Cia Siab (Hope) in Wisconsin: A HMoob (Hmong) Story

FAIN: GE-280424-21

University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh (Oshkosh, WI 54901-3551)
Mai See Thao (Project Director: January 2021 to present)

Planning of an 800- to 1,000-square-foot traveling exhibition that would celebrate the 50th year of Hmong resettlement in the U.S.

Cia Siab (Hope) in Wisconsin: A HMoob (Hmong) Story is a traveling exhibit that will launch in 2025 to celebrate the 50th year of Hmong resettlement in the U.S. It is a community-based project that brings together Hmong community voices, humanities scholars, and museum experts to create an immersive traveling exhibit that utilizes the arts, audio, Hmong narratives, and interactive media to illustrate the historical trauma and resilience of Wisconsin’s Hmong rural and urban communities. This project employs community-based participatory research alongside arts-based and trauma-informed methods with Hmong women, youth, elders, and LGBTQ individuals. The proposed activities will be conducted in five cities with a large Hmong population: Eau Claire, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau. This exhibit’s goal is to foster intergenerational and cross-cultural connection, empathy, and dialogue.

Associated Products

The Hmong Story as American History (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Hmong Story as American History
Author: Mai See Thao
Author: Amy Xiong
Author: Emily Xiong
Author: Liseng Xiong
Abstract: Cia Siab (Hope) in Wisconsin is a community-based participatory exhibit. It’s decolonial approaches undoes museum practices, decentering objects by centering how historical trauma and healing shows up in Hmong everyday life in WI. Drawing on marginalized Hmong voices, this exhibit is a public humanities project that transforms institutions and communities.
Date: 3/9/2022
Primary URL: https://www.wisconsin.edu/research-in-the-rotunda/download/RITR-program2022_web.pdf
Primary URL Description: Research in Rotunda: Showcasing the Work of UW Undergraduates

Prizes

People Choice Award
Date: 3/2/2022
Organization: WiSys

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