A Celebration of Hmong American Literature and Art

Please join the Immigration History Research Center Archives and campus colleagues at:

What: A Celebration of Hmong American Literature and Art
When: Friday, March 22, 6-8 pm
Where: Northrop, Best Buy Theater, fourth floor
84 Church Street SE, Minneapolis

Free and open to the public
Registration requested

This event is presented by the Immigration History Research Center, and is co-sponsored by the Hmong Cultural Center Museum, the Immigration History Research Center Archives of the University Libraries, the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, the Preserving and Promoting Hmong American History Hub Residency, and the Asian American Studies Department.

About the artists

Kao Kalia Yang is an award-winning Hmong American teacher, speaker, and writer. Her new memoir, “Where Rivers Part,” tells the story of her mother’s perilous journey to safety. “The Rock in My Throat” is a children’s book based on Yang’s life that explores young Hmong refugee children navigating their new lives in the United States.

Pao Houa Her is a visual artist, teacher, and author. She fled Laos with her family when she was a baby and eventually settled in Minnesota. Her new book, “My Grandfather Turned into a Tiger and Other Illusions,” reimagines her family’s history before leaving Laos, and explores the concepts of home, belonging, illusion, desire, and loss.

Mai Der Vang, an award-winning poet who currently teaches Creative Writing at Fresno State, will moderate an illuminating conversation with these two women as they discuss their lives, their inspirations, and their art.