The Hmong Stout Student Organization (HSSO) is a student run organization at the University of Wisconsin – Stout. Established in 1988, HSSO works to provide social, cultural, and academic enrichment to its members and to build relationships with other student organizations, as well as the surrounding community. For over two decades now, HSSO has organized and supported many initiatives to promote diversity awareness on our campus. One of those initiatives that have been held for many years now is the Annual Educational Conference.
The Annual Educational Conference was established to bridge the gap between Hmong and non-Hmong youth on campus and in the community. This year HSSO will be hosting the 24th Annual Educational Conference on Saturday April 10th; the theme will be Weaving Cultures with Success: Integrating Hmong Culture into Mainstream Professions. The conference will consist of motivational speakers/workshops by individuals who have found a way to integrate their culture with their profession. In each seminar, speakers will detail their stories of success and triumph, learn how they have incorporated their culture into their work – and through these stories, HSSO hopes to be able to spark inspiration inside each participant that comes through the conference to be able to integrate their passion with their profession. This is what HSSO hopes you will gain, and this is what the organization hopes to bring to every one of you.
Additional information:
What: HSSO 24th Educational Conference
When: Saturday, April 10th, 2010
Cost: Free for UW-Stout/ $6 for non-Stout students (Lunch included)
Where: Memorial Student Center at UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI 54751
Night Party: 7:30 pm – Free for Conference attendees/ $2.00 for public
Dress Code: Semi-formal/causal
Parking Information:
Campus map: http://www3.uwstout.edu/guide/upload/Campus_Map_6-08_3.pdf
- You can park on the side of the student center on 3rd St.
- You can park in lots 14, 18, 29, or 24
For more information, or to view promotional conference videos, please visit our website at: hsso.uwstout.edu. You may also contact Gao Nhia Vang at hmongconference@uwstout.edu.
Conference Committee
Hmong Stout Student Organization
University of Wisconsin – Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751
You wouldn’t believe it, but by law, this girl is not an American (we couldn’t believe it for ourselves, until we asked).
Caroline Vang spent the entire Friday night making signs for the next morning. “We need another Senator Mee Moua” she wrote on one of the signs. In the early morning, the signs would be placed around the tent where a group of her friends and colleagues were going to register their fellow Hmong-American citizens to vote in the United States. It was the annual Hmong Sports Festival in Michigan, and it was time that someone step forward to make the community transition into becoming full-fledge US citizens. But while Caroline was busy registering her fellow Hmong to become active voters in the democratic process, she would not be allowed to fill out her very own form.
Twenty-three years ago, Caroline Vang was born to Guy and Genevieve Vang in France. Just 5 years later, Guy would bring his two French daughters and his wife to the United States. For 18 years, his family lived and worked in the United States. For 18 years, Caroline and her younger sister Melanie went to public schools. And within those 18 years, Guy and Genevieve had two more children, Stevan and Christine.
Quick Facts:
- The Vang family – Guy, Genevieve, Caroline and Melanie – has lived in the United States for 18 years.
- They came to America legally in 1989.
- They came to reunite with family members they had been separated from because of the war in Laos and Vietnam.
- They have lived and worked legally in the U.S. since 1989 and today own a successful restaurant, Bangkok 96, in Dearborn, MI.
- They have added 2 U.S. citizen children to their family.
- Due to errors on the part of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Vang family was forced to wait 10 years to hear back about their asylum case.
- Now the USCIS plans to deport them soon.
Read on to find out how you can help!
Who are Guy and Genevieve Vang?
Guy and Genevieve Vang are contributing members of society and the parents of four: Caroline, 23, student at Macomb Community and Walsh College; Melanie, 18, a freshman at Northwood University;
Steven, 16, a senior at Warren Woods Tower high school; and Christine, 11. The two youngest Vang children are U.S. citizens. In 1989, Guy and Genevieve and their two eldest daughters arrived in the United States from France to reunite with Guy’s family who were believed to have been killed by Lao communists in the midst of the Vietnam War. In 1996, the Vang family opened Bangkok 96 restaurant in Dearborn, MI. Like regular citizens, they pay taxes and help their community through
charitable contributions.
What is their case about?
On May 31, 2007, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the family’s case to remain in the United States. In less than three months, the government will deport Guy and his family back to France, after they have made a life in America for 18 years. And since the family came to the United States on the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, it waived their rights to contest in court should they ever want to stay in the U.S. However, Guy was eligible for political asylum under the Visa Waiver.
Since Guy’s parents immigrated to the U.S. through asylum/refugee status, he decided to apply for asylum at INS to seek the opportunity to stay closer to his parents whom he had lost as a child during the war. Unfortunately, the Vangs were forced to wait 10 years to get a response that they did not qualify for asylum (in 2000). Even then, the government continued to renew their work authorizations and allowed them to build their lives in the U.S. Now, 18 years later, this family is being punished and forced out of the only country they consider home.
How can I help?
Their last hope is a private bill that one of the senators can create to stop their deportation (pending as of April 2009). This important bill would have to go through the Senate and House of Representatives. The family desperately needs for everyone to contact Michigan lawmakers U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, and U.S. Representatives Sander Levin and John Dingell. The more lawmakers contacted the better! Voice your concerns about the injustice of the family’s impending deportation by signing this petition which will be delivered to Congress members:
Do you know someone who is also facing an immigration/deporattion issue?
Click here to use our contact form to share your story.
Sign the Vang Family Petition at ipetitions:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Vang_Family/
By Mai Hlee Xiong, Editor-in-Chief, 18XEEM
Thank you for visiting 18XEEM.com. This article may come to some of you as a surprise.
You may have heard that in 2008 I was the victim of a cyber stalker who defamed me on the internet. After months of investigation, the Warren Police Department and the Macomb County Prosecutor determined through forensic evidence that the culprit behind this criminal activity is a man named Nhia Lee, who also goes by the name of “Tyler” or “Tong Chai”.
I have not taken steps to sue Mr. Lee or anyone in this matter. However, using my web knowledge I was able to help the Warren Police in their investigation to determine that Mr. Lee was hiding behind a computer, anonymously cyber stalking and harassing me. I have asked law enforcement to ensure that he be prosecuted and, if found guilty, that he be punished to the fullest extent of the law for his actions. Nhia Lee is charged with one count of a two-year felony by the state of Michigan, in Macomb County, the cybercrime of “Unlawful Posting of a Message” case no 09-. Mr. Lee has publicly admitted to committing the malicious acts that constitute this crime. As of March, 2, 2009, he is released on bail for $15,000. He currently resides in Shelby Township, Michigan.
Nhia Lee has alleged that he was a beauty pageant “organizer” who was trying to do a good deed by posting on the internet a video compilation that included images of a video of a nude woman that he alleged was me, Mai Hlee Xiong. As a former Miss Lao Hmong – Wisconsin (2004-2005) [click here to read an article that I wrote for 18XEEM about my pageant experiences], such an allegation and widespread dissemination of derogatory material about me is very hurtful. Yet I have had no contact from any pageant officials, organizations, or individuals asking me or demanding that I be stripped of my crown, title, or prize. Nor have I accused any community group, organization or individual other than Mr. Lee of instigating and defaming me.
Nhia Lee has never been an “organizer” of any beauty pageant. He was once a male pageant contestant [where he actually got 2nd place and threatened to sue the judges for not making him the winner!], as well as an emcee in the singing competition portion of the Hmong Michigan New Year 2007. His sister, Nee Lee, won the crown of Miss Hmong Michigan pageant 2007 (I was the runner-up that year). In fact, Mr. Lee was heavily involved in promoting his sister’s participation in the pageant.
After the pageant ended, Mr. Lee began to cyber stalk me on different media channels including MySpace for several months prior to the actual criminal incident. He collected and took personal photos of me and information on my personal life and even posted video clips of me and other former pageant contestants performing in public venues on YouTube without our knowledge or permission. He then made immature comments about each of us and mocking our abilities. In addition, Mr. Lee anonymously created a false profile in order to become my MySpace friend, using a fake name and photo of someone named “Jeffrey”. He also used my own photos and profile information to create a false profile of me. He pretended to be me and messaged my real friends in inappropriate ways and requested to be friends with strangers as if he were me. I have logs and logs of consecutive days where he visited my MySpace page and my website, HleeX.com, daily, during normal and odd hours like 2, 3 in the morning (if you are visiting this website, you should know that your information has been logged and documented as well).
Since this terrible incident, I have received numerous Google searches such as “pornstar Hlee Xiong”, “Hlee XXXiong”. I am telling you personally now, that is not the person that I am. I do not portray myself as such, and this is an insult to my family and to me. I have retained numerous documents showing page views and hits coming from Mr. Lee’s home IP address in Shelby Township, and his specific MySpace ID to prove that it was him who was cyber stalking me and sending out harassing and malicious emails to me and others.
Mr. Lee used photos that he lifted from my MySpace page and hand crafted a slideshow compilation of me and my family to create a false impression and defame my reputation. He created a YouTube account “TheHmongTruth” and uploaded the slideshow with an accompanying song called “Apologize” by Timbaland and One Republic, suggesting in the chorus that it was “too late to apologize”. Mr. Lee then used an anonymous email account that he specifically created for the purpose of widespread posting of the defamatory material under the name “thehmongtruth@yahoo.com”. He sent the material to multiple recipients who were close family, friends, and colleagues of me, including messages such as “Quit being a fake a$$ whore!” “pictahs” “uh oh….Wat ur excuse be now?” A friend of mine told this anonymous person to stop and reveal his true identity. Mr. Lee responded: “U is prolly a SlUt h3o like yo frend Mizz XXXiong! She aint no innocenT no mo huh? lol!”
Mr. Lee’s false and defamatory emails and postings were sent far and wide, to close family and friends of mine, to a pageant official, to dozens of Michigan State University students (where he attended school), as well as to several mailing lists that contain many more addresses. Finally, the material was then distributed virally on numerous discussion boards and online blogs by some recipients.
These materials were posted and sent throughout the same time my mother was still recovering from brain surgery at the hospital. During this time, my family and I were still grieving for my mother’s life while she fought to survive the effects of two aneurysms. And with Nhia Lee’s visual image and noise embedded in my mind, forever instilled in me, it made my life a living hell. I will never forget the chilling feeling that crossed my mind over this for as long as I live. I was frozen but shaken all at the same time. This experience is forever embedded into my mind and has caused me intense emotional upset.
I live my life by a moral standard, and that is to treat others the way you would expect them to treat you. I live my life to serve others and make others happy while putting my own happiness last. I am content, knowing that I can bring happiness to others. My success is my family’s success, and my success is shared in my community. Never have I had cruel intentions towards others. I am, the ‘girl with the smile, who always goes the extra mile’. I like to believe that there are good people in this world who strive to do good things. I used to believe that doing good things will yield good returns. And so I tried to do good things in my life for others. But now, I often wonder why bad things happen to good people?
A beloved uncle of mine once told me: “Use your intelligence to do good things in this world, not to do bad things to harm others”. And a famous Hmong saying goes, if Hmong do not love Hmong, who will love the Hmong? When I found out the truth from the Warren Police that it was a fellow Hmong American Nhia Lee who harassed and cyber-stalked me for months under the alias “TheHmongTruth” I was deeply hurt knowing that this cruel person came from my own community. I was always taught that we should stand together, support each other, and love each other, because ‘we are like one family’ and we stem from the same tree. There is no good reason why Nhia Lee would do what he did to me. I have never given him any reason to treat me in a hostile manner. There are no words to describe all the feelings that I have internally. Nhia Lee violated and invaded my privacy. He harmed the only family I have. My community has suffered greatly and felt betrayed by Nhia Lee and his family’s senseless acts and animosity.
Before I went to the police I asked Nhia Lee directly if he did it. I was willing to accept an apology if he would cease doing it. But he denied it, belittled me for it, and recruited his family in perpetrating his lie. Now that he has admitted to be the perpetrator behind TheHmongTruth@yahoo.com it is clear that he has brought the same onto his family and community.
As the victim of an awful cyber stalking crime, I have decided to come forward from here on out to let people know that they do not have to suffer cyber stalking silently and can fight back against online defamation by cowards who hide behind false identities on the internet. Because of the terrible experience that I went through and am still going through today, I have set up a resource website to help create awareness of the crime, and to provide a forum for people who use social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube to assist them in preventing cyber stalking.
So please visit WWW.QUITSTALKINGME.COM to find out more.
Edited by Vincent K. Her and Mary Louise Buley-Meissner
We are seeking contributions for a collection of essays addressing the question: What does it mean to be Hmong in America today? Given the fact that 80% of the Hmong in the U.S. are citizens by birth or naturalization, we are particularly interested in how people are developing bicultural identities as they participate in helping to create the ethnic and social fabric of multicultural America. Across academic disciplines, we encourage contributors to explore these central themes: the complexity and diversity of individual identity; the interrelationship of personal identity, family ties, and awareness of community history; and the dynamically evolving nature of culture itself.
We invite personal reflection as well as discipline-specific analysis of topics such as the following:
Identity:
*What, if any, essential characteristics define Hmong identity in modern American society? Are these characteristics different for first, second and subsequent generations of Hmong Americans?
* What is the significance of memory and emotion in identity formation?
* How does place (or displacement) influence people’s sense of self and belonging?
* How do experiences of home and family shape individual and collective identity?
* How do changing gender roles and responsibilities complicate the development of bicultural identity in modern society?
* For Hmong American high school and college students in particular, what identity issues seem especially challenging?
* With an increasing number of Hmong Americans active in a variety of professional fields, how do their experiences influence contemporary understanding of identity, community and culture?
Community:
* How are Hmong Americans re-evaluating the structure, meaning and significance of clans and clan leadership in community life? In the context of this re-evaluation, what does obligation to family and community mean to different generations of Hmong Americans today?
* In the process of community re-formation, what kinds of conversations are taking place among individuals, families and community groups regarding Hmong American identity in modern society?
* As a community, how are Hmong Americans dealing with differences from perceived norms of identity? For example, as intermarriage increases between people of different ethnicities, dialects and religions, how are definitions of Hmong American identity being re-negotiated? Also, how can serious discussion of GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered) identity be included in this renegotiation?
* How can community be re-envisioned through multicultural collaboration to address social justice issues? How are Hmong Americans — in collaboration with other ethnic groups — dealing with social problems such as poverty and unemployment, health care for the elderly, juvenile delinquency and domestic violence?
* In striving toward full equality for Hmong Americans in modern society, what kind of social activism can be undertaken by Hmong and non-Hmong across academic disciplines and from different walks of life?
* What are the most effective means for responding to media bias in representations of Hmong and Hmong Americans?
Culture:
* How is culture itself made evident in everyday family beliefs and practices? How do changing family dynamics reflect ongoing processes of cultural expression, contestation, reform and renewal?
* How does research on possible Hmong origin in China relate to contemporary understanding of Hmong American identity?
* How does new research on the Vietnam War highlight the continual reformation of Hmong identity in response to changing political conditions? How does understanding of that historical period relate to central beliefs and values of Hmong American identity today?
* Given the interrelationship of Hmong identity, culture and spirituality across many generations, how are traditional rites and rituals being reformed to ensure cultural continuity? How does participation in such rites and rituals help to affirm a meaningful Hmong American identity in modern society?
* Against the background of religious pluralism in modern American society, how can constructive dialogue be encouraged between Christian and non-Christian Hmong Americans regarding their beliefs, including the consequences of those beliefs in everyday life and cultural interpretation?
* How is cultural creativity being expressed in literature and multimedia, particularly through forms that blend traditional and contemporary understandings of individual and collective identity?
* How are Hmong Americans influenced by the transnational movement and international settlement of Hmong people, particularly in terms of the close interrelationship between identity, place and cultural development?
Our hope is that Choosing to Be Hmong and American will be a major contribution to Hmong American studies as an emerging, interdisciplinary field. At this specific moment in history, choosing to be both Hmong and American signals a breakthrough to new and exciting possibilities.
While America is changing the Hmong, it is no less true that the Hmong are changing America in ways that we believe are still unfolding. We encourage our contributors to engage in a critical reading of how the past and the present are continually being interpreted and re-interpreted in the process of cultural renewal.
To include multivocal, crossgenerational perspectives on the challenges and rewards of being Hmong American today, we welcome contributors to speak from their specific locations not only in academic disciplines, but also in community and social settings.
The intended audience includes scholars across academic disciplines, college teachers and students, community workers and others interested in better understanding the diversity of Hmong American identities in modern societ
Please send a 500-word abstract of your intended essay and a one-page CV to the editors as Word documents by August 25, 2008. Only work that is new and that is not under consideration elsewhere can be considered for inclusion in the collection. Full-length essays (approximately 15 pages plus notes and bibliography) will be due by January 12, 2009.
Vincent K. Her (her.vinc@uwlax.edu), Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, teaches ethnic and racial studies as well as Hmong American studies. His research focuses on Hmong funeral rites and rituals, including the significance of place, memory and emotion in cultural reform and renewal. Playing the qeej is one way that he has come to a deeper appreciation of Hmong culture. As a member of the “1.5 generation” (born in Laos, growing up in the U.S.), he has witnessed and reflected upon the complex changes that Hmong Americans have experienced in making the transition from being refugees to becoming U.S. citizens.
Mary Louise Buley-Meissner (meissner@uwm.edu) has been teaching Hmong American literature and life stories since 1996 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she is an Associate Professor of English. Her research focuses on women’s life stories across cultures. Her community service includes Hmong National Development board membership.
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