“It’s a great opportunity to support the Hmong community, but, more importantly, the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet is really an opportunity to get to know the Hmong community better from a cultural perspective to see how we have been so resilient over these last 50 years,” Peng Her, CEO of The Hmong Institute, tells Madison365.
The Hmong Institute has an unforgettable evening of music, culture, awards, and celebration planned as they get set to host the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet on Saturday, May 31, 4:30-10 p.m., at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
“The year, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the Hmong community …the 50th anniversary of the Hmong leaving their homeland to start a new life in a new country,” Her says. “As you can probably imagine, it was very unfamiliar coming from Laos to the United States … many people didn’t speak the language, didn’t know the culture, probably never seen a picture of what their next place looks like. But they also recognized that if they didn’t leave Laos, because there was a genocide, they were going to get killed. So we crossed the ocean and we made Madison and Wisconsin our new home.
“We at The Hmong Institute truly just want to honor the sacrifices our parents made so long ago and at the same time celebrate our successes of being able to come to a new country and to be resilient and to thrive,” Her continues. “At the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet, we want to recognize those achievements as well as educate the larger community about the Hmong community, the Hmong people, and the Hmong culture. This celebration is really a chance to do all of that.”
The 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet will honor the work of legendary Hmong musicians and artists, with guests including writer Dia Cha, singer Lee Pheng, and musicians Xa Lee, Lis Pos and Chong Moua Thao. A delicious Hmong meal will be served for dinner, followed by traditional music performances and an awards presentation, including “Lifetime Achievement Awards,” “Hmong Pioneer Modern Music Awards,” and “Hmong Outstanding Artist Awards.”
Throughout the night, attendees can peruse the silent auction at the event and bid on Hmong-inspired items. All proceeds will support The Hmong Institute’s important work of empowering the community through education, health, and preservation of Hmong heritage.
“At the event, we will also share some data about the current Hmong community from population data, like how many Hmong live in Wisconsin, what counties have the most Hmong population, as well as share some of the data we collected from a Hmong health and wellness assessment that we did,” Her says.
“We, of course, will be sharing some of the successes as well as some of the sacrifices Hmong people have made over the years,” Her adds.
In the week leading up to the banquet, the Hmong Institute is organizing a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hmong diaspora and to bring the community together for learning, reflection, healing, and celebration of the Hmong diaspora experiences. A four-day Hmong Music Workshop Series celebrating the rich heritage of Hmong traditional music, led by master artist Chong Moua Thao, will be held statewide in cities like Madison, Green Bay, Eau Claire and Sheboygan.
In collaboration with the Overture Center, The Hmong Institute is also presenting the Hmong Tapestry Exhibit, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Hmong community.
As his organization gets ready for the 50th anniversary celebration, Her, a first-generation American who came to the U.S. from Laos with his family back in the ’70s when he was 5 years old, first stopping at the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand, says that it seems those 50 years “have flown right by.”
“I still remember memories of coming here and I remember the challenges and discrimination we faced,” he says. “And now it’s amazing to see the successes from folks, whether it’s here in Wisconsin or in Minnesota, who have moved on to become teachers or physicians or now work with NASA or are elected officials and judges.
“I always think that living here in Wisconsin, where it’s the third largest [Hmong] population [in the United States], whether you’re Hmong or not, somewhere along the lines you will have made contact with a Hmong person, whether they’re your neighbors, whether they’re your physician, whether they’re a teacher or principal or someone that works city, county, or state-level government. Somewhere along the line, you probably will have come across a Hmong person.”
For more information about or to register for the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet, click here.
