After the Vietnam War, many Hmong people found themselves as refugees. The resettlement of some to the United States began in 1975, with multiple waves continuing until 2006. Today Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to the largest urban Hmong population in the world. The Hmong people in Minnesota have developed a strong and vibrant community in their chapter of the immigrant story in America.
July 6, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports on how immigration officials and attorneys are trying to help untangle the confusion around the recently passed Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act. The act signed into law in late May 2000 eases citizenship requirements for those who served in Laos on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War.
July 13, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports on a Minnesota visit of the The Lao Royal Family for several days hoping to garner support for democratic reform in Laos. Meetings are planned with local officials as well as the Lao and Hmong people.
September 6, 2000 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on the opening of more than a dozen new charter schools in Minnesota, bringing the state's total to 64. This year's batch of schools includes some that are targeting specific racial and ethnic groups -- an approach that worries some education leaders.
September 25, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports on preserving the history and culture of the Hmong through the mission of an established archives in St. Paul, called Hmong Nationality Archives. Organizers hope to collect, catalog, and make available materials about or by Hmong in Minnesota, and eventually around the world.
November 6, 2000 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Yer Moua, a Hmong woman about her concerns and views as a voter. Speaking through her daughter, Mai Ning Moua, Yer said that although this will be her first U.S. election, this wont be her first time in a voting booth.
November 20, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports that the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has launched a survey of several hundred Hmong business owners and households in St Paul. The Fed wants to know how well the banking system is meeting the needs of Hmong entrepreneurs. They hope the survey will illuminate the obstacles to Hmong people's access to capital.
November 24, 2000 - Nearly 100,000 people are expected in downtown St. Paul for the three day Hmong New Year, two Minnesota Wild games, and other events. The majority of the participants will converge on the city's RiverCentre to celebrate the Hmong New Year. MPR’s Tom Scheck provides a glimpse into the celebration.
December 6, 2000 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports that leaders in Minnesota's Southeast Asian community are calling on government officials to assist them in addressing the issue of domestic violence. They're also asking Hmong people with domestic problems to seek help from neighbors, elders, and counselors before tragedies happen.
February 20, 2001 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Bo Thao, who proposed a new oral history project documenting the lives of Hmong women in the Twin Cities. Thao says she hopes the stories will empower younger women with the knowledge that Hmong women have always been leaders in their communities, especially in times of war.
March 29, 2001 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on 2000 U.S. Census data that shows people of Asian decent now outnumber African Americans in St. Paul. Nearly nine percent of Ramsey County's population is Asian. Many of the counties surrounding the Twin Cities also had significant growth in Asian populations in the past decade.