming to be quite honest. I have no experience with a tonal language and I really have a hard time stepping out with a language knowing that I will make mistakes. It turns me back into that shy little girl I used to be hiding behind my mother's skirts and rarely speaking to anyone outside of family. This will be a tough challenge, but every smile, giggle, and twinkling eye that I see in the faces of my students makes every bit of my time and effort worth it.