Hmong cultural event set in Merced

Merced Hmong Community Center plans an event Friday meant to educate people about Hmong culture and pass their practices to the younger generations, organizers said.

The Intergenerational Collaboration: A Pathway to Hmong Cultural Wellness is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday at Vault Works, 1666 N St.

Co-director Linda Xiong said in the 40 years that Hmong have been in the U.S. the language and cultural practices have slipped further and further away. The center is looking to make connections between older generations and young people to strengthen the cultural ties.

“As part of the acculturation process into mainstream American culture, many young Hmong are losing their ability to speak the language,” she said. “A lot of them are no longer practicing cultural and spiritual traditions.”

Xiong said the event is what she hopes to be just the first step in a long process of strengthening cultural ties. She stressed that the event is open to people of all cultural backgrounds.

“We’re hoping for a diverse crowd,” she said.

Hmong culture is a mystery to many people, Xiong said.

Many Hmong agreed to fight for the CIA against the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. When the United States pulled out, communists took over the country and the Hmong became refugees. Many fled the country to keep their lives, braving thousands of miles of jungle, raging waters and refugee camps.

“People don’t really understand our history. They don’t really understand how we got here,” she said. “We’re refugees; we’re not immigrants.”

The Hmong Community Center is based at Vault Works, a shared office space in downtown.

Sierra Health Foundation Center for Health Program Management helped fund the Hmong-related efforts with a grant last year of $15,000 to the United Way of Merced County.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Hmong cultural event set in Merced."