Navigating the Pandemic, BLM, the 2020 Elections, Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, and the George Floyd Murder while being Hmong in Minnesota

Tou Ger Xiong, Hmong American storyteller, artist and activist, will share his personal stories across the country to build cultural competency and address racial discrimination.

A recipient of a 2019 Bush Fellowship, Xiong is called to a life of public service and social justice activism. “This past year has presented the perfect storm for Hmong Americans and Asian Americans to challenge our ways of thinking and talking about race, culture, politics," Xiong says. "What lessons from 2020-2021 can we take as we move toward healing and reconciliation?”

Xiong sees that his community has achieved some level of the American Dream but that Hmong people still face disparities in employment, educational achievement, and home and business ownership. To amplify the voices of his community and serve as a force for change, he will document his civic engagement and anti-racism work to share with new generations of activists.

This event will:

• Challenge audience members' perspectives on race and culture.
• Explore inter-generational trauma in the Hmong/Southeast Asian refugee experience and how it has shaped our understanding of race and power.
• Examine the state of Black/Asian relations in the back drop of the George Floyd murder, BLM movement, and Anti-Asian hate.
• Explore ways on how one can show up and be an ally to the movement toward healing.

If you have questions, contact BernaDette Suwareh at 651-793-1541 or BernaDette.Suwareh@metrostate.edu .