Hmong American Community Certificate

The Hmong American Certificate Program is designed to help you understand the history, refugee experience, culture, and challenges of the Hmong American communities. Through these workshops, you will have the opportunity to meet Hmong presenters of different experiences, and engage in activities and discussions that will help you sharpen your knowledge and skills to serve Hmong clients or interact with Hmong individuals, leaders, youth and women. Participants who complete 4 out of the 5 sessions will earn a program certificate. CEUs are available for each session. Participants also have the option to earn, for an additional cost, graduate level credit from Edgewood College.

This Certificate Program is a joint partnership between The Hmong Institute and Edgewood College to further enhance providers’ knowledge and skills as they invest in providing culturally competent services to the Hmong American community. It meets five Saturdays in October and November in Madison. The trainers have 30 years of experience serving Hmong American communities in Wisconsin at various capacities.

Upon completion of this program, you will be equipped with fundamental knowledge of Hmong society—history, refugee experience, belief system, family/clan structure, rituals/customs, the ever- changing roles of youth, elders, men and women, and current issues facing the Hmong in Wisconsin.  In addition, you will receive a certificate acknowledging your completion of this program.

Ultimately, your services will be greatly improved for your Hmong clients and communities, leading to trust-building relationships.  You will know how to show the Hmong community that they matter within your institution or community.  Your participation will yield – cost effectively – improved culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery for your agency.

Who Should Attend?

Anyone interested in improving services with/to the Hmong community.  This certificate program is intended to prepare providers to improve services for the Hmong community.

Whether you are in schools, health care, legal, law enforcement, government, nonprofits or for profits, or whether you are a teacher, counselor/social worker, policy maker, minister, police officer, nurse, doctor, hospice worker, retirement or nursing home staff member, or just a conscientious, concerned individual, these workshops/certificate program will strengthen your ability to work with Hmong Americans, improve services for Hmong individuals and deepen your understanding of, and working relationship with, local Hmong Americans and their community.

You will:

  • Gain a better understanding of the Hmong American history and refugee experiences;
  • Learn about the fundamental beliefs, culture and practices of the Hmong American community;
  • Gain exposure to Hmong family, extended family and clan structures;
  • Recognize the challenges and clashes of Hmong cultural practices in mainstream society;
  • Be exposed to and learn about Hmong folk music, arts, and crafts;
  • Learn about Hmong American contributions to Wisconsin and the nation;
  • Network with others who are working and serving Hmong American communities; and
  • Meet Hmong leaders, parents, women and youth panelists.

Program Details

Register Now

8:30am-2:30pm

October 19 | October 26 | November 2 | November 15 | November 16

Edgewood College Monroe Campus, 1000 Edgewood College Dr, Madison, WI 53711

$259.00 to participate in a one-day workshop. Registering for the entire series will save you money! Additional costs are associated with taking the series for graduate-credit at Edgewood College.

For more information, please email the Hmong Institute at hmonginstitute2017@gmail.com or call 608-571-3272

Program participants will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge of Hmong society: history, belief system, family/clan structure, rituals/customs, the ever changing roles of youth, elders, men & women, and current issues facing the Hmong in Wisconsin.

Curriculum

October 6, History: Why did the Hmong come to America?

Increase your knowledge of the role of Hmong people during the Vietnam War and why the Hmong joined the CIA’s Secret War. Learn about the Hmong refugee experiences, hear difficult stories and meet Hmong elders.

October 13, What is unique about the Hmong Clan, Kinship & Family Structure?

Gain a better understanding of the demographic of the Hmong in Wisconsin. Learn more about the unique role of the Hmong clan, kinship, and family structure. You will meet and hear from clan leaders.

Hear about the traditional roles of elders, men, women, & children and how these roles have evolved over time. During this seminar, you’ll be able to identify strategies and guidelines for empowering the Hmong society in decision making and better understand boundary issues unique to elders, women and children. You will meet and hear from youth and women.

November 3, Hmong culture, traditions & the challenges of practicing in Wisconsin.

In this seminar, you’ll learn about Hmong New Year, and wedding & funeral traditions, as well as learn more about the Hmong culture. We will also explore health issues in the Hmong community, the role of higher education, and the unique challenges and opportunities for Hmong in Wisconsin.

November 10, Hmong music, arts & crafts.

The last seminar will explore the cultural role and influence of music & the arts in the Hmong community. Learn more about traditional Hmong music through experiential learning and hands-on opportunities to play traditional instruments. You will meet and hear from local Hmong musicians.

Instructors

Mai Zong Vue

Mai Zong Vue

Mai Zong Vue

Mai Zong Vue

Mai Zong Vue currently works for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.  Mai Zong is also a cultural trainer and folklore performer, including Hmong poetry song and story teller since 1997.  She is an alumni of UW-Madison.

Mai Zong has been a tireless advocate for the poor for the past 35 years, especially the Hmong people and refugees.  She began to advocate for her family, extended family, and then the Hmong community in the 1980’s.  Mai Zong’s advocacy and grass-root activism led to the development of Hmong and refugee women non-profit agencies in Wisconsin and Georgia to provide human service; health and women’s empowerment and leadership services for refugee women; Refugee Family Strengthening Program (a domestic abuse program) in Wisconsin; the Hmong studies position at UW-Madison; the Hmong Language and Culture Enrichment Program; and the Hmong Institute.

Nationally, Mai Zong served on a variety of boards that help improved the lives of others.  Internationally, she volunteered as a delegate to global gatherings that aim to advance the status of woman and children, including the State Department’s Hmong-Lao Oversea Delegation to Laos in 2011 and Hmong American Delegation to Napho refugee camp in 1996, and United Nation’s 4th Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Mai Zong received numerous awards and honors for her tireless effort in serving the poor, including the YWCA of Dane County’s Women of Distinction, Authentic Hmong Leaders and Trailblazer.

MayHoua Moua, MS

MayHoua Moua, MS

MayHoua Moua, MS

MayHoua Moua, MS

Currently the Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Educational Development and is the founder and President of Moua Consulting Group, LLC. Moua has over 25 years of experience in the non-profit social services sector and has dedicated much of her life to closing cultural gaps and eliminating language barriers. She has been recognized and received awards for her work in the Wisconsin Woman Magazine, Wisconsin Historical Society, Portraits of Hmong Women, Milwaukee Business Journal, Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, Hmong Woman of the Year 2010, The Vatican II Award by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and the Catholic Herald.

Nengher Vang, PhD

Nengher Vang, PhD

Nengher Vang, PhD

Nengher Vang, PhD

An Assistant Professor of Transnational American History in the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches the Vietnam War, US foreign relations and empire, Hmong American historical and contemporary issues, and other courses in American and world history. He is an affiliated faculty in the Race and Ethnic Studies program, co-creator of the Asian American/Asian Studies Minor, and co-advisor to the Oral History Wisconsin Farm Project on the UW-Whitewater campus. He serves on the editorial review board of the Hmong Studies Journal and has published articles on Hmong American politics, social movements, and culture/religion in Hmong Studies Journal, Social Movement Studies, and other academic journals.

Shoua Chang Yang

Shoua Chang Yang

Shoua Chang Yang

Shoua Chang Yang

A Community leader and talented Hmong artist known in the United States for his artistic skills and musical talents. Mr. Yang is a local Hmong musician who is an expert in playing over seven Hmong instruments, including five kinds of flutes, qeej (bamboo reed), xim xaus (two-string violin), nplooj (leaf), ncas (jaw harp), etc. His artistic skills and talents won him First Place at the Hmong International Arts and Music Competition in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in the mid 1990’s. Mr Yang is referred to as the “King of Hmong Folk Music” and has performed at the Hmong New Year, educational events and the annual Hmong Gala Dinner in Madison.