![]() The final wave of refugee immigrants to the United States started arriving in 2004, and there are an estimated 200,000 Hmong living here today-mostly in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Some were able to immigrate to the United States nearly immediately, while others resided in refugee camps for years, even decades. It was a vicious, running purge that killed thousands of Hmong people. When the United States ended its war effort in 1975, Yang’s village joined a mass exodus, fleeing from Communist soldiers seeking revenge. “So, there was only the four of us left,” she recalled during a recent interview, crying. Soon, Yang and her siblings were orphans in a war zone. ![]() Yang remembers her mother rolling around in pain, calling out for her dead husband. Her children watched her get sick and grow dangerously weak. They moved into the village, murdering him as Yang’s mother rushed the children into the jungle.Īs the war intensified, and Hmong villages endured attack after attack from Communist raiding parties, Yang’s mother became overwhelmed with despair. Yang says when she was 6, some North Vietnamese spies learned her father was part of a U.S.-sponsored brigade and had a hidden cache of weapons. That was before he became a soldier, before their village in Laos was pulled into the regional fighting. Yang, who now lives in Oroville, can still remember her father carrying her on his back as he worked the fields. They would come to be remembered as “the Secret Army.” Central Intelligence Agency to battle North Vietnamese soldiers and Lao Communist insurgents on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. One of those people is Mai Yang, whose father was among the 30,000 Hmong recruited by the U.S. It’s a story that played out under the shadow of the Vietnam War and nearly everyone who made it through was scarred. As people spread across the campus of Nelson Avenue Middle School in Oroville, the elders take time to publicly remember a lost homeland, a painful exodus and the seeds of a new beginning. Men stroll by in dark suits and sunglasses. Tassels sway on high hats and beaded tucks. It’s a hot October day as hundreds from Butte County’s Hmong community pour onto a field to celebrate their New Year. ![]() As a budding gardener, she is trying to grow her own vegetables and herbs during the summer months.The air is filled with the jangle of coins and chains-swinging silver ornaments on hand-stitched dresses flashing in the sunlight. She also enjoys getting out onto the water and paddling with family and friends. Traveling in the pursuit of beautiful places and amazing food is a must for her. She actively engages in professional development to stay current with the latest research and best practices in education.īeyond the classroom, Pang Bee enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She received her teaching license and a Master’s degree in teaching from Hamline University. Pang Bee holds a Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies from the University of Minnesota. She currently works as an EL teacher in a Hmong immersion school in Saint Paul Public Schools where she can utilize both Hmong and English. With a deep commitment to student growth and development, she strives to create engaging learning environments that foster academic excellence. She enjoys teaching children and families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Pang Bee Xiong (Paaj Npib Xyooj) is a K-12 English language teacher with over 8 years of teaching experience. ![]() Our vision of a thriving watershed, forever accessible, scenic, and wild, simply will not happen without the support of a diverse community of riverway supporters. Through strengthening and uplifting our relationship with the Hmong community, we’re supporting the next generation of diverse river users to be caretakers of the St. We launched the Hmong Ambassadors Program to facilitate activities along the river for and led by Hmong community members that will foster a deeper love and care for the rivers and land and enhance environmental education around water quality, land conservation, and watershed stewardship. We’ve collaborated with passionate local Hmong outdoor leaders to continue to increase access and create opportunities for the Hmong community to experience and establish a positive relationship with the rivers. The Hmong community is a large user of the rivers due to their natural connection to nature and participation in outdoor activities like fishing and hunting. Strengthening Community Connection to the St.
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