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Thousands celebrate Hmong New Year in St. Paul
Mai Ka Thao won the coveted Miss Hmong Minnesota title.
Thousands of Hmong from around the country and the world converged last weekend on the Saint Paul River Centre for the celebration of the Hmong New Year. Miss Mai Ka Thao won the coveted Miss Hmong Minnesota title. Miss Chao Cha is the Runner Up, and Mai Yang Vang is the Second Runner Up.
Ying Vang, executive director, Lao Family Community, Inc., the central organization with five partners, said there were bigger than usual crowds on all three days this year because of the lack of snow. The good weather meant people were more willing to come out of their homes and travel from around the state and nearby western Wisconsin to enjoy the event.
“That what made this event so successful, the blessing of the good weather,” said Ying Vang.
He credited the festival committee partners, Hmong American Mutual Assistance Association, Lao Veterans of Minnesota, Hmong Youth Education, 18 Council, and Advancement of Hmong Women Association for making the event work. They collectively brought forth new ideas based upon input from the elders and the young people to improve the activities and keep it all fresh.
He also thanked area Hmong businesses for sponsoring the 14 pageant contestants and making the prizes worthwhile to the competition.
“This event is very important to the community,” Vang added. “It is the biggest in the Midwest area, and maybe the U.S.
“People and organizations are willing to come together and share resources, ideas and energy to plan,” he added.
Vang was also pleased to see several non-Hmong people coming as a spouse or guest and dressed in the traditional Hmong clothing, and eating hot peppers and sticky rice, sausage, chicken and papaya salad. He recalled seeing an African American boy who came and sang a song in the Hmong language.
Winners of the Combined Dancing events were Ntxhais Yaj Yuam (First), Nkauj Ntsuab Nraug Nab (Second), and Ntxhais Hmoob Looj Ceeb (Third).
In the Traditional Folk Song event, Yaj Vaj won First Place. Taj Yaj placed Second, and Mim Lis won Third.
In the Singing events, Dib Xyooj won First Place. Hmoob Dub (Black Hmong) won Second, and Maiv Kab Lis placed Third.
Ka Houa Yang, vice chair of the festival committee, said the event contests went smoothly, because people, and especially the parents reacted well to the little things that could disrupt the programs.
“We were falling behind schedule with more participants in each category than in the past,” he said. “We were…falling behind, and that was the only reason, and that is good when more people come to participate in the contests.
“We should encourage more people to see this as important and see cultural value in these events,” he added.
He also credited the many new Hmong arrivals from Thailand with adding new life to the event. Already accustomed to the new year events in the homeland, the Hmong who have lived in America for several years felt the excitement through the eyes of the newcomers.
The Butterfly Dancer teen girls placed first place, and the 9 to 12 year old boys and girls placed second after entering five groups among the 17 dance teams overall.
The repertoire and dancers are increasingly diverse, and now includes Chinese and Vietnamese dances.
“The kids like it and stay with it and we want to continue to grow,” said Guimei Vue, artistic director of the Butterfly Dancers, and an ethnic Hmong dance instructor from Guan Xi Province, China. She also designed the costumes and made sample for the parents of the students to make their own.
Guimei married James Vu, and they started the Butterfly Dancers in 1997. No longer with the Hmong American Mutual Assistance Association, the school now trains 100 students at 995 University Avenue in St. Paul, but will be announcing an expansion move fairly soon. (www.haivhmoob.org)
Mr. Lu Chao, realtor with The Starz Group did not attend the Hmong New Year in the past. His former wife and himself were too busy and didn’t think to attend. He and his new spouse, Keo Yee, find these and other cultural events very important.
Lu Chao travels annually to Thailand to visit relatives and on one occasion was invited to a Hmong New Year event. The local seamstress say him without the traditional clothing and there were no costumes large enough to fit him, except for a very special one she made for her own husband. She sold it to him and he wears it to this day.
“This is pretty much a community setting to meet everybody,” he said. “We don’t get that chance very often.”
He said in the past it always seemed that he was so busy with his own life, until now that he can see the importance and the positive impact that is has on his life.
Keng Yang, 15, Minneapolis, came to the Hmong New Year event for the second time, accompanied by his girlfriend, who was carrying a fresh bouquet of flowers. “I come here to meet friends and to look at all of the stuff,” he said. He enjoys watching the contests, and speaks Hmong so he can stay up on all that is going on.
For now, Ying Vang says that the RiverCentre Hmong New Year in November, and the Metrodome Hmong New Year in December are both necessary. They both have a unique voice, their own sponsors, and attract leaders and elected officials in their respective counties.
These two events have evolved individually over 30 years. Eventually, he adds, it will be in the best of both to identify a common path and merge them into one event.
“To have that vision in the future, we need to come to the table for compromise and find a way to celebrate one event,” he added. “…We have to do that, but I don’t know when, but it will have to be soon.”
Comments
NEW YEAR 2007
I wanted to know if the Lao Family community has set up a date for Metrodome New Year 2007? If they have, please give me the details of what days they are? Thank you!!
Singing Competition
How do I sign up for this year’s singing competition?
Do I have to live in Minnesota to join?
Is it too late?
Is it too late to register for the pageant?
Maiv Kab Thoj
She’s the best Nkauj Ntsuab!
hi!
i’m just wondering how much is the fee to get in the new year??? please e-mail back.PEaCe!
Regarding Metrodome New Year 2008
Hi, Do you know who I can contact regarding the Metrodome New Year 2007/2008 regarding the sport tournament? Please let me know ASAP. Thanks you!
hi
hi i want to sign my group of dancers for the hmong new year at the metrodome thius december….
please respond back to my hotmail.IT IS NARUTO_LUVLY_14@HOTMAIL.COM.....PLEASE A.S.A.P..
Overall reaction ... opinion
For anyone who is remotely interested in participating in the Hmoob Xyoo Tshiab (New Year) pageant, dance or singing contest, or just attending all you have to do to acquire the necessary info is simply ask or check the internet, Hmoob radio, or go to your local Hmong store if there is one. All the info plus is easily available among any of these resources.
As for the New Year itself, wow, how it has morphed over the years. I barely recognize it as a New Year anymore even though Hmoob still call it as such. And within the last 5+ years or so there’s even another one in Minneapolis??? I won’t go into that since that’s mainly politics and business with little or nothing to do with culture, custom or tradition. My point is what happened to “peb hmoob cov txuj ci”? Other than the traditional gown, over the years there has been a surge of hodge podge from every other non-hmong cultures, mainly India and Chinese, intermingled with what is genuinely Hmong. Seriously, that is not what the Hmoob Xyoo Tshiab is all about or the root of its festivities. Well as far as I know, have understood, and have been told ever since a child. I assure you our ancestors even as far back as China would be bewildered and at a lost for words over the present mayhem.
Of course I am aware of the fact that this is the 21st Century and that we, the Hmoob, have traversed several continents and countries throughout history but that is not an excuse nor a green light to weave another culture or custom to either call or integrate into our own, meaning Hmoob txuj ci. If nothing that only further confuses and provides little to no basis for the Hmoob children of today and future ones yet to come to even begin to surmise what it is to be Hmoob. And yes I’ve heard numerous arguments about change, adaptation, assimilation or even development if you want to call it that. But what has that got to do with culture, customs or Hmoob’s ethnic identity, the single most important element of my concern. Call me a diehard traditionalist like a label of clothing if that quenches your resolve. The fact still remains that one’s identity, ethnicity and culture is not something you can put on and take off at your leisure or in due time regardless of what country (nation) you reside in. If it was that simple or is the case then ignorance, diversity, racial profiling, racism, and discrimination would not even exist in the human vocabulary or in society as we know it. Hopefully, my Hmoob brothers, sisters, and friends understand where I am coming from.
Personally, I’d like to see some if not all of the true Hmoob Xyoo Tshiab txuj ci re-introduced or made part of the festivities, stage performances, again. I’m talking about 1) fuab la voo 2) hais kwv txiaj 3) dhia qeej 4) tshuab ncas (does anyone even know what this is anymore? does anyone even know how to play it nowadays) 4) hais lus paj lug 5) tso nyuj sib nrau … ok, number 5 was just a joke :) . My point is we’re losing/forgetting Hmoob txuj ci yet are adopting other non-hmong txuj ci. That’s just silly and a disservice to our heritage and children. Yes, I know the things I’ve mentioned still exist but sparingly at best almost to the point of none existent. Very few if any ever practice or actually know those skills (txuj ci) anymore.
Hello there Lao Family, I
Hello there Lao Family, I was just wondering how can I sign up for and join the 2008-2009 pageant new year for next year. I have been waiting to do this. Please get back to me. Thank you for your cooperation.
Application for 2008-2009 Pegeant
Hello there Lao Family, I was wondering when is the holding of sign up for the pegeant this coming year. I really would like to know information about it. If you can get back to me about it, it would be wonderful. Ua Tsuag.
<3miss_xee
Interesting!
Interesting!
Hi
WOW , I thought that I was the only one who wanted to sign up for the pageant, I guess not well I am looking forward to meeting all the contestants this year and gool luck to everyone ^_-
- Jenny Tsheej
Oh hi there. I’m
Oh hi there. I’m interested in running for the hmong peagent too. I just want to know how old you have to be to join. Do you have to be a resident in Mineesota to be in it? Well thank you for your time!!
Hello! Thanks for the info!
Hello! Thanks for the info! I would also like to sign up for the competition, what should I do?
The first and second place
The first and second place winners for dance competition both belong to Guimei Vue. She even form a dance group that consisted of all married women who are mothers of her dance students to perform at the New Year this year. I was so impressed to see these women on stage. They were so graceful. Hmong women tend to give up their hobby after they are married but Guimei Vue, for the first time, changed history for Hmong women and brought them back onto stage. Some people might critized her dance routines as being too chinese-ish and that they are not Hmong. What is Hmong dance. The dances we see Hmong danced for the past couple decades that we considered to be Hmong dances are not Hmong. They are actually Laotian and Thai. Her dance style actually brighten our Hmong New Year. I am impressed that she has dancers age 5 all the way to dancers who is over 40 years old. Amazing!! Someone should write a feature story on her.
As a matter of fact, I agree
As a matter of fact, I agree with you too. Although I am a dancer of Gui Mei, after reaching the age of 18, you have the feeling of quiting dancing because you are getting too old. That is a typical stereotyping for Hmong. But on the other hand, I would like to thank my own teacher for accomplishing this because it shows us Hmong people that you don’t have a be a certain age in order to dance. Hobby is a hobby. Look at Chinese professionals for example, they may be 40-50 yrs old but their dancing is still very good. Therefore, I hope that not only young one’s can accept this but older generations as well!!! Laoshi XieXie NI!
I have a few questions that
I have a few questions that i’d like to ask. How do I sign up for next year’s “Miss Hmong Minnesota” pageant? Do I have to be resident of Minnesota? Please e-mail me back on more detail. Thank You.
Bau Bai Yang
Contact Lao Family
If you’re interested, you may visit Lao Family on University for an application. If you do not reside in Minnesota, call (651) 221-0069 to request more information.
By the way, you do not need to reside in Minnesota to join the pageant.
I hope you found this information useful.
Pang Vang-Yang
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