History of the Hmong in Minneapolis–Saint Paul

[4] The University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Services and the Lao Family Community established farming programs for Hmong in the early 1980s.

[6] As of 2006, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was expected to receive Hmong refugees from Wat Tham Krabok in Thailand.

In 2015, data from the Pew Research Center stated that 28.3% of all Hmong-American households lived in poverty.

[8] Hmongtown Marketplace, a complex with more than 200 merchant stalls and a Hmong food court, opened in 2004.

[11] However, over the past few years, the group has experienced continual problems with financial oversight, which “appears to be both widespread and symptomatic of larger management struggles within HAP.”[11] The problems were uncovered in a 2018 audit, and included issues such as: persistent mismanagement of employee retirement accounts, failures to “provide services laid out in grant descriptions,” undisclosed revenue sources on submitted IRS forms, and “less than forthright financial practices.”[11] Bao Vang, HAP's president and CEO who earned a base salary of $243,000 in 2017, defended her organization's practices—despite the budgetary controversies.

[11] The Lao Family Community, headquartered in St. Paul, is the most established and oldest Hmong organization.

Mai M. Na Lee wrote that the organization “continues to monopolize festival events like the New Year's Festival and the Fourth of July Soccer Tournament.”[9] She added that it is “not without scandal.”[9] The Center for Hmong Arts and Talents (CHAT), based in St. Paul, develops Hmong art and literature.

[9] In 2000, Dr. Aly Xiong, a human rights activist and school principal, was the first Hmong-American to run for a Minnesota State Legislative seat, District 67B.

He lost to State Representative Sheldon Johnson, who served the east side of St. Paul for 20 years.

This was the first time that two Hmong officials served concurrently on the St. Paul school board, since Kong-Thao was still in office.

[6] In 2013 Dai Thao defeated Kazoua Kong-Thao and six other candidates in a special election to become the first St. Paul City Councilmember of Hmong descent.

[citation needed] Mai M. Na Lee wrote circa 2013 that the Hmong have a significant political influence in St. Paul due to the size of the population.

[14] There is also the Hope Community Academy, a K–8 school located in Saint Paul that is open to all students, but has a focus on Hmong language and culture.