Children singing in Hmong language
If our kids know who they are, they're happy with who they are. They don't have to ask themselves this question. Do I want to be American or do I want to be Hmong? On a warm spring night in Madison, kids dressed in traditional Hmong costumes perform for a captivated audience.
clang, clang
It's a celebration of a project started by Mai Zong Vue along with her husband Peng Her. And it may the only one of its kind in the country. Tcha! - Ha. Tcha! - Ha. Remember to make the "h" come out.
Both
Tcha! Yeah. The Hmong Language and Culture Enrichment Program resembles a full-time school. We have close to 60 kids this year. Six to 13. Yeah, all the cute ages.
chuckles
Both
This six-week program immerses students in Hmong language.
student speaking Hmong
Both
And Hmong culture. That's before the wedding, right? Mai Zong helped launch the program in 2013. It was a direct response to Madison School District data showing Hmong students were doing poorly. As parents, we were just shocked. What's going to happen to this community and what's happening to the legacy that our parents left us? Mai Zong's family came to Wisconsin when she was 14 years old. Our parents taught us to work hard. They fought in the war because they believe in freedom. And made lots of sacrifice to bring us here. People like myself, I call it the "1.5 generation." The children of this 1.5 generation have only known America. And they have to reconcile two different worlds. In the Hmong community, we value families and communities as a whole. And that can be complex for our kids who don't understand our culture. They're raised to be quiet and be respectful but then at school, they're not being noticed. Anything else you want to share? I would feel kind of like scared, embarrassed, maybe? The kids having that sense of belonging, working with people that understand them. I think makes a huge difference in terms of that eagerness to learn and that desire to go to school.
teacher speaking Hmong
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And then I m going to say...
teacher speaking Hmong
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Okay. Ready? Go, go, go.
laughing
teacher speaking Hmong
student speaking Hmong
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The Hmong Language and Culture Enrichment Program is designed to address the academic and identity gap for Hmong children. It does it with a combination of paid staff and a steady flow of volunteers, often former students. I really just want to give back to my community and help these kids learn more about themselves and their identity. Make new friends, get to know each other, make them realize that they have a bigger family than just themselves. And the program is having a real impact. I feel a lot more confident talking about myself and my culture ever since I ve been here. I feel like I could show my Hmong instead of holding it in. I'm very proud of what I m doing. I'm aiming for and hoping that this legacy that our parents left will blossom. Because we fed it through our children, who can pay it forward to the rest of the country.
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