NOTES FROM KOU VANG “Portraits of Hmong Women” has left an incredible impression on me as a Hmong-American woman and artist. I am forever indebted to the brave women who have courageously opened their heart and soul in sharing their “normal” lives with Christa and I. For many of the Hmong women, revealing their story was an emotionally liberating, therapeutic event. This was the first time many have been asked to convey their side of the story. Many of whom have gone through unimaginable events, horrific traumas, heartaches, backlash and betrayal fromtheir own community. I applaud these fearless Hmong women for choosing to breakfree from the shackles of silence to allow their souls to mend.

I not only talked and photographed the women but also became an interwoven part of their lives in a bond of sisterhood. I stayed with many in their homes, cooked and ate with them, played with their children, sometimes even bringing my children and husband to share the total experience.

“Portraits” is a celebration of the Hmong women, entailing looking at some painful truths about the Hmong cultural practices and behaviors within each of us. This documentary is in honor of the many Hmong women before us who sacrificed selflessly for our generation of women and people—to prosper and have
permanence. Through their astonishing testimonials and true tests of humanity, we as a community can start the path to healing and reconciliation.
As you read the narratives, you may find your mother, grandmother, aunt, sister or even yourself in the stories. It is by sharing our past that we can fully appreciate, respect and embrace who we are today as Hmong-American women.

NOTES FROM CHRISTA XIONG This documentary is supported by the Ella Lyman Cabot Trust, with seed funds from the Wisconsin Arts Boards and fiscal agent Hmong-American Women's Association.

It has been a great honor to work with Kou in this project. Over the course of two years, I have been privileged with meeting and getting to know Hmong women from a variety of paths. Each woman’s life presents a remarkable story of courage, endurance, pain, and accomplishment. I thank these women for opening their lives to me and for allowing me to capture the moments that have defined them in their life. I have learned and been awakened to so many new things about myself and my own life journey through this process.

For me, this project is a tribute to all Hmong women—it gives voice to the unspoken silence from one generation to the next. It breaks the chains of silence and acknowledges Hmong women for the experiences that we have survived. I truly appreciate the participants in this project for their strength to move beyond the criticisms and taboos. I commend them for no longer desiring to be the color of water,which is colorless and unseen.

I thank Kou for having the vision to create such a project and allowing me to collaborate along side. One of our objectives is to bring healing to Hmong women through their stories—a process of release, yet never forgetting who we are; where we’ve been, and where we want to go. This project has allowed me to recognize the fears, angers, and frustrations and to move beyond these barriers to peace, love, and freedom. This project has allowed me to examine the good, the bad, and the ugly things about Hmong culture and embrace all of it with acceptance that I am
a Hmong-American.

These are stories of ordinary Hmong women enduring extraordinary circumstances and surviving to teach the lessons learned. Their contributions may seem small, but like each human being they have a story that should be acknowledged and heard.

I hope that as you read the stories, you will be able to collect from them the positive aspects that bring along healing and empowerment for your life journey.

---

How the interviews were conducted
Hmong women were picked from personal references through the writers' connections in the Hmong community. The key factor was not to duplicate stories. After choosing the participants, the writers set up various times and dates over a two-year period to talk to the participants and photograph them. Ms. Vang's research was conducted while spending time with the participants - cooking, eating, and conversing in a casual atmosphere -- to build trust and a relationship with the participants. When traveling to meet participants out of town, Ms. Vang brought her family with her to partake in the whole experience of "getting to know your neighbor." Ms. Vang visited the Hmong women one to three times to interview them as well as photography them. Ms. Xiong conducted her interviews the same way, with some interviews over the phone. The majority of the conversations were recorded. After each interview, the writers would write the participant's story in first person, putting themselves in the participant's shoes. The writers then sent the story to the participants to review and edit for accuracy and content. Two women chose to write their own stories, Mai Neng Moua and Pa Moua. Sara Woelfel edited all the stories.