May 2025 marked an important milestone for the Hmong community in the United States – the 50th anniversary of the Hmong leaving their homeland to start a new life in a new and unfamiliar country. With that in mind, The Hmong Institute closed out May in style on May 31, hosting the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
“I love the fact that all of us are here on this beautiful day at Monona Terrace,” said Mai Zong Vue, the COO of The Hmong Institute and the emcee of the event, in her welcoming remarks. “Thank you for coming to the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet. Tonight, we are here to celebrate.”
The Hmong Diaspora Banquet was an opportunity for The Hmong Institute to honor pioneers in music, art, and academia while presenting Lifetime Awards recognizing individuals who have played a vital role in the Hmong diaspora experience. It was also an opportunity to reflect on the Hmong experience, honor the sacrifices made, celebrate the successes, and look forward to the next 50 years.
“When you’re an immigrant or refugee, 50 years goes by very quickly,” said Peng Her, CEO of The Hmong Institute. “You’re busy learning English, so that you can get a job to support your family, and you are supporting your children to go into higher education. You’re working two jobs to make sure you can buy a house and provide for your family. Here in Wisconsin, Hmong home ownership is at 50 percent, one of the highest home ownership rates of any ethnic group … because we know that home ownership is a way to start generational wealth.
“The Hmong have come a long way in those 50 years. Here at The Hmong Institute, our mission is to empower communities through education, health and preserving the Hmong culture,” Her continued. “And so one of those things we wanted to do was educate the community. In order to do that, we need to know some data and some facts about our community. We’ve really examined the health and wellness of the Hmong community over those 50 years.”
(Photo by David Dahmer)
Her went on to say that from the recent survey assessment of the Wisconsin Hmong community done by The Hmong Institute, the data shows that there are 62,331 Hmong here in Wisconsin with heavy Hmong populations in Milwaukee, Dane, Marathon and Sheboygan counties. “We are a very young community — our median age is 22 — and we are a growing community. We have made much progress in educational attainment over the last 50 years,” Her says.
‘In the survey, we also asked about desired outcomes, and we identified that getting more resources, whether it’s around access to food and reducing food insecurity to housing … access to services was one of the most important that they felt the community could use more of.
“For the Hmong community in Wisconsin, it’s been 50 years and counting and for the next 50 years, the possibilities are endless,” Her adds.
Attendees of the 50th Anniversary Hmong Diaspora Banquet participated in a silent auction with many Hmong items donated by Hmong artists. They also enjoyed a traditional Hmong meal of curry squash, beef salad with herbs and lemongrass, sticky rice and traditional Hmong egg rolls, along with chocolate cake and carrot cake for dessert.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers appeared in a video message on the giant screens praising the positive influence the Hmong have had on Wisconsin.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the vibrant impact our local Hmong communities have made,” Evers said. “The rich culture and values of Hmong in Wisconsin have made us a better and brighter state. From musicians and artists, small business owners and community leaders, Wisconsin’s Hmong community continues to be a positive mark in our state.”
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard noted that Wisconsin is “the proud home to the third-largest Hmong population in the United States.”
“Here in Dane County, we proudly embrace nearly 6,000 Hmong residents. This is the Dane County way, opening our doors and our hearts and welcoming people into our community at a time when the world feels pretty upside down and backwards and a little bit scary for all of us, I reflect on how it must have felt for all of those families to come to the United States and make their home here, dreaming of what can be possible, dreaming about what it is that we can do together,” Agard said. “Now we all need to stand united and protect those dreams and continue to welcome the fabric into our community and understand that diversity is actually the strength for all of us.”
(Photo by David Dahmer)
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway told the crowd that we were all here tonight “to celebrate and honor resilience in the Hmong community and to celebrate some pioneering artists and keepers of culture.”
“I’m very excited to be here tonight. Madison has been honored to be the home to many Hmong community members for many years, and the culture and values and traditions that Hmong folks bring to Madison absolutely make our community richer,” Rhodes-Conway said. “And while we benefit from having the Hmong community here in Madison, I do want to recognize that the Hmong community came here to escape war and persecution, and that the act of escape of exile leaves a generational impact and is something that can be very traumatic and and so I want to honor the Hmong community for the work that you’ve done to overcome that trauma, and particularly to take care of mental health in the community. I think that’s really important.
“I’m really inspired by the way the Hmong community has carried on tradition and culture into the present day. Again, it makes Madison a so much richer place to live,” the mayor added. “And I think we really all can learn from the Hmong experience, both that we are capable of strength and resilience through hard times when it’s necessary, but also that our communities are so much better and richer and more vibrant when we open our hearts and our lives and our communities to immigrants.”
(Photo by David Dahmer)
At the end of the event, Lifetime Awards were presented to Lee Pao, Lee Pheng, Su Thao, Dr. Yang Dao, Dr. Gary Yia Lee, Dr. Dia Cha, and Chong Moua Thao. Hmong Artist Awards were presented to Lis Pos, Seexeng Ly, Ntxhoo Vang, Doualy Xaykaothao, Atary Xiong, Tsabmim Xyooj.
Yao Moua, Pheng Lee, Xa Lee, and Xia Vue Vang were honored with Hmong Pioneer Music Awards.
