The Hmong community’s journey to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, began 50 years ago, yet their arrival was initially shrouded in misunderstanding. Often misidentified as “Thai” or “Vietnamese,” the Hmong people’s identity was largely unrecognized in the local media of the time.
“In dozens and dozens of newspaper clips and radio recordings that I listened to or read there was little or zero mention of the word ‘Hmong,’” shared McKenna Scherer, managing editor of Eau Claire’s Volume One magazine, during an interview on WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”
The Hmong’s involvement in the Vietnam War as CIA-recruited proxy soldiers in the Secret War led to a perilous escape to Thailand and subsequent refugee resettlement in the United States. Over 100,000 Hmong found new homes across the U.S., with Wisconsin now hosting the third largest Hmong population in the nation.
To mark five decades since the first Hmong families settled in Eau Claire in 1976, a documentary film by Volume One captures these resettlement stories. Scherer explained, “The goal here for us was to attempt to condense a 50-year history, based on talking to people in real life who actually are our neighbors and live here and lived this.”
Local Hmong individuals, who arrived as refugees in the 1970s and ’80s, were interviewed by Scherer and video director Alex Barber for the documentary. Despite facing challenges in obtaining archival footage, they collaborated with University of Wisconsin-Madison librarian Larry Ashmun to access over 8,000 images from Southeast Asia, enriching the film’s narrative.
‘We are here to stay,’ says Hmong faith leader
Chong Chang Her, a retired pastor and business owner, is one of the film’s storytellers. Recalling his first encounter with snow upon arriving in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at age 19, he remarked, “Back in our country, we don’t have snow.”
Having moved to Eau Claire in 1987, Her spent 35 years leading the Hmong Christian Church and now serves as pastor emeritus. He aims to use the documentary to connect younger Hmong generations with their history, which he refers to as the ‘lost generation’ due to their lack of awareness about their cultural roots. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing the struggles and sacrifices of their parents.
“I’m so proud to be in Eau Claire,” Her stated. “We are here to stay.”
The documentary, “A Half Century Home: Fifty Years of Hmong Resettlement in Eau Claire,” is available for free viewing at VolumeOne.org, complete with Hmong language subtitles.
