Ramsey County History – Summer 2021: “Growing Up Hmong in the Twin Cities: Gatherings from Before”

Growing Up Hmong in the Twin Cities: Gatherings from Before
Author: Kao Kalia Yang

Large and extended family gatherings are a steadfast tradition for members of the Hmong community in the Twin Cities area. St. Paul writer Kao Kalia Yang reflects on these familial celebrations where aunties and cousins prepare fresh, traditional meals for scores of guests, children run and play in backyards, and the men visit and sometimes pray together under the guidance of a respected shaman. As COVID-19 shuttered the world, these gatherings came to an abrupt halt. A year and a half on, parties and soccer games are tentatively scheduled again as the community assembles to give thanks but also to mourn and remember.
PDF of K. Yang article