Pha Association, Inc. Microgrant
Elders and youths will engage with each other to instill a sense of value and validation of one another’s skills and abilities. Participants will strengthen their proficiency in the Hmong language and Hmong alphabet through these lessons. Youths will learn basic conversational Hmong words and they will be introduced to the Hmong alphabet. The youths will learn the skills of storytelling, singing traditional songs, and making and creating their own paj ntaub. By having Hmong elders engage with youth, they are building a bridge that connects them to their heritage, culture, and history.
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Kee Vang (St Paul, MN) Kee was a part of the Truth and Transformation conference/work with MHC, and is also serving on the immigrant cultural heritage panel. He is Hmong. |
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Ka Vang (St. Paul, MN) was a part of the Truth and Transformation conference/work with MHC. She is Hmong. |
Laura Benson
Minnesota Humanities Center
laura@mnhum.org
651-772-4244
$850,000 the first year and $850,000 the second year are for a competitive grants program to provide grants to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Minnesota.
(1) Of this amount, $250,000 the first year is for a grant to one or more community organizations that provide arts and cultural heritage programming celebrating Hmong heritage.
An outcome of the project will provide an opportunity for the elders and youths to engage with each other to instill a sense of value and validation of one another’s skills and abilities. Furthermore, it will contribute to minimizing the intergenerational gaps between both groups as understanding develops into empathy and care among the youths for their elders.
Participants will strengthen their proficiency in the Hmong language and Hmong alphabet through these lessons. Youths will learn basic conversational Hmong words and they will be introduced to the Hmong alphabet. Today’s Hmong youths are unable to carry a normal conversation nor understand their parents. Teaching youth foundational words can help them identify with their families and communities.
The youths will learn the skills of storytelling, singing traditional songs, and making and creating their own paj ntaub. From this experience, they can appreciate the beautiful artworks on their Hmong clothes when they wear them in addition to the significance of the work. They will also appreciate and learn the importance of storytelling and singing traditional songs, as those are integral to the Hmong narrative.
In order to accomplish these goals, the plan is to have the youths meet on the weekend for a period of two hours at a community center to learn from elders and Hmong culture and language instructors. The time frame for this project is for 12 weeks. There will be a total of 30 youths participating in this project. Participants in this program will demonstrate their acquired skills at local community celebrations or showcases in the Twin Cities.
In progress