Upcoming Series Will Explore Hmong People’s Experience in the Valley
three-session series starts Oct. 18 at L.E. Phillips Library
V1 Staff |
An upcoming three-part event series at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library will explore the the history and culture of Hmong people in the Chippewa Valley and beyond. The series, titled “Building Our Community: Hmong in the Chippewa Valley,” will take place Oct. 18, Nov. 1, and Nov. 15 from 1-4:30pm.
Each session is geared towards offering opportunities to expand cultural awareness and appreciation for the Hmong community in our region.
The series will dive deep into the history of Hmong people in China, their participation in the Secret War, the immigration journey to the United States, and finally, the experiences of Hmong residents here in the Chippewa Valley.
The three sessions will be facilitated by a trio of emerging Hmong women-owned consulting businesses: CML Consulting, Roots Consulting, and KV Consulting. Presenters include Pa Thao, Caitlin Lee, and Khoua Vang. Collectively, they have invested over 20 years of community engagement here in the Eau Claire area, specializing in EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), Hmong language and culture, and capacity-building training.
“There’s been a sharp national increase in anti-Asian hate incidents related to COVID,” said Isa Small, Programming & Communications Services Manager at the library. “This series will train individuals, businesses, schools, and other organizations about Hmong culture and history so we can be better neighbors, reducing the stigma that’s grown since the COVID pandemic first broke.”
The sessions are as follows:
- Session 1: An Introduction to the Hmong (Oct. 18)
- Session 2: The Secret War and the Hmong Diaspora (Nov. 1)
- Session 3: Living Among Us: Engaging with the Hmong Community (Nov. 15)
The sessions are free to attend, but registration is required at www.ecpubliclibrary.info.
