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formal education, the Hmong youth
in America are faced with a need to
pursue higher levels of learning. At
UNC, HSAC endeavors to reach out
to Hmong students by sponsoring an
annual‘Carolina Tour’. The project
involves bringing about 100 high
school students from the counties of
Burke and Catawba (where Hmong
people are concentrated in North
Carolina) up to Chapel Hill for the
length of a day. During this event,
the students are given the opportuni
ty to interact with a guest speaker,
tour the university, and gain valu
able information on the college
application process. This year,
HSAC will be hosting its third annu
al tour on April 9th.
Among the Hmong, there is
a proverb that says, “Hla dej yuav
hie khau.
Tsiv teb tsaws chaw yuav hie hau.”
In English, this phrase can be trans
lated as saying, “When crossing
rivers, take off your shoes. When
changing countries, take off your
hat.” In correlation with this saying,
many Hmong have humbly restarted
their lives in the United States.
However, the Hmong presence is
beginning to gradually assert itself
in a wide variety of ways. Whether
it be through college organizations
or government positions, the Hmong
are definitely finding their own
niche in this “salad-bowl” society.
Perhaps more than ever, the Hmong
are beginning to demonstrate the
fact that they too can embrace pro
gression while reflecting on their
culture. And while hardship and
tragedy are the reasons why they are
here, aspiration and hope will be the
reasons why they will thrive.
Indeed, the Hmong people are prime
examples of the claim that in this
“land of opportunity”, anything is
possible. ~EW