Educators from around the nation gathered in Merced over the weekend to discuss a new classroom curriculum geared toward shining a spotlight on the Hmong culture.

Christian De Jesus Betancourt

The Merced FOCUS

The inaugural Hmong History and Cultural Studies Conference attracted more than 200 educators and community members to the UC Merced campus on Friday and Saturday. Plus, a Thursday launch event preceded the conference at the Merced County Office of Education Downtown Center.

The model curriculum at the heart of the conference was developed under Assembly Bill 167, which ensures that Hmong American history can be taught in K-12 schools statewide.

Spearheaded by the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) in collaboration with scholars and community leaders, the curriculum includes over 50 lessons designed to fit seamlessly into ethnic studies, social studies or history classes.

The curriculum is not state-mandated, but districts interested in adopting it can immediately integrate it into their lesson plans by downloading the materials online, free of charge. It includes lesson plans, primary sources, and culturally responsive teaching tools.

Vicky Nguyen, OCDE communications manager, said the conference drew attendees from 17 California counties. Others came from other states with high populations of Hmong Americans, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Many Hmong Americans who live in Merced County and the Valley arrived after the “Secret War” in Laos and South East Asia during the 1960s and early ’70s. The new K-12 curriculum illuminates that history, along with giving an in-depth look into the cultural traditions the Hmong people have practiced for generations.

A large majority of first-generation Hmong Americans came to the U.S. as refugees and had to start new lives with little help and few resources. Today, Hmong Americans play an active role at every level of society, including political leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and so much more.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, there are about 7,500 people of Hmong descent in Merced County.

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Local Educators Embrace the Curriculum

Merced City School District Superintendent Julianna Stocking, who attended Thursday’s launch event, said the Hmong curriculum represents an important opportunity for the district’s students.

“It’s something that I know we have been working on for a very long time. The importance is that our students know who they are and where they come from,” Stocking said.

Stocking noted that while attendance wasn’t mandatory, the district’s teachers were encouraged to participate in the event.

“Our kids are Hmong, and we want to make sure that we’re best serving our kids and our community and that what we’re learning reflects their experiences. This is one way that we can demonstrate that commitment,” she added.

Stocking did not have a specific date for when Merced City Schools could begin using the curriculum, but said she appreciated that it’s available to educators at no charge.

“You know, with every curriculum, it will take planning and collaboration with our educational services leaders and our teachers and our support staff,” she said.

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Community Involvement and Impact

Tsia Xiong, who represents Area 2 on the Merced City Schools board, was present throughout the conference.

Xiong, who came to the U.S. from Laos as a refugee in the 1980s, has been involved in the curriculum’s planning since 2023.

He played an active role in contributing to its development and efforts to incorporate Hmong history and cultural studies into California classrooms.

“Hmong were not being recognized throughout history, and we were very invisible in the public eye,” he said. “Even our neighbors don’t know who we are. They think we’re just Chinese. Having educators spread the word that Hmong is totally different than any other ethnic minority, I think that says a lot about the curriculum.”

Xiong noted that making this curriculum available for Hmong students can strengthen their sense of identity and self-esteem while fostering greater understanding and tolerance among their peers.

UC Merced Professor Ma Vang, a research consultant for the curriculum and a keynote speaker at the conference, underscored the significance of this milestone.

“The refugee storytelling framework of the model curriculum makes visible the intersecting histories of conquest, state violence and forced relocation that brought the different communities here,” said Vang during her keynote address.

“The point of the model curriculum is not to create empathy, but to create fluency and how we learn together and value each other. It is a labor of love.”

About the Author

As the Bilingual Community Issues Reporter, Christian De Jesus Betancourt is dedicated to illuminating the vibrant stories of the Latino Community of Merced. His journey is deeply rooted in the experiences of migration and the pursuit of a better life.