Madison Reporter

Madison College launched its first Hmong American studies class this spring with the goal of creating a space where students could express their culture and journey. Sixteen students celebrated with a portfolio of art, writings, and poems at the semester’s end. Instructor Chundou Her noted the friendships that developed among students and an impromptu potluck karaoke party.

“Students were willing to engage in this class as a community and not just as individuals trying to get knowledge,” Her said. “We were a community of learners trying to build knowledge together, which is always my biggest goal as a teacher.”

Hmong are the largest Asian American ethnic group in Wisconsin, with a rich but complex heritage. With America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and Laos, Hmong allies resettled in the United States fleeing from conflict in the late 1970s.

The Intro to American Hmong Studies class was created to address feelings of invisibility among many Hmong within the larger Wisconsin community, according to Masaya Xiong, Madison College’s Hmong and Southeast Asian Community Liaison.

“Our students wanted more visibility and to have their identity, history, and culture represented in the classroom,” Xiong said of the classes funded through a partnership grant between UW-Madison Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

In the class, students connected through Qhuab Ke (Hmong life song) with creative and deeply personal stories, culminating in presenting at an undergraduate symposium. Students ended the class by writing letters to their future ancestors.

Nathan Xiong signed up for the class out of curiosity about his Hmong culture. His parents were born and raised in Laos and Thailand and worked to keep their heritage alive after immigrating to Wisconsin.

“This class gave me a perfect opportunity to test my knowledge of Hmong culture and learn new knowledge,” Nathan Xiong said. He demonstrated these traditions by playing the Hmong flute or “Raj Nplaim” for his classmates.

The three-credit class also enhances non-Hmong students’ understanding of diverse cultures—an attribute highly valued by global businesses. Future educators found it beneficial since Wisconsin law now requires K-12 public schools to teach Asian American and Hmong history.

Madison College offers this course as part of its professional development Race and Ethnic Studies Certificate or liberal arts associate degree requirement, with plans for transferability to four-year institutions.

Nathan Xiong expressed hope that more courses related to Hmong culture would be offered at Madison College similar to those available for Black and Latinx communities. “I think there is some synergy around that, and we are looking to advocate for that,” he said.

Her emphasized that teaching beyond K-12 was thrilling: “Students enjoyed coming to class, they engaged with the material very deeply.” They expect current students will recommend it widely: “And I am very excited that current students can use word-of-mouth.”

Nathan Xiong intends to recommend this course: “I appreciate that Madison College offered this class... There has been a lot happening around college regarding Hmong culture.”