The Hmong American community in Wisconsin is commemorating a milestone: 50 years since the first Hmong refugee families resettled in the Fox Valley following the U.S.-aligned “Secret War” in Southeast Asia.
To honor the anniversary, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center hosted a vibrant cultural celebration this week, featuring traditional music, dance, cuisine, and a performance of The Latehomecomer, a stage adaptation of Hmong American author Kao Kalia Yang’s acclaimed memoir, as reported by WLUK-TV (FOX 11 News).
Today, Wisconsin is home to the third-largest Hmong American population in the U.S., following California and Minnesota. Appleton alone is home to approximately 3,000 Hmong residents. The next chapter in this growing legacy will begin this fall with the opening of the Hmong American Immersion School (HAIS)—a public charter school aimed at integrating Hmong language, history, and identity into the educational experience.
“It’s the first Hmong charter school in northeast Wisconsin,” said Dr. Thai Xiong, Impact Director at HAIS, in an interview with WFRV-TV (We Are Green Bay). “Back then, little was known about Hmong culture, and we want that visibility to grow.”
The celebration also served as an early kickoff to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which begins each May. Organizers emphasized the importance of honoring not only cultural traditions, but also the educational and civic impact the Hmong community has had since arriving in the United States five decades ago.
As the community reflects on 50 years of history, the launch of HAIS signals a future rooted in cultural pride, visibility, and intergenerational learning.
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