We Are Hmong Minnesota

We Are Hmong Minnesota, a 2,500-square-foot exhibit, debuted March 7, 2015, timed for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Hmong migration to Minnesota. MNHS staff worked in partnership with the Hmong community to develop the exhibit. A traveling version of the exhibit for loan to libraries, schools, and community centers was also developed and is currently circulating. A companion exhibit at the James J. Hill House displayed a collection of Hmong textiles recently donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. A new website aggregating collections and educational resources is now available at www.mnhs.org/hmong. The exhibit run was extended through Jan. 3, 2016, due to high demand. Initiating a new collaborative model, MNHS produced a marketing campaign designed in cooperation with members of the local Hmong community, which resulted in strong attendance by first-time visitors to the Minnesota History Center in FY15. More than 3,500 people attended on the exhibit's opening day, March 7, 2015, 75 percent of whom self-identified as Asian/Pacific American. The exhibit garnered impressive media coverage locally and nationally.