Wisconsin celebrates 50th anniversary of Hmong resettlement

Wisconsin commemorated the 50th anniversary of Hmong resettlement on May 14, celebrating a statewide community that has grown to over 55,000 people since the first refugee families arrived following the Vietnam War in 1975.

Finding a new home: Hmong families first sought refuge in the U.S. after facing persecution for their alliance with American forces during covert operations in Laos. “Our families fled Laos and Thailand because of the American war in Southeast Asia,” Tammie Xiong, executive director of the Hmong American Women’s Association in Milwaukee, told the Wisconsin Public Radio.

Many navigated dangerous escapes across the Mekong River into Thailand before spending time in refugee camps. “We have to go through this hardship so we can live a better life in the U.S.,” Tsu Lor Xiong told WUWM, reflecting on his family’s journey.

A celebration of community: The Legislative Asian Caucus held ceremonies at the State Capitol last Wednesday, with community leaders honoring veterans and reflecting on their collective journey. As of 2024, just 3.3% of Wisconsin’s population identifies as Asian, though it is now home to the third-largest Hmong population in the U.S.

The state Assembly also passed two resolutions, including one “celebrating 50 years of strength and resilience of the Hmong, Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese people.”

Ongoing challenges: The anniversary represents both achievement and ongoing challenges for the state’s Hmong residents. For one, community leaders say the milestone calls for continued investment in housing and culturally appropriate services. “As a medical anthropologist researching my own community, it has been a work of mourning,” UW-Madison professor Mai See Thao told WKOW, “to see that even after resettlement, Hmong people continue to face disparities and hardship as they age in their place of refuge.”

Looking ahead, a traveling exhibition presenting Hmong American experiences through interactive domestic spaces — titled “Los Tsev, Cia Siab,” meaning “Home, Hope” — will continue its journey to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in September.