May 3, 2022 - On this segment of North Star Journey, MPR’s Peter Cox looks at how a growing class of young Hmong doctors, nurses, and public health leaders recognized COVID’s threat and worked to guide people toward science-based answers.
June 9, 2017 - MPR’s Nancy Yang profiles Sunisa Lee, the 14-year-old St. Paul gymnast who is believed to be the first Hmong American to make the national gymnastics team. Suni, as many people call her, has the goal of making the 2020 Olympic gymnastics team. It’s a goal supported by her parents, coach, and community.
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.
November 12, 2013 - MPR’s Curtis Gilbert reports on St. Paul electing its first Hmong American city council member. Dai Thao is an information technology specialist who’s never run for office before. He won a special election against six other candidates after the ranked-choice vote count took place.
January 7, 2011 - MPR’s Dan Olson profiles General Vang Pao, a key U.S. ally during the Vietnam War, who died in California at the age of 81. The military leader is described by admirers as a warrior chieftain of the 18 Hmong clans he helped lead. General Pao was a familiar figure in Minnesota, home to the country's second largest Hmong population, including some of his family members.
November 30, 2010 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports that 30 years after their initial arrival, poverty for Hmong is still an issue, but rates are down sharply, and life for many is improving. Olson talks with members of Hmong community about reasons behind the change.
March 9, 2006 - All Things Considered’s Tom Crann interviews Lee Pao Xiong, director of Concordia's Center for Hmong Studies, about the first ever International Conference on Hmong Studies. Academics from around the world are coming to Concordia University to talk about a culture undergoing dramatic transition.
September 17, 2005 - MPR’s Toni Randolph reports that while the jury's guilty verdict ends the legal aspect of the Chai Vang murder case, the emotional toll is still lingering -- for his family and the Hmong community.
December 14, 2004 - MPR’s Lorna Benson reports on a panel discussion at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute designed to debunk misperceptions about immigrants. The panel of Twin Cities community leaders say they're discouraged by the attitudes of Minnesotans who are fed up with immigrants. A new study has found that many Minnesotans believe immigrants are a drain on public services and that they shun assimilation. The opinions were strongest among people living in the outer-ring suburbs.
April 30, 2004 - Federal law enforcement officials are investigating several recent violent incidents involving members of the Twin Cities Hmong community. The most recent event was a suspicious fire that burned down the home of the son of a prominent Hmong leader. While the authorities search for suspects, some in the Hmong community say the recent violence highlights old divisions and wounds that have yet to heal.