Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "hmong"

Hmong New Year brings thousands to Cal Expo

2010-11-29T07:32:11Z

The smoky scent of fresh-cooked food and blaring sound of Hmong music filled the air at Cal Expo Thursday through Sunday for the annual Hmong New Year celebration.

Over the four-day period, more than 35,000 people swarmed the state fairgrounds to ring in the unofficial Hmong New Year, according to Sacramento Hmong New Year treasurer Mark Ching.

In addition to the rows of music, food and clothing vendors, some activities of the celebration included a dance competition, Miss Hmong beauty pageant and the Hmong Idol singing competition.

“This is part of my tradition, part of my culture, and also an identity of myself, so in a way it’s a part of me,” Hmong New Year enthusiast Ying Lo said.

He comes out every year for at least one day of the celebration to take part in the ceremonies, but his favorite part is the parade on opening day.

“During the parade, all the bad stuff and back luck that we had from the past year gets thrown away and we renew ourselves and embrace the upcoming year,” he said.

Krystilla Cha has come every year for the last 20 years and enjoys every year as much as the last.

She came out to see old friends, get some new movies, buy some new outfits, look around and see new Hmong jewelry to wear next year.

“You meet old relatives from your childhood and everyone comes together,” Cha said. “I have a lot of old relatives from places like Seattle, France, sometimes even South America.... A lot of people come to the Sacramento New Year because it’s a pretty big event, so you get people from everywhere.”

Shop-owner Mou proudly shared his tasty “cocktail fruit,” a tangy hybrid of the mandarin orange and pomelo, which seemed to be a popular buy.

Jeanne Lemkuil is very close friends with a Hmong family and comes with them to explore and buy Hmong handicrafts, fruit and other food.

She picked up three bags of the cocktail fruit, persimmons, green papaya salad, purple sticky rice and barbecued chicken, along with some gloves for her 9-year-old friend Sunshine Vang.

“My favorite part is coming here to buy stuff that I like,” Vang said. “Like gloves, fruit and vegetables and DVDs and movies for us to watch.”

And Sunshine wasn’t the only kid who came out for a good time. Hundreds of children, usually dressed in traditional Hmong clothes, accompanied their parents and grandparents to partake in this exquisite display of Hmong culture and welcome the year to come.

10,000 to Give Helping Hands to Distressed Sacramento-area Parks on Saturday

2010-05-05T20:11:47Z

SACRAMENTO – More than 10,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their friends will descend on parks throughout the Sacramento region Saturday, May 8, to perform necessary work from clean-up and general maintenance to painting, planting trees and even construction jobs.

Under the banner of Mormon Helping Hands, an international program of the Church that has provided manpower in distressed communities and organized relief efforts after natural disasters, the volunteers have chosen parks in their own communities to perform work in state, regional and city parks that have been hit hard by the recent downturn in the economy. The Sacramento effort is part of a statewide Mormon Helping Hands undertaking whose theme is “Preserving California’s Parks.”

“Members of the Church since the 1840s were instrumental in the establishment and building up of the state, including Sacramento and many other local cities and towns,” said Dennis Holland, Director of Public Affairs for the Sacramento Region. “We feel it is our duty to continue in following Jesus Christ’s example of service to others by helping to improve the communities in which we live, especially during these tough economic times for our local and state governments.”

One of the projects will be at Effie Yeaw Nature Center, which will be losing its funding from Sacramento County on July 1. Located inside Ancil Hoffman Park in Carmichael, the nature center has a list of projects to be accomplished, but no funds to pay for the labor to accomplish them. Among the projects that the Helping Hands volunteers will tackle is the construction of a natural playground out of fallen trees, the weeding of non-native plants from the nature area, the restoration of a pond, and the building of a display stand for a section of a 150-year-old Valley Oak tree.

“There is no way with our current low staffing levels we have now or expect to have in the future that we could remove the invasive and very tall-growing, non-native weeds,” said Marilee Flannery, Park Interpretive Supervisor of Effie Yeaw Nature Center. “This and the other projects would never get done without the helping hands of these volunteers.”

About 800 volunteers – including Hmong and Samoan groups – will donate more than 2,000 man-hours at the City of Sacramento’s William Land Park, which has seen its finding cut by 60 percent in recent years and its maintenance staff trimmed from 22 to seven employees. Volunteers will focus on numerous work projects, including historic trail restoration, power-washing of park amenities, landscape maintenance, specialized gardening, and the cleaning out of the park’s three ponds. The volunteer service in Land Park has an estimated value of more than $70,000.

To thank the Helping Hands volunteers, both the City and County of Sacramento have officially declared May 8, 2010, as Mormon Helping Hands Day.

The numerous other local projects include:

In Natomas: Partnering with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and the Sacramento City Council, volunteers will plant 86 trees at Rosebud Park in North Natomas and build a community garden in a Natomas neighborhood that doesn’t currently have such amenities.

In Sacramento: One of the oldest cemeteries will receive a sprucing-up, as 400 volunteers will do some light painting, trimming around headstones and cleaning them up at East Lawn Memorial Park at Folsom Boulevard and 43rd Street.

In Orangevale: Volunteers will be refurbishing one of the town’s biggest draws: the Frisbee Golf Course at Orangevale Park.

In El Dorado County: At the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where early members of the Church were instrumental in discovering gold and sparking the Gold Rush, hundreds of workers will paint and restore several buildings. Last year, the state park was threatened with closure.

In Placer County: More than 800 volunteers will be working in the Hidden Falls Regional Park, installing several miles of fence posts and non-barbed wire, clearing existing trails, building new trails and clearing brush.

In Yolo County: About 400 volunteers will be performing necessary work in six Woodland parks as well as the Woodland Opera House. In addition to weeding, raking and spreading bark chips, the volunteers will paint and stain buildings, gazebos, benches and picnic tables, replace roof shingles and pressure-wash buildings.

To cover one of the projects, please call Gary Zavoral at (916) 367-9537 or e-mail him at bigzav@hotmail.com.

For more on the churchwide Helping Hands program, go the Church’s Newsroom at http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/-mormon-helping-hands-program-a-decade-of-service.

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SCUSD reaches out to Hmong families to secure voice in budget, strategic plan

2010-02-05T17:25:54Z

Hmong Women’s Heritage Association helps boost participation in district surveys

By Maria L. Lopez

In an effort to ensure the greatest participation possible in two historic surveys, the Sacramento City Unified School District is teaming up with the Hmong Women’s Heritage Association (HWHA) to assist parents and students in completing questionnaires about the district’s budget and strategic plan from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 at the Association’s offices, 2245 Florin Rd.

The first-of-its-kind endeavor to involve Sacramento residents in improving their public schools involves a pair of surveys on school improvements and the district’s budget.

Every Sacramento community member—including parents, teachers and other employees of the district—is being asked to respond to the surveys that will yield for school board members and the superintendent a treasure trove of information about the community’s needs and priorities for public schools.

SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan Raymond said, “We have a valuable and important partner in the Hmong Women’s Heritage Association, and we greatly appreciate their assistance in reaching out to an important and vital part of our community.” He added, “We want to make sure everyone takes this opportunity to be heard.” Community members can take part in the surveys through Feb. 9. The surveys are anonymous. Results will be shared with the public the week of Feb. 15. In addition to the HWHA, neighborhood associations and other organizations are assisting the district by encouraging their members and partners to complete the surveys.

HWHA is a non-profit, community-based organization committed to empowering Hmong women and their families in the Sacramento region. It provides a range of health services through the Hmong Family Resource Center, the Kashia Health Program which aims to reduce cancer and chronic health disparities among the Hmong community, and the Youth Empowerment Program that operates after-school programs to help meet the needs of Southeast Asian youth.

Go to the Sacramento City School District Web Site

Collaboration leads to new direction for SCUSD charter school petitioners

2010-01-15T01:24:44Z

Collaboration leads to new direction for SCUSD charter school petitioners

Yav Pem Suab Academy sets asides petition to work with district

Sacramento City Unified School Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond today announced that organizers for the Yav Pem Suab Academy agreed on Tuesday to set aside their petition to start an independent charter school in the district.

At a special board of education meeting on Tuesday night, petitioners said they would work with the district to create a school that remains part of the district as a “dependent” charter school, a charter that would remain under district governance, but would be allowed greater flexibility to use a longer school day or other departures from traditional school practice.

Independent charters are schools that also enjoy variances from traditional school practices but are not governed by school district boards of education.

Raymond praised the collaborative effort and the opportunity the petitioners, mostly from the Hmong community, are offering the district. “We haven’t served the needs of all our kids, especially our Hmong, Latino and African American students,” Raymond said. He noted while many details remain to be worked out with the district and Sacramento City Teachers

Association, the new opportunity will allow the district and petitioners to create a “win-win.” Raymond added, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to be bold and move in a direction that can set the model for closing the achievement gap for all students. This decision will let the district better serve the needs of students with an innovative program and allows us to retain students who might wish to attend such a charter program.”

He added, “Hope is not a strategy. We will need to all work together to make this dream a reality for our community.”

Unique elementary school in South Sacramento to celebrate the winter season

2009-12-01T11:55:48Z

One of the best kept secrets of the South Sacramento area is a small, private school tucked away in the Lanai Shopping Center on Freeport Boulevard, neighboring the Sacramento Executive Airport, where it has existed in rented space for 21 years.

Over the years, most of the shopping center tenants have moved away. Meanwhile, countless hours of parent, teacher and student work have gone into transforming a run-down property into a school with colorful classrooms and playgrounds.

It has an understated entrance, but Camellia Waldorf School is an oasis for children.

The kindergarten yard is home to Mr. Mountain, a big pile of dirt, and Ms. Sandy, a big pile of sand. There are climbing structures in trees, hay bales, a water pump, chickens and a garden of oak and fruit trees, flowers and vegetables.

Young children run, jump, play and are close to the elements. Walking down the central corridor, a visitor may hear music, singing or poetry being recited. Watercolor paintings line office windows.

The community at Camellia Waldorf School is a diverse group, including families from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Carmichael and Rancho Cordova. Parents are engineers, pastors, attorneys, health practitioners and public school teachers.

Many parents work for the government (federal, state and local), and in a variety of occupations. Families are from a wide range of social, economic, cultural and spiritual backgrounds.

With regard to racial/ethnic diversity, 8 percent of students are African American, 8 percent are Asian American, 17 percent are Hispanic American, 10 percent are from other racial/minority groups and 57 percent are Caucasian.

Families are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim. Camellia is one of the most diverse Waldorf schools in Northern California. Diversity is important, but what bring families together are deeply shared values regarding how children should be raised and educated.

The school and its values, in many ways, resist the tide of mainstream society. Public schools emphasize academics at younger ages; preschool children are being taught phonics. Camellia remains steadfast to its protection of childhood – encouraging preschool children to play outside, rain or shine.

Rooted in the tenet that a child learns through movement in his or her first seven years, the early child curriculum encourages movement through creative free play and in structured activities. Woodworking and finger knitting, learned in kindergarten, develop fine motor skills for writing in later years.

Storytelling and song stimulate creativity and nonlinear thought, vital to the development of critical thinking skills and problem-solving. Gardening teaches children about the life cycle and our environment, while keeping in tune with the seasons and harvesting healthy foods to be eaten at snack time.

In this digital age, media and technology are central to our lives. Camellia encourages keeping both from young children until they are developmentally able to handle the intense sensory input.

The interdisciplinary curriculum for the grades balances the sciences, humanities, and the arts. Subjects include math, science and history, as well as music, art and woodworking.

According to a standardized test used at Camellia, 8th graders' average scores over the past 3 years were higher than the expected Grade Equivalent for all 9 academic subjects tested. Scores for 8 of 9 such subjects were at 10th grade level and higher.

Some Camellia graduates continue their education at the Sacramento Waldorf School in Fair Oaks, while others transition to public schools or private schools such as Christian Brothers and St. Francis High School.

According to a study of Waldorf graduates in North America, 94 percent attend college and nearly 80 percent intend to attend graduate school.

The same study reported that 47 percent of undergraduates majored in arts and humanities, 43 percent in math and science, and the remaining 10 percent in a variety of other fields.

Camellia Waldorf School’s annual tuition is $8,675. Considered low for a Waldorf school, it is expensive for the average family.

What most people do not know is that, perhaps unlike other local private schools, Camellia provides more than $170,000 in tuition assistance to an unprecedented 42 percent of its student population.

Contrary to public perception, 10 percent of Camellia students would qualify for free or reduced lunch in a public school. This Waldorf School is committed to providing its integrated curriculum to a socio-economically diverse population. Parents of all backgrounds make sacrifices to send their children to this school.

The school's mission is to educate by “honoring childhood, appreciating the individuality of each student and nurturing a sense of moral and ethical responsibility while building capacities for learning and encouraging clear and creative thinking.”

Camellia Waldorf School is more than a school. It is an educational community of committed staff, faculty and parents that strives to achieve and live a shared mission.

On Dec. 12, the school will host its 21st Annual Winter Faire, open to the public. This event offers a variety of activities for children such as puppet shows, storytelling, craft activities, and a store just for children to select gifts for family and friends.

Over 40 local artisans and craft vendors will be selling handcrafted items and unique gifts for holiday shopping.

This year the Faire will offer free demonstrations on beekeeping, hand-blown glass ornaments, and blacksmithing.

Festive and culturally diverse music and dance performances will also be free and include Kalpulli Xihuacoatl - Danza Azteka, the Southern Brothers Drum Group, Val Shadowhawk, the Nada Brahma Music Ensemble, Agua de Beber Capoeira, The Benny’s and the Ntshiab Li Nag Hmong dancers.

A “Gingerbread Creations” exhibit will feature the "work" of local architects and housing developers. The public, too, will be invited to build gingerbread structures.

The “Golden Ladle Soup Competition” will serve gourmet soups from local restaurants including Ella Dining Room and Bar and Magpie Café to be judged by local celebrities, such as Mai Pham from Lemongrass Restaurant, Sonney Chong from CAPITAL, Paulette Bruce of The Dining Divas, and Councilmembers Rob Fong and Kevin McCarty.

This event is open to the public and free. Some activities require nominal fees. Celebrate the winter season at this exciting event! CWS, 5701 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 427-5022. See www.camelliawaldorf.org for more information.

This article was submitted by Marisa Cheung, Camellia Waldorf School Parent, and Meredith Johanson, Camellia Waldorf School Administrator.

Hmong New Year celebration

2009-11-30T06:14:33Z

Thanksgiving Day usually means eating turkey. But for thousands of local Hmong, it means eating Hmong sausage, grilled pork and sticky rice while attending the Sacramento Hmong New Year celebration at Cal Expo.

More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the four-day celebration which begins Thursday and ends Sunday, said John Thao, Hmong New Year Committee board member. The board formed six years ago and consists of one representative from each of the 18 Hmong clans which make up Sacramento's community of approximately 26,000 to 28,000 Hmong. Hmong come from the mountainous regions of China and other countries Southeast Asia.

Nov. 14 and 15, Hmong already celebrated the new year at home with their immediate families and close relatives, Thao said. The celebration at Cal Expo is more than a New Year celebration - it's a festival of unity, a way to show wealth, meet new faces and come together to show support for the Hmong community in Sacramento, he said.

At 10 a.m. Thursday, General Vang Pao, will be cutting a ceremonial ribbon and giving a speech during the celebration's opening ceremony. A Hmong American born in Laos, the General fought in the Royal Lao Army and is revered by both Hmong in the U.S. and Asia. He was recently released of conspiracy charges.

His speech will kick off four days of events including a Miss Hmong California pageant, a Hmong Idol singing competition and a play reflecting on why the Hmong celebrate the new year.

The celebration will include local and international performers singing, playing music and dancing, said Tony Moua, the event's entertainment chair. Hmong people from China, Thailand and Laos, as well as other Asian American groups from Sacramento, are expected to attend the festival.

Moua and Thao both said they were excited that General Vang Pao will attend the celebration.

"He doesn't visit the area very often, (so) this is a wonderful event for Sacramento," Moua said. "It means the whole world to me, and it means that the region is strong and dynamic."

"It's important to all the Hmong, he's a hero to the people," Thao added.

Sacramento and Fresno both have about the same population of Hmong, the largest in California. Thao said that Fresno's Hmong International New Year celebration will be held Dec. 26 - Jan. 2, and will hold the Miss Hmong International pageant.

He also said he was looking forward to watching the play, which will reflect the history of why Hmong people celebrate the new year. This will be the first time the play will be produced, and it will be held on the first day of the event.

One New Year tradition is playing "Swb Pob", pronounced "pah-bah," which Moua said has similar rules to an egg toss. It acts as a way to socialize and meet new people.

Competitors wearing traditional Hmong clothing begin standing 10 feet apart while tossing a ball to each other. Each team must back up five feet every three minutes until they are 35 feet apart. The last person still tossing at the end will win a $100 cash prize.

"It's a celebration of life and for people to meet each other and promote culture," Moua said. "We are extending our hands to reach out and we would hope others do the same."

Hmong New Year takes place from 10 a.m. until an unspecified evening closing time, Thursday through Sunday at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd. Click here for the full schedule.

Photographs credit Lou Lo Photography. Photos show My Tzer Lao, last year's Miss Hmong California.

Hmong rally for accused conspirators

2009-10-06T03:44:01Z

"What do we want? Case dismissed! When do we want it? Now!"

Tria Vang, 25-year-old Hmong activist and part of the Hmong American Ad Hoc Committee, led a spirited crowd of nearly 1,000 through cheers as well as a march around the Matsui Courthouse building.

Organized by the Ad Hoc Committee, Hmong Americans and their supporters protested an indictment against 12 Hmong men accused of conspiring to overthrow the Laos government. It mirrored a similar rally in May of this year for Hmong leader and former general, Vang Pao, 79, who was recently dismissed of the same charges on Sept. 18.

Only one day earlier, Sept. 17, brothers Jerry Yang, 58, and Thomas Yang, 47, were added as conspirators with the 10 others indicted nearly two and a half years ago. According to The Sacramento Bee, there will be very little movement in the case until March; U.S. District Court Judge Frank Damrell Jr. wants to allow the defendants time to review the government's evidence against them.

Vang, who also emceed the Pao protest in March, said more people showed up than he expected.

"(The protest) turned out good, considering it was very sudden," Vang said. "We only talked about it since last Friday. We hope they throw out the case. There's not sufficient evidence to charge the (defendants)."

Some of the speakers included Vaming Xiong, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, committee member Thomas Lee and lawyer James Brosnahan all spoke to the crowd.

"We've been betrayed by this case," Lee said. "There are 12 innocent defendants entrapped; they have no capability to overthrow a government."

Lee added that the previous Vang Pao rally brought good publicity to the case. "It does send a clear message not only here but throughout the world that (U.S.) foreign policy is not fair. We feel that the U.S. is using us as bait to work with the Lao government.

"We don't want to fight the government, but they want to arrest us," he said.

"There is no conspiracy here," Brosnahan said.

"The charges are stupid," said William Thomas, a veteran from Sacramento. Thomas was passing by when he was drawn into the rally by American flags, he said.

Thomas said he supports the Hmong and opposes the indictment. "Give them the benefit of the doubt and drop their charges, too," he said. "The case is a waste of money."

A status conference, or meeting between attorneys, is scheduled for Mar. 15, 2010.

Ruling postponed in Hmong conspiracy trial

2009-05-12T04:05:42Z

A federal judge on Monday ordered prosecutors to turn over the remaining evidence against Hmong defendants charged with an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the communist Laotian government.

Presiding over a packed courtroom in Sacramento, U.S. District Court Judge Frank Damrell Jr. of the Eastern District of California deferred ruling on the defendants' motion to dismiss the case until all evidence is in.

"I much prefer to make my findings on a complete record, and that's what I intend to do," Damrell said.

Prosecutors have provided the defense with about 70 percent of the evidence since the indictments were handed down in June 2007, said defense attorney Mark Reichel.

As the court proceedings continued, thousands of ethnic Hmong, estimated at more than 5,000 by Sacramento police, rallied outside the federal courthouse to support the dismissal of the case against 79-year-old former Royal Lao Amy General Vang Pao, considered the "George Washington" of Hmong throughout the world, and 10 other defendants. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Harrison Jack is the only defendant who isn't Hmong.

The case has been a rallying point for Hmong throughout the world. Hmong communities from throughout the U.S. and as far away as France and Australia pooled money to send supporters to Sacramento Monday. Countless Hmong in Laos, Thailand, China, Vietnam, the United States and elsewhere in California tuned in via cell phones and radio stations that patched into the rambunctious yet peaceful rally via conference calls, said Wang Vang, national chairman of the Fresno-based Hmong-American Ad Hoc Committee, which organized the protest.

The defendants are charged with violating the federal Neutrality Act by planning a military attack to oust the Laotian government.
Defense attorneys led by John Keker, who once prosecuted Oliver North, asked for the case to be dismissed due to government misconduct -- which the judge said was an "unprecedented" motion.

The defense contends that an undercover agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) committed entrapment by telling the defendants he worked for the CIA and that the CIA would support a coup against the government of Laos.

"That's outrageous misconduct," said defense attorney Jim Brosnahan. "We're asking for a lot here (in asking for a dismissal). But after 15 years of fighting for this country, these gentlemen are entitled to it."

Prosecutor Robert Tice-Raskin said the agent did indicate to the defendants that the U.S. government would support a coup. But he also said that the defendants believed the man was an arms-dealing criminal, rather than a U.S. government agent. The agent was simply reacting to a question posed by Jack about how "world powers" would react to a coup, he added.

"Are you troubled by the fact that the agent said the U.S. government would back this?" asked Damrell.

"If that were indeed the situation, I guess I would find that somewhat troubling, yes," said Tice-Raskin.

The defense also contends that the ATF agent's testimony, which led to the indictments in June 2007, was not backed up by transcripts of wiretap recordings. Defense attorneys also said the recordings picked up Hmong discussions that haven't yet been translated into English.

Hmong protesters outside the court said they don't believe the defendants are guilty of the crimes they've been charged with. They also said they believe due process of law hasn't been followed for the Hmong -- in part because the case has taken so long. An estimated 15,000 Hmong veterans are believed to live in the U.S. after fighting under Pao for the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

"Americans came to Laos and asked Hmong to join the secret war to fight the Viet Cong," said Kou Vang, 27, of Taylorsville, N.C. He accompanied his 70-year-old father, Chi Vang, who served under Pao in Vietnam.

"Now the Americans have turned their backs on Vang Pao and they're making him out to be a bad guy," Kou Vang said. "That's why everybody's here today -- to say it's false accusations. Vang Pao is a hero to the U.S. and to the Hmong."

An estimated 85,000 Hmong now live in California, said Paula Yang, spokesperson for the Hmong-American Ad Hoc Committee in Fresno.

Thousands of protesters wearing white to symbolize peace shouted "Free Vang Pao! Free Vang Pao!" while hoisting American flags and signs such as, "Liberty and Justice for All."

American veterans also turned out for the hearing and rally. The Laotian government has been making war on the Hmong ever since the Vietnam War ended, said retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Jim Cook.

"We must send a strong message (to the Laos government and U.S. President Barack Obama) to stop the genocide against the Hmong, " said the 55-year-old Elk Grove resident, who served during the Vietnam War era.

"Veterans are saying, 'Enough of this garbage. Let's do what's right. They're human beings,' " said Korean War veteran Charlie Waters, a judge advocate for the California chapter of the American Legion. "If this goes bad, we are going to raise all kinds of hell."

A status hearing has been tentatively set for early October.