January 9, 2015 - On this The Daily Circuit program, MPR’s Tom Weber talks with Lee Pao Xiong and Chia Youyee Vang about the history of the Hmong migration to the U.S…a history that some are unaware of 40 years after the first arrivals.
January 29, 2015 - MPR’s Lorna Benson profiles Dr. Keith Henry, who in 1985 opened the state's first HIV/AIDS clinic at a public hospital in St. Paul as AIDS and fear of AIDS patients gripped Minnesota and the world. Henry and others reflect on what has changed in the last 30 years in supporting those fighting the disease.
March 2, 2015 - In marking the 40th anniversary of Hmong arrival to the U.S., All Things Considered’s Tom Crann presents an audio portrait of Ly Xiong Pao. In profile, Pao shares memories of war and being a shaman.
March 3, 2015 - In marking the 40th anniversary of Hmong arrival to the U.S., All Things Considered’s Tom Crann presents an audio portrait of Ma Lee. In profile, Lee shares traumatic memories of fleeing during wartime.
March 4, 2015 - In marking the 40th anniversary of Hmong arrival to the U.S., All Things Considered’s Steven John presents an audio portrait of Yee Chang. In profile, Chang shares memories of resettlement as a child. Audio originally aired as part of 1999 MPR documentary “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota”
March 4, 2015 - On this episode of Appetites, Pakou Hang, co-founder and executive director of the Hmong American Farmers Association, shares five things you might not have known about Hmong food and farming in Minnesota.
April 23, 2015 - On MPR News with Tom Weber, Kao Choua Vue previews Quia Dab Neeg Film Festival, held at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. The sixth-annual Hmong film festival showcases films produced by Hmong artists from Minnesota, around the country, and from Laos.
June 10, 2015 - MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles One Voice Mixed Chorus of Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul. The chorus bills itself as the largest LGBT and Allies chorus in the nation, with more than 125 singers and an additional 50 volunteers. For years the chorus has explored issues surrounding gender.
July 2, 2015 - On MPR News with Tom Weber, Tzianeng Vang shares details on The Hmong Freedom Celebration, also known as J4. The annual event at Como Park features a soccer tournament, as well as other sports, activities, traditional Hmong goods for sale, and food. This year the festival holds a little more significance because it was 40 years ago this year that the first Hmong arrived in Minnesota.
July 16, 2015 - All Things Considered’s Tom Crann talks with Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, who made history in 1970 when they walked into the Hennepin County Courthouse and became the first same-sex couple in the country to apply for a marriage license.