Nearly 200 people attended the Building Bridges: Hmong Education Fair, sponsored by the Multicultural Educational Resource Center and the UW-Platteville Hmong Club on Sept. 25. The fair included presentations on Hmong history in China, Laos and Thailand, present day life in Laos and the United States, and Hmong culture, arts and crafts.

“A lot of people were surprised at what the Hmong had been through,” Long Vang, vice president of the club, said. “There are many Hmong students on campus, and we thought it would be better if the community knew about our culture.”

The Hmong are an ethnic group from southeast Asia, particularly in China, Laos and Thailand. The Hmong in Laos agreed to fight with U.S. forces during the Vietnam War, explained Vang. They were promised a place to stay in the U.S. if the war was lost. Since the U.S. withdrew in 1975, soldiers and their families have been coming to the U.S.

Vang’s father and grandfather were both soldiers in the conflict. His family moved to the U.S. in 1997. He said many of the Hmong students on campus have a similar background. Part of the fair included a student panel talking about their experiences and culture.

The fair included a simulation of what refugees had to go through to get to the U.S.

“I learned a lot about the process,” Michael Johnson said. The psychology major played the part of a United Nations worker interviewing Hmong before they were allowed to come to the U.S. If the refugees passed the interview, they then needed to pass a physical examination and only so many people were allowed into the U.S. each year.

“By finding out about other cultures, it’s easier to understand where they’re coming from,” Johnson said.

“It was hard [for the Hmong] because most didn’t get in as soon as they thought and many didn’t get to bring relatives,” Toia Mannery, a criminal justice major who also played the part of a U.N. worker, said. “Basic education leaves you ignorant of certain cultures. It’s good to try and broaden your understanding.”

Attendants had a chance to sample Hmong cuisine, traditional dancing and see arts and crafts demonstrations.

“The program was the students’ idea,” Multicultural Student Advisor Pusaporn Tabrizi said. This is the first education fair the club has done. Preparations started last semester.

“The reason for having the program is to let the campus learn about Hmong culture and history,” Tabrizi said .

The club also participates in other activities to raise awareness including Asia American Night on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Center for the Arts and the 15th Annual Hmong Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday, Nov. 17.