Menomonie, Wisconsin History/Hmong Stout Student Organization

The Hmong Stout Student Organization (H.S.S.O.) is an active cultural and social student-led organization with the main focus on the Hmong ethnic minority community. Established in 1989 and located at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI., the purpose of H.S.S.O. is to enrich and guide members in forming and building leadership and relationship skills through social, cultural, and academic experiences and guidance as well as bridge and connect with other organizations that share the same interests in focusing on minorities. In addition to this, the organization also aims to provide and create opportunities for interested individuals both inside and outside of the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus. It also aims to justify and focus on issues that concern students of Hmong descent at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, the University of Wisconsin-System and the United States of America.

About

Founded and established in 1986, the Hmong Stout Student Organization (H.S.S.O.) aims in spreading and educating what the Hmong culture is, what it’s about, and how it has progressed and revolutionized while keeping its traditions alive and well. The organization also aims in building professional and personal connections and relationships with other cultures to create a better understanding of each other’s customs. The organization, which is set on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, is to unify and guide individuals who are of Hmong descent, and is not only open to Hmong-American students but to other students and individuals from different backgrounds as well who want to learn more or are interested in what the Hmong culture is about.

In addition to it's aims and goals, the H.S.S.O. Organization does many collaborations with other on-campus cultural organizations as well as other student-led Hmong organizations from various other universities in the University of Wisconsin system and within the state of Wisconsin in planning and organizing cultural events held during various times throughout the year.

Goals and Focus

As stated earlier and in many parts of the article, the Hmong Stout Student Organization has a primary focus on bringing together Hmong-American students that attend the University of Wisconsin-Stout. It aims to raise and teach the awareness and importance of the Hmong community and their impact in playing a role in American history. The core issue is that though there are Hmong-American citizens living throughout the United States, as a small ethnic minority community, the Hmong community is not very well-known in the American republic and majority.

Although many do not know, the Hmong community has had a huge impact in the course of American History as the Hmong have helped the United States Government in fighting in the Vietnam War or Secret War and Laotian Civil War. Due to the United States Government hiding away the details of its failure in both the Vietnam and Laotian Secret Civil War, the involvement and role of the Hmong is not very well known in the media and in the communities of where they inhabit. Over the following years as the Hmong were beginning to integrate into the United States, a cultural tension grew between the Caucasian majority and Hmong minority in cultural understanding and acceptance, with it existing even now in some areas of the United States and reported in some cases and news reports.

With this as one of the key and core reasons, the Hmong Stout Student Organization (H.S.S.O.) of the University of Wisconsin-Stout advocates and aims in teaching, guiding and creating an understanding in the community of Menomonie and in the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Stout of what the Hmong culture, its people, beliefs, community, customs, traditions, and their importance in playing a part in United States history is about and the many hardships that the Hmong have been subjugated to in order for future generations to live freely with that of equal rights and independence that is shared with others cultures that have gone through the same.

Cultural Significance

As stated in the organization name, the main focus of H.S.S.O. is to bring awareness and educate the community and public about the Hmong ethnic minority. With the organization made mostly of Hmong-American students on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, there is no exception to students with different cultural backgrounds who wish to join and learn about the Hmong culture. Although many do not know, the Hmong community has had a huge impact in the course of American History as the Hmong have helped the United States Government in fighting in the Vietnam War or Secret War and Laotian Civil War.

Due to the United States Government hiding away the details of its failure in both the Vietnam and Laotian Secret Civil War, the involvement and role of the Hmong is not very well known in the media and in the communities of where they inhabit. Over the following years as the Hmong were beginning to integrate into the United States, a cultural tension grew between the Caucasian majority and Hmong minority in cultural understanding and acceptance, with it existing even now in some areas of the United States and reported in some cases and news reports. In addition, Hmong community is slowly being forgotten by future generations as American society now shape and influence the new and growing Hmong generation.

With this as one of the key and core reasons, the Hmong Stout Student Organization, as stated earlier, aims to teach and guide those in the community of Menomonie and in the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Stout who have little to no knowledge or awareness of the Hmong people, community, customs, traditions, culture and their importance in playing a part in United States history.