| Date and Time | Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 1:00pm |
| Speaker | Cynthia Yongvang, board president of the Hmong Association of Washington. |
| Link | Zoom Meeting: https://bellevuecollege.zoom.us/j/4944497589 Meeting ID: 494 449 7589 |
| Description | The Hmong are an indigenous group originally from the mountainous regions of southern China, Viet Nam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. They distinguish themselves from the Laotian population because of their ethnicity, written and spoken language, culture and religion. During the Vietnam War, Hmong villagers worked alongside the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in their fight against the North Vietnamese in what has been called a “secret war” in Laos. At risk of severe retaliation from the Lao government, Hmong and other Laotian exiles escaped to Thailand, where they were placed in refugee camps. Upon resettlement to the United States, the Hmong immigrants achieved refugee status largely because of their war efforts on behalf of the Americans as well as their need to escape the communist regime in Laos. To order flowers from Hmong farmers: https://www.hmongflowers.com/order-flowers To learn more about the HMONG population in Western Washington and their recent struggle with the closure of Pike Place Market: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/pike-place-markets-hmong-flower-farmers-adapt-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/ Data and policy recommendations on Southeast Asian Americans: https://www.searac.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEARAC_NationalSnapshot_PrinterFriendly.pdf |