St. Paul, Minn. (April 12, 2018) — In celebration of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Hmong Cultural Center presents the Hmong Documentary Series at our museum exhibit center/library in Saint Paul.
The Hmong Documentary Series begins May 2, 2018 from 6 – 7 p.m. with “Disappearing World,” a rarely seen documentary from the early 1970s in which Anthropologist Jacques Lemoine looks at the situation of the Hmong in Laos. The film visits Hmong villages and shows the heavy losses Hmong have endured in the Laotian Civil War. The documentary also shows the Hmong in American backed refugee camps and includes segments on the traditional lifestyle the Hmong are trying to preserve.
The Hmong Documentary Series continues May 9, 2018 from 5 to 7 p.m. with “The Best Place to Live: A Personal Story of Hmong Refugees from Laos,” directed by Peter O’Neill and Ralph Rugoff. This 1981 film is a portrait of Hmong who settled in Providence, Rhode Island. It documents a wedding, a funeral, soccer games and a rock band as well as experiences in schools and workplaces while exploring ambivalence about life in the U.S. and a longing for pre-war Laos. Also shown will be Better Places: Hmong of Rhode Island a Generation Later, a 2011 sequel directed by Peter O’Neill and Louisa Schein which follows up with four families from the first film.
The Hmong Documentary Series concludes May 16, 2018 from 6 – 7 p.m. with “BecomingAmerican: A Hmong Family From Laos Resettles in the U.S.,” directed by Ken and Ivory Levine. This 1982 film follows a Southeast Asian Hmong family from a refugee camp in Thailand to Seattle, exploring cross-cultural issues during a nine-month period. The film records a poignant odyssey as Hang Sou and his family finally arrive in America and face nine months of intense culture shock, prejudice and gradual adaptation to their new home.
Please consider joining us for the showing of these important films documenting Hmong American history. Attendees may also visit the interactive exhibits on Hmong culture and history at HCC before or after the showings. To RSVP, please visit the events page @ HCC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/HmongCulturalCenter/events/?ref=page_internal
Hmong 101 Interactive Exhibits Tour
The next Hmong 101 Guided Exhibit Tour at Hmong Cultural Center is scheduled April 25, 2018 at 5-6 p.m.. Attendees will receive a comprehensive 1 hour guided tour of Hmong Cultural Center’s new interactive exhibit center designed in partnership with Museology Museum Services and Design Uake. As part of their visit they will view substantive exhibits and learn about Hmong culture and history including the Hmong role in the Vietnam War, the Hmong Diaspora around the World, the Hmong clan system, the history of the Hmong written language, the Hmong religion, milestones in the growth of the Hmong community in Minnesota,diversity in the Hmong Minnesotan community and Hmong Folk Arts traditions. Tickets for the guided tour may be purchased at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hmong-101-interactive-exhibits-tour-and-presentation-tickets-44421755667?aff=efbeventtix
