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78-513: The neighborhood is an ethnically and economically diverse community. In 1983 the neighborhood was home to Saint Paul's largest concentration of minority residents. Among the many groups living in Summit-University are the Hmong community as well as the city's other Asian communities, of whom Vietnamese , Laotians and Cambodians are represented in large numbers. Summit-University also includes

156-625: A Hmong New Year's festival annually. About sixty families are members of the Providence Hmong Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance; they are known locally for their egg roll fundraiser, held in the spring. As of 2010, Wisconsin has over 49,000 Hmong people—the largest Asian ethnic group in the state. In December 1999, according to the Hmong National Development Inc., Chicago had about 500 Hmong people. There

234-635: A Hmong-language immersion program. In 2019, Fresno Unified School district began offering dual immersion as well as elective course offerings for high school students to learn the Hmong language. In the Fresno Unified School District, more than 10,000 signatures of support were collected for the naming of a new elementary school for General Vang Pao , a well-known leader from the Secret Wars in Laos and

312-622: A campaign to grant the Thai-based Hmong immediate US immigration rights. In an October 1995 National Review article, citing the Hmong's contributions to US war efforts during the Vietnam War , Johns described Clinton's support for returning the Thai-based Hmong refugees to Laos as a "betrayal" and urged Congressional Republicans to step up opposition to the repatriation. Opposition to the repatriation grew in Congress and among Hmong families in

390-463: A decade, major problems plagued renewal efforts in Summit-University despite the city's and residents’ determination to improve the area. Considerable conflict over the renewal arose between the city and HRA leaders on the one side, and community leaders on the other. These conflicts were intensified by the fact that community leaders came from three different sources. First there were the “professional” leaders – ministers and social agency workers. During

468-513: A powerful mechanism for resident activism. No sooner had Summit-University been finally approved with the Model Cities Act was passed, which delayed the project. The act proposed to cure the perceived ills of urban renewal – already in much public disfavor – by giving residents a strong voice in the process and progress of renewal. Saint Paul planners considered Summit-University a logical place for this kind of Great Society social experiment given

546-575: A threat to its one-party communist government and the Marxist government in Vientiane , Laos . In a significant and unforeseen political victory for the Hmong and their US Republican advocates, tens of thousands of Thai-based Hmong refugees were ultimately granted US immigration rights. The majority were resettled in California , Minnesota , and Wisconsin . The defeat of the repatriation initiative resulted in

624-796: A total reversal of US policy, the federal government acknowledged that it had supported a prolonged air and ground campaign in Laos against the North Vietnamese Army and Vietcong. That day it dedicated the Laos Memorial on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery in honor of the Hmong and other combat veterans from the Secret War. In 1999 there were about 250,000 Hmong people living in the United States, living in numerous medium and large cities. Some Hmong remained in refugee camps in Thailand at

702-421: A trip to Washington D.C. to lobby for approval. They were successful. At the time of its approval in 1969, the Summit-University project, as it was called by this time, was the largest neighborhood development project in the country. It totaled 1,034 acres and housed 21,700 residents. But the divisions of the last decade had not been healed by the mission to Washington, D.C., and another legislative change provided

780-639: A welfare office, are scarcely the stuff of suburban dreams. The destruction of the Rondo neighborhood in the 1960s through the construction of 1-94 was the focus of Josh Wilder's play "The Highwaymen", which was directed by Jamil Jude and performed at the History Theater in February 2016. Hmong Americans Hmong Americans ( RPA : Hmoob Mes Kas , Pahawh Hmong : " 𖬌𖬣𖬵 𖬉𖬲𖬦 𖬗𖬲 ", 苗族) are Americans of Hmong ancestry. Many Hmong Americans immigrated to

858-467: Is a sizable Hmong population in Westminster, Colorado (0.8% of the city's population as of 2010). The 2000 US Census reveals that 60% of all Hmong above 24 years of age have a highest educational attainment of high school or equivalent, as many of these immigrants came to America as adults or young adults. According to a government data collected in 2013, 40% of Hmong Americans drop out of school. Among

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936-616: Is a very low percentage considering the population of Hmong Americans in St. Paul is less than 36,000. In the topic of community issues and Hmong in education, factors to consider are family dynamic, parent engagement, accessibility to resources, and the various school climates. The lack of emotional support for Hmong LGBTQ+ youth in Minnesota and Wisconsin reveal mental and health concerns which affect their academic performance. Hmong girls and boys had also encountered difficulties in achieving success in

1014-627: Is among the youngest of all groups in the United States, with the majority being under 30 years old, born after 1980, with most part-Hmong are under 10 years old. States with the largest Hmong population include: California (86,989; 0.2%), Minnesota (63,619; 1.2%), Wisconsin (47,127; 0.8%), and North Carolina (10,433; 0.1%), Michigan (5,924; 0.1%), Colorado (4,530; 0.1%), Georgia (3,623; 0.03%), Alaska (3,534; 0.5%), Oklahoma (3,369; 0.1%), and Oregon (2,920; 0.1%). The metropolitan areas of Fresno and Minneapolis-St. Paul have especially large Hmong communities. St. Paul, Minnesota , has

1092-559: Is generally associated with the Summit Hill neighborhood where he later lived. The neighborhood was settled in the 1880s and 1890s with duplexes and apartment building settled alongside mansions. Early development of the area was limited due to the steep slopes of Summit and Ramsey hills. By the 1880s a portion of Summit-University had become the neighborhood in Saint Paul, after streetcar service made it accessible. Not all of Summit-University

1170-471: Is home to Hmong churches, multiple Hmong-run and owned manufacturing companies, nail salons, small business such as insurance and barber shops, vendors at the flea market, and organizations such as Hmong Village Inc., Vang Organization, and Herr Organization. The Hmong community in Massachusetts is small compared to those of ethnic Vietnamese and Cambodians in the state. As of 2011, according to Judy Thao,

1248-567: Is home to the second-largest Hmong American population in Michigan. After 1970, Hmong Americans began to settle in Lansing, Michigan's capital city. Hmong Americans in the Greater Lansing Area, often have strong ties to such churches as St. Michael's, Our Savior Lutheran Church, and All Saints Episcopal Church, which sponsored those Hmong who came to Lansing, and provided them with resources to make

1326-1023: Is in Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Bloomington, MN Metro Area (74,422); followed by Fresno, CA Metro Area (31,771); Sacramento, CA Metro Area (26,996); Milwaukee, WI Metro Area (11,904); and Merced, CA Metro Area (7,254). There are smaller Hmong communities scattered across the country, including cities in California; Colorado ( Denver, Colorado – 4,264); Michigan ( Detroit, Michigan and Warren, Michigan – 4,190), Alaska ( Anchorage, Alaska – 3,494); North Carolina ( Hickory, North Carolina ); Georgia ( Auburn , Duluth , Lawrenceville , Monroe , Atlanta , and Winder ); Wisconsin ( Eau Claire , Appleton , Green Bay , La Crosse , Madison , and Stevens Point , Plover , and Sheboygan ); Kansas ( Kansas City – 1,754); Oklahoma ( Tulsa – 2,483); Southwest Missouri; Northwest Arkansas ( Benton County ); Washington; Oregon ( Portland ), Montana (Missoula) and throughout

1404-588: Is located in Thornton, Colorado. In 2018, the Hmong District celebrates its fortieth-year anniversary in St. Paul. It has more than 110 churches scattered throughout the United States with an inclusive membership of 30,000 plus people. The Hmong District is led by Rev. Dr. Lantzia Thao (Tswv Txos), who acts as the Hmong District Superintendent overseeing the entire movement and operations. Kansas City

1482-544: Is one of the most concentrated of the Asian groups." As of 2005, Michigan had 5,400 Hmong people; reflecting an increase from 2,300 in the early 1990s. As of 2005, most Hmong in Michigan lived in Metro Detroit in the cities of Detroit, Pontiac , and Warren . As of 2007, almost 8,000 Hmong lived in Michigan, most in northeastern Detroit. As of 2007, Hmong were increasingly moving to Pontiac and Warren. The Greater Lansing Area

1560-687: The Hmong people who had settled in Philadelphia left for other cities in the United States to join relatives who were already there. In 1976, Hmong members of the U.S. Secret Army Special Guerrilla Unit, recruited by the CIA during the Vietnam War, were resettled in Rhode Island as refugees. In 1983 their population was estimated at 1,700–2,000. 2010 census results put the number of Rhode Island Hmong at 1,015. The Hmong United Association of Rhode Island puts on

1638-549: The 1980 immigration wave, a heated global political debate developed over how to deal with the remaining Hmong refugees in Thailand. Many had been held in squalid Thai refugee camps, and the United Nations and the Clinton administration sought to repatriate them to Laos. Reports of human rights violations against the Hmong in Laos, including killings and imprisonments, led most Thailand-based Hmong to oppose returning there, even as

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1716-518: The 2010 US Census, 260,073 people of Hmong descent reside in the United States up from 186,310 in 2000. The vast majority of the growth since 2000 was from natural increase, except for the admission of a final group of over 15,000 refugees in 2004 and 2005 from Wat Tham Krabok in Thailand . Of the 260,073 Hmong-Americans, 247,595 or 95.2% are Hmong alone, and the remaining 12,478 are mixed Hmong with some other ethnicity or race. The Hmong-American population

1794-582: The Greater Kansas City Area in 2013. Lao Family was established in Kansas City in the 1980s. The Hmong separated from that organization to create Hmong American Community, Inc. It still operates and hosts Hmong New Year celebrations in Kansas City. Kansas City has a vast majority Green Hmong population. More than 80% of the people had converted to Christianity, although many new arrivals of Hmong people still practice traditional religion. Kansas City

1872-686: The Heart of the Hmong) Theatre, which is reportedly the world's first Hmong theater group, was formed in 1990. It is based in the Twin Cities. It is now known as the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT). The film Gran Torino directed by Clint Eastwood , was set and filmed in Detroit, Michigan. It stars five Minnesotan Hmong (Hmongesotan) Americans. The original story was based on a neighborhood in Saint Paul. It

1950-496: The Hill District was the “largest solid home community” in the country in the early 1930s. The northern fringe provided another sort of anchor. Since the 1880s, Saint Paul's small black community had lived along the railroad corridors slightly north of Summit-University. By the beginning of urban renewal, the section of the city with a concentrated black population was still small by big city standards, but concentrated. Expansion to

2028-621: The Hmong American diaspora. Some Hmong families have moved to the Emerald Triangle region, including Trinity and Siskiyou counties, to work in the marijuana farming industry. Colorado is home to approximately 5,000 Hmong, who first settled in the state from late 1976 to the early 1980s. Today, most ethnic Hmong live in the north metro Denver area, including Arvada, Brighton, Broomfield, Federal Heights, Lafayette, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster. In 1995, Golden, Colorado became

2106-634: The Hmong population, 38% have not received a high school degree, and 14% have at least a bachelor's degree. Educational attainment among Hmong women is significantly lower than among Hmong men, with about one in five Hmong women having a high school diploma. The lack of formal education among Hmong immigrants is due to the fact that many were once farmers in the hills of Laos or were refugees from war who fled into remote jungles, and had little or no access to schools. In St. Paul about 2,000 Hmong people have their bachelor's degree, 150 have their master's degree, and 68 have received their doctoral degree, which

2184-535: The Hmong students who took the California English Language Development Test , which measures English fluency in students who are learning English, 15% of those identifying as Hmong scored at the "advanced" or "early advanced" classifications. In comparison, 30% of California's Vietnamese students studying English, and 21% of California's more than 1.5 million English learning students scored at that same advanced level. Suanna Gilman-Ponce,

2262-719: The Hmong, Lao, Mien, Lue, Khmu and Thaidam tribes. They were known for their patriotism, valiant service, personal sacrifice, and loyal support of the United States Armed Forces in Laos during the Vietnam War. "Historically, the Lao-Hmong people were one of our country’s most loyal allies. During the Vietnam War, they fought bravely alongside U.S. soldiers. Many emigrated to the U.S. and now proudly call this country their home. We are grateful for their service and sacrifice to our nation," said U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07). The Hmong Alliance and Missionary District headquarters

2340-478: The Neill playground was vital play space in a crowded neighborhood. The HRA built the high rise despite the protest but the organization survived and formed one core of resident power. Some of these organizations were funded by “War on Poverty” money from the federal government. Other citizen groups were formed by the middle-class residents who were beginning to try to restore old homes in the area. The Cathedral project of

2418-598: The Same Anymore: The Gentrification of a Neighborhood,” though not a balanced view of renewal poignantly evoke the resentments and fears of many black residents. They were pushed out of the Rondo area by the freeway and now fear being pushed out of Summit-University by rising property values. They think that too much of the money spent in Summit-University has been to attract middle-class people and not enough to help poor people. Conflicting goals have plagues renewal and improvement efforts in this community from

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2496-702: The US Central Intelligence Agency , fought mostly along the Ho Chi Minh Trail , where his forces sought to disrupt North Vietnamese weapons supply efforts to the communist Viet Cong rebel forces in South Vietnam . Ethnic Laotian and Hmong veterans, and their families, led by Colonel Wangyee Vang formed the Lao Veterans of America in the aftermath of the war to help refugees in the camps in Thailand and to help former veterans and their families in

2574-445: The US. Congressional Republicans responded by introducing and passing legislation to appropriate sufficient funds to resettle all remaining Hmong in Thailand in the United States. Clinton vowed to veto the legislation. In addition to internal US opposition to the repatriation, the government of Laos expressed reservations about the repatriation, stating that the Hmong remaining in Thailand were

2652-413: The US. In May 1976, another 11,000 Hmong were allowed to enter the United States. By 1978 some 30,000 Hmong had immigrated to the US and by 1998, there were 200,000 Hmong living in the US. This first wave was made up primarily of men directly associated with General Vang Pao 's Secret Army , which had been aligned with US war efforts during the Vietnam War . Vang Pao's Secret Army, which was subsidized by

2730-513: The United States as refugees in the late 1970s, with a second wave in the 1980s and 1990s. Over half of the Hmong population from Laos left the country, or attempted to leave, in 1975, at the culmination of the Laotian Civil War . During this period, thousands of Hmong were evacuated or escaped on their own to Hmong refugee camps in neighboring Thailand. About 90% of those who made it to refugee camps in Thailand were ultimately resettled in

2808-647: The United States, especially with family reunification and resettlement issues. The passage of the Refugee Act of 1980 represented the second-wave of Hmong immigration. The clans , from which the Hmong take their surnames, are: Chang (Tsaab) or Cha (Tsab), Chao (Tsom), Cheng (Tsheej), Chue (Tswb), Fang (Faaj) or Fa (Faj), Hang (Haam) or Ha (Ham), Her (Hawj), Khang (Khaab) or Kha (Khab), Kong (Koo) or Soung (Xoom), Kue (Kwm), Lee (Lis), Lor (Lauj), Moua (Muas), Pha (Phab), Thao (Thoj), Vang (Vaaj) or Va (Vaj), Vue or Vu (Vwj), Xiong (Xyooj) and Yang (Yaaj) or Ya (Yaj). Following

2886-594: The United States. As of the 2000 US Census , the largest Hmong population by metropolitan area resided in and around Minneapolis-St. Paul, with 40,707 people. The following areas were Greater Fresno with 22,456 people, Greater Sacramento (Sacramento-Yolo) with 16,261, Greater Milwaukee (Milwaukee-Racine) with 8,078, Greater Merced with 6,148, Greater Stockton (Stockton-Lodi) with 5,553, Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah with 4,741, Greater Wausau with 4,453, Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir (North Carolina) with 4,207, and Greater Detroit (Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint) with 3,926. California has

2964-752: The United States. The rest, about 8 to 10%, resettled in countries including Canada, France, the Netherlands, and Australia. According to the 2021 American Community Survey by the US Census Bureau, the population count for Hmong Americans was 368,609. As of 2019, the largest community in the United States was in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. Hmong Americans face disparities in healthcare, and socioeconomic challenges that lead to lower health literacy, median life expectancy, and per capita income. Initially, only 1,000 Hmong people were evacuated to

3042-620: The businesses of Hmong had become international, diverse and high-tech since 2000. For example, about 50 home health care agencies which were supported by federal or state medical assistance were run by Hmong in Minnesota. The Hmong were also more involved in political activities that 57 percent of the Hmong in Minnesota regarded themselves as Democrats, shown by a survey in 2008, and several Hmong people, including Madison P. Nguyen, former Hmong refugee women in Minnesota, had been elected political staffs in city offices. Thomas R. Byrne Thomas Richard Byrne Sr. (March 9, 1923 – April 5, 2009)

3120-493: The city government for renewal. Those displaced in the renewal areas to the north and from the freeway construction places pressure on the area, and the ensuing deterioration obviously required some action. Planners, politicians and residents knew that Summit-University needed help, and considered urban renewal the answer. The community was the HRA's top priority after slum clearance projects then in progress were completed. For more than

3198-538: The conditions worsened of the camps in Thailand, because of their lack of sufficient funding. One of the more prominent examples of apparent Laotian abuse of the Hmong was the fate of Vue Mai, a former soldier. The US Embassy in Bangkok recruited him to return to Laos under the repatriation program, in their effort to reassure the Thai-based Hmong that their safety in Laos would be assured. But Vue disappeared in Vientiane . The US Commission for Refugees later reported that he

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3276-675: The director of the United Hmong of Massachusetts, an organization based in Lowell , about 2,000 Hmong resided in the State of Massachusetts. Thao said that the largest community, with 60 to 70 families, is located in the Fitchburg / Leominster area. As of 2010, there are 412 people of Hmong descent living in Fitchburg (one percent of the city's population). Thao said that about 20 to 30 families live in each of

3354-517: The early 1960s was to have been the first stage of renewal of Summit-University. The HRA received a planning grant in 1962 partly in response to those displaced by the construction of I-94. The project area covered 282 acres and was to have been renewed in three stages, but only the first stage, comprising 48 acres, was achieved. Cathedral I had a specific client, the Saint Paul School Board, which proposed an unusual method of renewal. The board

3432-485: The end of the 1970s Laotian Civil War. They were attacked in discriminatory acts, and the city's Commission on Human Relations held hearings on the incidents. Anne Fadiman , author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down , said that lower-class residents resented the Hmong receiving a $ 100,000 federal grant for employment assistance when they were also out of work; they believed that American citizens should be getting assistance. Between 1982 and 1984, three quarters of

3510-598: The field of education as they adapted the Hmong culture, which is considered as rural, to contemporary American society (Ngo & Lor, 2013). Cha suggested that the dropout rate of Hmong teenagers was the highest among those of Asian American groups (2013). In the first few years after immigration, Hmong girls almost had no chance to be educated in school. Later, as they got the opportunities to go to school, around 90% of Hmong girls chose to quit school because parents preferred obedient and compliant daughters-in-law when looking for partners for their sons (Ngo & Lor, 2013). On

3588-603: The first city in the United States to designate a Lao-Hmong Recognition Day. Since then, other areas in the country followed suit, declaring July 22 “Lao-Hmong Recognition Day”. The special day honors the bravery, sacrifice, and loyalty to the United States exhibited by the Lao-Hmong. The Lao-Hmong Recognition Day was held in recognition and to honor of the Lao-Hmong Special Guerrilla Units (SGU) Veterans, "America’s Secret Army and Most Loyal Allies." The SGUs were composed of indigenous Laotians, especially members of

3666-482: The historic Cathedral Hill neighborhood, as well as what remains of "old Rondo" - a former neighborhood of the city. Rondo was the center of Saint Paul's African-American community since the Civil War , but was broken apart by the construction of Interstate 94 in the 1960s. Famous Summit-University natives include baseball great Dave Winfield . Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in this neighborhood, although he

3744-663: The largest Hmong population in the United States by state. As of 2010, there are 95,120 Hmong Americans in California. In 2002, the State of California counted about 35,000 students of Hmong descent in schools. According to Jay Schenirer, a member of the school board of the Sacramento City Unified School District , most of the students lived in the Central Valley , in an area ranging from Fresno to Marysville . Fresno County and Sacramento County combined have almost 12,000 Hmong students. As of 2002, of

3822-486: The largest Hmong population per capita in the United States (10.0%; 28,591 Hmong Americans), followed by Wausau in Wisconsin (3,569; 9.1% of its population). The Hmong communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin are geographically and culturally interlinked, with sizeable Hmong communities present in most of the mid-size cities between Milwaukee and Minneapolis. In terms of metropolitan area, the largest Hmong-American community

3900-470: The late 1990s, however, several US conservatives, led by Johns and others, alleged that the Clinton administration was using the denial of this covert war to justify a repatriation of Thailand-based Hmong war veterans to Laos. It persuaded the US government to acknowledge the Secret War (conducted mostly under President Richard Nixon ) and to honor the Hmong and American veterans from the war. On May 15, 1997, in

3978-502: The multilingual education department head of Sacramento City Unified, said that the lower rates among Hmong students can be attributed to a higher percentage of parents who speak little English; therefore the children enter American schools with fewer English skills. In addition, their culture was not literate. There was no tradition of written Hmong history or literature. In 2011, Susan B. Anthony Elementary School in Sacramento established

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4056-450: The neighborhood began in 1969. Another hiatus delayed renewal of Summit-University while officials from the HRA and Model Cities program fought over control of the renewal effort. They struggled over control of the federal money and the professional staff who would carry out renewal in the area. For more than two years, successive vituperative public meetings did little to resolve differences. Meanwhile, Neighborhood Development Program money

4134-435: The new commercial and residential development, aided by the city government in the late 1980s. It is not as evident that the goal of maintaining a healthy (1970s urban planning ideal) mix of different racial, social, and economic groups has been realized, The mix does exist, but poorer people are still being pushed to the west and north. The tensions between the dual goals of renewal persist. A 1984 WTCN broadcast video, “Nuthin’s

4212-464: The north was effectively blocked by the rail corridor, and the dislocations of the Eastern and Western redevelopment projects and freeway construction in the 1950s and 1960s drove African Americans into parts of the Summit-University neighborhood. Houses were subdivided and fell into disrepair as their white owners participated in the national "white flight" era, moving west into newer city neighborhoods or to

4290-441: The other hand, Hmong young men are burdened more due to the high expectations on sons in Hmong culture, which led to their challenges in school, such as bad relationships with teachers and lack of participation in class. The word used to describe the work those Hmong boys were involved in for family was “helping out” (Ngo & Lor, 2013, p. 155), referring to an accepted and natural habit including working outside, taking care of

4368-479: The physical barricade of the bluff, and by the pace of downtown development. With the advent of easy automobile travel in the 1920s, the city's elite began moving away from the neighborhood. The great mansions along Summit Avenue and Crocus Hill declined somewhat but were not subdivided allowed to decay as were similar areas in many American cities. This genteel area of the neighborhood's southern and eastern fringe helped preserve it. The Saint Paul Pioneer Press claimed

4446-453: The physical character of the area was clearly important to keeping and attracting middle-class households to the area. Summit-University provides an elegant urban setting that suburbs cannot match. Summit-University is a large area whose renewal results have not been uniform. North of the freeway, in the north quadrant of the original project area is Central Village, a bit of suburb-in-the-city designed to retain St. Paul's black middle class. It

4524-520: The project was finally implemented, and redevelopment began in 1971. Arguments continued over clearance and relocation, especially within the black community. During the decade that the renewal project was being contested Summit-University became home to most of Saint Paul's black population, and now renewal efforts threatened many with another displacement. But renewal could not be stopped. By 1978 more than $ 32 million in direct aid had been spent on Summit-University. The Model Cities program ended in 1974, but

4602-513: The reunifications in the US of many long-separated Hmong families. In 2006, as a reflection of the growth of the minority in the state, the Wisconsin State Elections Board translated state voting documents into the Hmong language. Throughout the Vietnam War, and for two decades following it, the US government stated that there was no "Secret War" in Laos and that the US was not engaged in air or ground combat operations in Laos. In

4680-429: The second leadership group through their commercial clubs. The third group of leaders came out of indigenous citizen organizations. Often these groups formed in response to some unwanted city action. The Dale-Selby Action Council, for example, formed in the early 1960s to protest HRA plans to construct a public high rise for the elderly on the abandoned Neill School site on the corner of Laurel and Farrington. Residents felt

4758-574: The second-largest communities, in Springfield and Brockton . As of 1999, fewer than 4,000 Hmong people lived in Detroit. As of 2002 the concentrations of Hmong and Laotian people in the Wayne – Macomb – Oakland tri-county area were in northeast Detroit, southern Warren, and central Pontiac. That year, Kurt Metzger and Jason Booza, authors of "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit," wrote that "The 3,943 Hmong living in tri-county area

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4836-542: The siblings, completing daily household, being cultural brokers for parents and attending numerous traditional ceremonies. For example, Hmong boys were asked to write checks to pay for utility bills and to prepare food for their younger brothers. Also, they went to ceremonies not only to maintain the family relationship but also to keep the traditions from disappearing. According to Yang (2013), after three decades of struggle, Hmong Americans had achieved in economic, political and educational aspects. Starting from small business,

4914-449: The start. The renewal of Summit-University had (and has) a dual focus: preserving the historic landscape and creating a cosmopolitan community. The two thrusts have often worked at cross purposes. Both have been at least partly achieved, though the preservation effort is more secure. The HRA did extensive house moving within the district to promote its historic ambience – an innovation that troubled HUD auditors for years. The preservation of

4992-461: The suburbs. Some houses and businesses were abandoned. Selby Avenue , the commercial heart of the district, became increasingly deteriorated. The wealthy homes originally for the white elite then housed lower income residents. Many of the homes were subdivided and in disrepair. By the early 1950s Summit-University clearly had many of the classic signs of urban decay and disinvestment. Late in that decade Summit-University residents began to petition

5070-648: The time of the September 11, 2001, attacks . This resulted in the tightening of US immigration laws, especially under the Patriot Act and the Real ID Act , and the immigration of Hmong refugees to the US has significantly slowed. Most Hmong refugees in Thailand had been engaged in documented armed conflict (although under US sponsorship) during and after the Vietnam War . The anti-terrorism legislation created barriers to such people being accepted as immigrants. According to

5148-469: The tradition of citizen involvement continued. Summit-University is the Twin Cities’ best, and perhaps only, example of extensive gentrification. The considerable public expenditures during and after renewal formed the base for gentrification and rehabilitation in this area, and the city is still investing in it. Even the deteriorated commercial strip along Selby Avenue started to finally being revived with

5226-496: The transition to America a smoother experience. Lansing hosts a statewide Hmong New Year Festival. As of 1999, Minnesota has the second-largest US Hmong population by state. As of 2001, the largest Hmong population in the United States by the city is located in St. Paul. In 2020, the Hmong-American population in Minnesota was about 90,000, and it was the largest ethnic Asian group in the state. Pom Siab Hmoob (Gazing into

5304-655: The wide mix of social groups, a history of effective community politics, and enough social and physical decay to interest the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. the availability of more federal money provided a big incentive for an area to be declared a demonstration project for the Model Cities program. In Saint Paul this idea was pushed from two quarters: city government under the directions of Saint Paul Mayor Thomas R. Byrne , and community groups, led largely by black organizations and religious leaders, black and white. The program for

5382-580: The years of decline, the Summit-University acquired a number of social agencies including the Hallie W. Brown Community Center, and local chapters of the Urban League and the NAACP, that continued to play an important part in the life and health of the area. Traditional black organizations and black ministers resisted the city's efforts to conduct renewal without the substantial resident involvement. Businessmen comprised

5460-410: Was an American politician in Minnesota . He was the Democratic mayor of Saint Paul from 1966 to 1970. He was Catholic and fully Irish. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II . He was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars . His brother the Most Reverend James Byrne was an auxiliary bishop in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul , and later

5538-432: Was arrested by Lao security forces and never seen again. Especially following the Vue Mai incident, the Clinton and UN policy of returning the Hmong to Laos began to meet with strong political opposition by US conservatives and some human rights advocates. Michael Johns , a former White House aide to George H. W. Bush and a Heritage Foundation foreign policy analyst, along with other influential conservatives, led

5616-533: Was built in the late 1970s as part of the Western Redevelopment Project. Next to it at the corner of Dale Street and University Avenue, Unidale Mall has been less successful. Ideally, this project was to create a suburban shopping mall in the heart of the city. Even by generous standards, it has failed. Forced on city planners by neighborhood activists, the mall suffered the perennial problem of finding suitable tenants. Some that it did attract, such as

5694-571: Was later incorporated into the Summit-University project. The first application for a planning grant for Summit-University (called Selby-Dale- at that point by the HRA) was denied by HUD. The federal officials felt that the HRA was unable to handle more projects until the Eastern and Western redevelopments were complete. By 1964 planning had finally begun under the conventional renewal rules (and with federal money). In 1966, an impressive covey of Saint Paul business, religious, labor, and governmental notables made

5772-515: Was looking for a site for a technical school, so the HRA clear an area alongside the Saint Paul Cathedral. The housing cleared was a mixture of aging single-family and multi-family dwelling that were not, by 1960s standards, worth saving. A decade later, with the rehabilitation craze in full swing, much of this housing stock would probably have been salvaged. The remained of the Cathedral project

5850-582: Was one of the first cities to accept Hmong people after the war. Its Hmong population declined in the early 80s due to migration of many from Kansas to California, and to the Northern Midwest. The population has since stabilized and has more than doubled every decade since 1990. According to the 2010 Census, 1,732 Hmong people lived in Kansas, of which 1,600 lived in the Kansas side of Kansas City. More than 400 families and 2,000 Hmong were estimated to be living in

5928-409: Was populated by the rich, but the neighborhood was always middle class or better. The best housing was along the southern and eastern edges. Closer to University Avenue the housing was less grand. The whole area was predominately residential. Neighborhood stores were located along the streetcar routes but little industry intruded. For decades Summit-University was protected from downtown encroachment by

6006-548: Was the first mainstream US film to feature Hmong Americans. In 2010, North Carolina had a population of 10,864 Hmong. Their community has one of the highest rates of employment compared to Hmong in other states in the US. 50% of the employed Hmong adults work in the manufacturing industry. The two centers of population are in the Hickory and Greensboro areas respectively. A group of Hmong refugees settled in Philadelphia after

6084-552: Was used to selectively clear substandard housing then in the neighborhood. In late 1969 HUD issued an ultimatum: the city had thirty days to decide how it would operate its Model Cities district. A compromise was worked out; the Model Cities Neighborhood Planning Committee would have some control over both money and staff, and the city government, through the HRA, would retain a share of the power. An uneasy, but functioning, partnership ensued. By late 1970

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