2019 End of Year Reflections
(Pictured above are 2019 Hmong Museum Board Members & Executive Director. Left to right: Koobmeej Lee, Nalie Lee-Heidt, Mai Vang, Chuayi Thao and Sandy Lo.)
As I reflect back at 2019, I am ever thankful for the continued love and support Hmong Museum has from all of you. I just wanted to highlight some of the things we’ve been able to achieve this year with your help:
- Letter writing to Minnesota legislators to ask for funding for Hmong Museum (we did it by the way! It’s in the form of a grant and we are getting that rolling!)
- Completed 10 digital stories with Hmong Special Guerrilla Unit Veterans
- Provided Hmong educational crafts at community events like at Hmong American Day and Flint Hills Family Festival
- Held two crowd sourcing sessions with volunteers
- Engaged with students and families about the Hmong with an exhibit at the Festival of Nations
- Fiscally sponsored a priority action team, Unfamiliar Stories through the Legacy Strategic Agenda Collaborative, a community research project focused on ways to connect communities of color with history grants
- Another successful year of teaching 50+ students with our free monthly Paj Ntaub workshops
- Wrapped up the “Partners in Action” exhibit at the Minnesota Museum of American Art featuring Hmong artist from the Hmong Elder Center
We look forward to doing even more in 2020 with two new grants Hmong Museum recently received: Microgrant for Folk Art Class and Infrastructure Grant.
Leaving a Legacy
There are so few public programs available that is geared towards Hmong families, Hmong professionals, and Hmong elders. It is so rewarding to hear stories of how these programs have impacted students and participants. It’s no surprise because when you become aware of you grandparents’ and parents’ stories, you learn about yourself. We are hearing from older generations that they yearn to leave their history and stories for future generations.
A Resource for the Future
Over the last four years since Hmong Museum became a 501(c)3 non-profit, we’ve been developing and implementing these types of programs. Very importantly, we have been documenting the experiences and life stories from elders and participants along the way. These will become primary resources for future generations.
A Race Against Time
Time is of essence, as Hmong elders age and memories become faint. We learned this year, while preparing for the Partners in Action program, how quick the art of batik is fading. Few remain with the knowledge and skills. The demand to document and preserve is strong, but Hmong Museum can’t do it fast enough, without your support.
Thank you for your continued support. Have a Happy Holiday season!
Mai Vang