Cia Siab connects youth to Hmong heritage

Angela Fitzgerald:I’m back at camp with Cia Siab at Pettibone Park to learn how language, community, and fishing connect. I jumped right in to join the Hmong language and culture camp.

Counselor:There you go! She’s a pro!

Angela Fitzgerald:Trying to reel in our next meal, eating a fresh-caught meal… Thank you… while learning Hmong language. Then, I sat down with Executive Director Xong Xiong to learn about their mission.

Xong Xiong:We’re a Hmong social service agency dedicated to helping victims of crime, especially domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors. We ground our work in Hmong language and Hmong culture. We are a linguistically and culturally-relevant agency, and so, we provide services to Hmong folks who don’t speak English in a way that they feel comfortable, in a way that’s culturally relevant and appropriate and sensitive to their needs.

It’s that huge difference where you go to and see familiar faces and you don’t have to explain certain things about your culture.

Angela Fitzgerald:Can you tell us about your youth programming as well?

Xong Xiong:We know that when young people are really proud of who they are or they’re really well-grounded in their identity, it’s really a lot easier for them to succeed, a lot easier for them to overcome barriers and just really stressful things in their life.

Camper:It’s a tie!

Angela Fitzgerald:Absolutely. And it helps tosounds likepreserve the culture so it doesn’t get lost over time.

Xong Xiong:I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why we do it is because we know that English being the predominant language, our young people, a lot of them don’t speak it because of the fifty years since we’ve been in the United States. This is an opportunity for us to also teach them parts of our language and parts of our culture and things that are really important to Hmong people.

Counselor:Twirl this around it.

Angela Fitzgerald:What is some of the feedback that you hear from youth or from families as a result of the work that you do?

Xong Xiong:I think a lot of them really appreciate the work that we do. When they come here, we serve them the food that they’re familiar with. We have staff that speak to them and care for them in a way that they don’t get anywhere else.

So, even for our elders coming here, it’s a place where they get to be with other elders and share and have that common shared history and struggle.

Counselor:Eat your food! Enjoy!

Xong Xiong:It’s a good space, you know? I think a lot of them say that it’s a really safe space for them to be who they are and be really happy and proud.

Angela Fitzgerald:Thank you so much, Xong. I appreciate your time.

Xong Xiong:Yeah, of course. Thank you.