Hmong in Wisconsin

by Mai Zong Vue

Unknown to many Americans at the time, the Hmong helped the US government fight Communists in Laos during the Secret War of the 1960s and 1970s, a parallel conflict to the Vietnam War. When Saigon fell and allies withdrew, the surviving Hmong fled for their lives, spending years in Thai refugee camps before being relocated to the United States and other countries.

Many of these families found homes in Wisconsin, which now has the third largest Hmong population in the country, following California and Minnesota. As one of the most recent cultural groups to arrive in the Badger State, the Hmong have worked hard to establish a new life here, building support systems to preserve traditions and to help one another as they enrolled in schools, started businesses, and strived for independence. 

Told with a mixture of scholarly research, interviews, and personal experience of the author, this latest addition to the popular People of Wisconsin series shares the Hmong’s varied stories of survival and hope as they have become an important part of Wisconsin communities.

 

Genres: Nonfiction, Immigration

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2020

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but informative. Highlights the history of Hmong refugees coming to Wisconsin and the networks of community support that helped one another in their new lives.

[Annetteb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly written exposé of Hmong history and specifically the experience of being refugees in Wisconsin.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, I learned a lot about Hmong culture and how it has adapted in Wisconsin

[Michael Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good primer on the story of the Hmong and their journey and story in coming to America with a particular focus on Wisconsin.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! I learned a lot about Hmong, their refugee flight to Wisconsin, and their resettlement. Very informative, well written, and I enjoyed it.