LibGuides: Hmong-Americans in Minnesota: Overview

Best Bets

Hmong in Minnesota, by Chia Youyee Vang, foreword by Bill Holm.
Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, c2008.
MNHS call number: Reading Room F615.H55 V36 2008, also available for purchase.

Hmong and American: From Refugees to Citizens, edited by Vincent K. Her and Mary Louise Buley-Meissner.
St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, c2012.
MNHS call number: Reading Room E184.H55 H555 2012, also available for purchase.

Hmong Oral History Project
The Hmong Oral History Project consists of nine interviews with Hmong men and women from the Twin Cities who have immigrated to Minnesota from Laos or Thailand.
MNHS call number: Digital Audio and Transcripts

Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota Ethnic History Project. Project Records
Folders specific to Hmong community -- general, churches, Dept. of Public Welfare, Lao Family Community notes and chapter drafts, newspaper articles, research and interview notes, statistical data, and other related material created by the Minnesota Ethnic History Project.
MNHS call number: Digital Finding Aid

Overview

With the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War, large numbers of Vietnamese, Cambodians, Lao, and Hmong sought refuge in the United States. In 1975, Hmong refugees began their move to Minnesota. Over the next years, close to 60,000 of these new immigrants made their home in Minnesota.

By 2000, more than 40,000 Hmong people from the mountains of Laos had settled in Minnesota, giving the state one of the largest concentrations of Hmong in the country and making the Hmong the most populous Indochinese group in Minnesota. In June 2004, another wave of Hmong immigrants arrived. According to the 2010 Census, Minnesota is home to over 63,000 Hmong people, nearly 62,000 of whom reside in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Research Options

Visit the MNHS Library
Original materials, records, and newspapers on microfilm are available on site and reference staff can help with research.
MNHS Research Services
Order copies of records, articles, or other specific materials from the MNHS collections.
Interlibrary Loan
MNHS loans out most microfilm materials. Contact your local library for more information and assistance with this service.
Online Research
Some items such as newspapers, articles, photos and objects are available online. Look for links within this guide.
Other Libraries
Many books listed in the Secondary Sources page can be borrowed from other libraries.