“I Am Hmoob”

It wasn’t a calm and quiet Saturday night in the union on April 4. Because the ballroom was home to Hmong Student Association’s second annual “I am Hmoob.” The cultural program showcased a variety of performances, as well traditional Hmong dancing, and singing.

Over 100 people were in attendance for the event including students, community members, and local Hmong business owners, who were allowed to advertise their business at the event. Vang Koua Xiong is a senior at UWM and is the current Hmong Student Association’s Vice President. Hmoob is the Hmong language.

“This is the second one. We’re still really young but HSA has been around for a long time and this is a tradition we want to continue,” Xiong said. The first time vice president felt that the arts are universal and would be a good way to showcase the Hmong culture.

On the opposite end of the ballroom from the stage were a variety of booths where food, and music was being sold. One booth in particular stood out from the rest. This was the booth for the silent auction. This is where people bid in secrecy on the items up for auction, and the money given would go towards one of HAS’s scholarships. One of the items up for auction was a linocut print piece done by graphic design student Jenny Yang.

“Since it was a Hmong inspired piece, I decided to donate it,” Yang said. The piece that Yang donated was done in her print making class at UWM and was inspired by her Hmong heritage.

“I am Hmoob” started in the spring of 2014 and was created in order to revitalize the Hmong Culture. The Hmong Culture is heavily based on oral tradition, so culture, values, and traditions are passed down through stories, songs, and music. “I am Hmoob” being a concert and showcase helps shows those traditions through the arts.

“As music continues to change throughout the ages so does our culture and I Am Hmoob is a celebration of our ever changing culture,” HSA president Adam Vue said.

The event also focuses on bringing prominent artist in the Hmong community to perform at the event. This year, singer Cody Lee from Brooklyn Park Minnesota was the feature artist at “I am Hmoob” and performed a handful of times throughout the night. It was also Lee’s first time performing in Milwaukee.

UWM Alumni Chung Mai attended the event last year and returned this year with his girlfriend, who is currently a student at UWM. Mai was eager to learn more about the Hmong culture and just wanted to simply gain more knowledge.

“It’s hard to watch these events if you don’t know anything,” Mai said.

“Being Hmong means being unique not a lot of people know what Hmong is,” Shoua Khang, a senior at UWM, said. Khang expressed that she isn’t close to the Hmong community in Milwaukee and coming to the event allowed her to see what the Hmong community here is doing.

The event continued on throughout the night, with more performances from local singers and dancers. There also was a fashion show that showcased traditional and modern Hmong clothing, and the models included UWM students and volunteers from the community.

People continued to eat, socialize, and purchase items from the many venders set up in the ballroom.

As the event came to an end, the last thing that occurred was an open mic where anyone attending the event could sign up to perform on stage. A final performance by featured artist Cody Lee ended the second annual “I am Hmoob.”