Hmong Cultural Center Inc.
Background and Purpose
The Hmong Cultural Center, Inc. (HCC) was established in 1992 and is located in Saint Paul. Its mission is to promote the personal development of children, youth and adults through Hmong cultural education while providing resources that enhance cross-cultural awareness and understanding between Hmong and non-Hmong.
The Center programs include cultural education and race relations outreach that promote cross-cultural understanding; adult education and literacy programs that promote the personal development and self-sufficiency of Hmong adults; and educational programs that promote the self-esteem and social and cultural skills of children, youth and adults.
The Center also established several websites including a multimedia educational one, www.learnabouthmong.com, which provides information on Hmong history, culture and people.
In 2007 the Center served over 71 children and youth in dance and the Qeej musical instrument classes; 72 adults in Cultural Customs classes; and hosted close to 800 visitors to the Center and about 80,000 people through its websites. The Hmong Cultural Center operates with an eight-member Board of Directors, four full-time and six part-time staff.
Current Request
In 1998, the University of Minnesota closed its Refugee Studies Center and its affiliated library collection due to budgetary reasons.
The Hmong Cultural Center responded by opening the Hmong Resource Center which started as a small collection with no staff. Since 2000, with the support of local funders, it has grown into a larger academic collection. Its collection of Hmong related theses, dissertations, and academic articles is the largest body of Hmong related academic literature in the United States. It exceeds the centralized holdings of any American college or university pertaining to the Hmong diaspora. At the same time, the Center is a community-based resource that serves the needs of both Hmong and non-Hmong community members. The current holdings include 300 dissertations and theses, 400 books, 750 academic journal articles, 3,500 newspaper articles and 250 videos.
With the growth of the Hmong population in the community, particularly the recent immigrants from Wat Tham Krabok refugee camp, there is a greater need for access to these materials. This is especially true for non-Hmong individuals who are interacting with Hmong community members more frequently. Over the past year and a half the HRC has taken on new staff with one part-time person working some hours in the Resource Center and one volunteer librarian. The HCC requests two-year support to pay their volunteer librarians and expand their holdings in order to better meet community need.