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As 2025 marks the 50th day of the Hmong migration to the United States, Fresno State volition big its inaugural Hmong Heritage Education Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.
This free, nationalist event, to beryllium held successful tons P30 and P31 adjacent the Resnick Student Union, volition bring unneurotic field and assemblage members to observe Hmong culture, past and acquisition empowerment.
Dr. Bao Johri, vice president for Information Technology and main accusation serviceman astatine Fresno State, emphasized the value of the day.
“The Hmong Heritage Education Day is astir educating and bringing communities unneurotic to observe the Hmong people’s history, heritage, values, achievements and contributions,” said Johri, who serves connected the lawsuit readying committee. “It is an accidental for students to instrumentality pridefulness successful their culture, bespeak connected the sacrifices of past generations and clasp the work of preserving their heritage. Be arrogant of your past, absorption connected your present, and physique a aboriginal that upholds the affluent traditions and enduring tone of the Hmong people.”
The event’s roots hint backmost to smaller, student-led celebrations organized annually by the Hmong Student Association to coincide with the accepted Hmong New Year solemnisation each December. What began arsenic humble tabling and taste performances adjacent the Speaker’s Platform connected field has present blossomed into a broad campus-wide event.
For Daisy Thao, Hmong Student Association president, the Hmong Heritage Education Day is profoundly personal.
“It gives our Hmong students a level to beryllium arrogant of who they are and helps uplift our wider field community. It shows that we are contiguous and doing the enactment connected campus,” Thao said. “It was incredibly meaningful to spot the assemblage president truthful progressive with Hmong students, wanting to uplift our assemblage connected campus. Over the years, it’s been heartwarming to spot however supported we are by module and unit who genuinely privation our Southeast Asian students to win successful higher education.”
The day’s programming includes taste performances by creation groups, field tours, the Hmong Legacy Exhibit and fiscal assistance and assemblage mentation sessions.
Participants tin registry for a fig of workshops led by presenters specified arsenic writer and Fresno State alumnus Soul Vang, who volition usher originative penning sessions, and Dr. Yang Sao Xiong, adjunct prof of anthropology, who volition connection penetration into Hmong taste and spiritual practices.
There volition beryllium a field and assemblage assets fair, vendors selling goods and nutrient for acquisition from Asian nutrient trucks. Attendees volition beryllium entered to triumph raffle prizes passim the day.
Thao hopes the lawsuit volition bash much than observe — she wants it to physique connections and make support.
“I anticipation students recognize they’re not unsocial connected campus,” she said. “We privation to amusement that determination are galore resources, faculty, unit and students disposable to enactment them. We cognize higher acquisition tin beryllium challenging, particularly for first- and second-generation students, truthful this lawsuit is astir commemorating assemblage and connection.”
For much accusation and to registry for a workshop, sojourn the Hmong Heritage time website.
(Story by Katie Xiong, pupil adjunct successful University Marketing and Communications)
