WAUSAU, Wis. (WJFW) – Today, thousands of people came to Wausau to celebrate Hmong culture. The first Hmong people arrived in the United States around 50 years ago, and the festival serves as an anniversary of their time in the country.
Hmong culture first came to the United States in 1975 following the end of the Laotian Civil War. Many Hmong people fought in a secret war with the help of the CIA in Laos but faced danger when the war ended. They were then evacuated to the United States. Hmong people come from various countries in Southeast Asia, but what unites them is sports and music.
“Sports and music are what really unite us as a community and as a whole in the United States,” said John Yang, Sports Coordinator for the festival. “Right within the cities and within the states, you have your family there, but what connects everybody together will always be sports and music within the Hmong community.”
There were many sports on display at the festival. Hundreds of soccer, flag football, and volleyball teams came to play matches to determine rankings. Tomorrow will be the elimination games.
“It’s great because you get to show your talent in front of the Wisconsin Hmong people,” said Rylan Vue, midfielder for District United FC.
Some of the teams are from the Wausau area and around Wisconsin, but most come from other states. For some athletes, playing sports provides structure in their lives.
“Nowadays, there’s a lot of youth growing up in broken homes where mom and dad are not together anymore, and so there’s not a lot of structure. To provide that structure, I see that’s what football does,” said Yang.
Cornhole boards were also set up at the festival, with players competing individually. Different foods and merchandise were available for sale as well. The Hmong festival continues to serve as a celebration of Hmong people and an opportunity for athletes to compete in sports.