Resilience and love of culture sparks new Hmong Festival

As the daughter of a proud Hmong villager born in the Laos highlands, Sarah Thao has found new purpose bringing her family history into the spotlight as part of a public exhibition in Logan, which has now sparked a new festival for the city.

As Hmong people, Sarah’s relatives were among thousands who fled to live in Australia when the Vietnam War ended.

From her grandfather being recruited to help the American CIA, and tragically losing his life in the ‘Secret War’ against the communists, to thousands fleeing Laos across the Mekong River to Thailand’s crowded refugee camps, Sarah was overjoyed at the chance to help curate her community’s history.

Now the exhibition Hmong Journeys: Threads Of Home, currently at the Living Museum of Logan until September to celebrate 50 years since the Hmong refugees settled in Australia, has led to a new community event being held.

The Festival of Hmong is on Saturday 7 March at Kingston Butter Factory from 10 am to 3 pm with free entry, to celebrate the exhibition with music, dance, art, fashion, food, face painting and activities for all ages.

Sarah, of Greenbank, has been deeply moved by the richness of the Hmong community’s powerful stories.

ABOVE: From left: Logan resident Bee Thao, qeej musician Gia Xa Chang, exhibition co-curator Sarah Thao. PHOTO: Marty Pouwelse. 

Their resilience and journey of hope from 1975 to now is a living link to last century, when the Hmong people in the Laos highlands helped the United States forces fight against the communist regime.

Being able to preserve and share that culture in this Logan exhibition is a life highlight for Sarah, who is a Logan communications professional and mother of 3 young children.

‘Logan is home to the largest Hmong population in South East Queensland,’ Sarah says. ‘When I looked into our history, I realised life was really hard, especially when my dad spoke of his time escaping and then growing up without parents.’

Her father, Chia Yang, shared those difficult memories with his daughter, so she could include his lived experience as a marker in time compared to the new beginnings for his family of 8 children born in Australia.

Their family friend, Xao Thaow, also revealed his past pain of fleeing his village at age 7 with his father, terrified they’d be killed.

‘Children as young as 10 were sent to fight, and for every American killed in Vietnam, 10 Hmong people lost their lives,’ Xao says.

‘Thousands of us fled to Thailand, crammed into refugee camps before being sent to new countries. Survival became part of who we are,’ he says.

Now though, it’s time to celebrate the new beginnings that followed. ‘Watching our young Hmong people become doctors, teachers and professionals fills me with hope.

My dream is that we will build on this success and create a shared vision for the next 50 years,’ Xao says.

ABOVE: Geej musician Gia Xa Chang performing at the opening of the exhibition ‘Hmong Journeys: Threads Of Home’. PHOTO: Marty Pouwelse. 

The exhibition reveals a vibrant heritage. From hand-stitched story cloths that capture history for generations, to a traditional baby carrier used by villagers, the visual element of the exhibition is stunning.

It features several local Hmong community members and their personal stories, from tracing their own journeys to Logan, to growing up in the city as a multicultural hub where they feel safe and empowered to keep elements of their own culture in their daily lives, from farming through to dancing.

Destinie Hang, whose photograph features in the exhibition, says she feels connected to the local Hmong community through dance and traditional clothing.

ABOVE: The exhibition launch at Kingston Butter Factory featured captivating performances by local Hmong dancers, celebrating the beauty of Hmong culture and traditions. PHOTO: Marty Pouwelse. 

‘I feel like this outfit helps to express my identity and especially because growing up, Hmong people didn’t have a land to call our own,’ Destinie says, explaining that the decorative silver makes sounds as she moves, creating a magical feeling for dancers.

‘It’s very important to embrace our culture, to always reflect on who you are, and understand where you came from. Logan is very multicultural, so it’s not hard to feel accepted here.’

To find out more about the exhibition, visit: loganarts.com.au/livingmuseum

For details on the festival, visit: The Festival of Hmong in Logan

IMAGE AT TOP: Left photo by Marty Pouwelse, of Logan children in traditional Hmong dress, from left, Landon Yang, Milia Thao, Mason Yang, Edison Yang. Right photo by Vanghoua Anthony Vue, of dancer Destinie Hang.

IMAGE AT TOP: Left photo by Marty Pouwelse, of Logan children in traditional Hmong dress, from left, Landon Yang, Milia Thao, Mason Yang, Edison Yang. Right photo by Vanghoua Anthony Vue, of dancer Destinie Hang.