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Hmong Milwaukee New Year Celebration gets better each year

Created on Wednesday, 17 December 2008 18:00

More than 7,000 people participated Hmong Milwaukee New Year celebration on December 13 and 14, 2008 at Milwaukee Expose Center.  

Shee Yee Community Inc. was a fiscal agent for Hmong Milwaukee New Year celebration 2008.  Shee Yee Community Inc. is a Hmong organization based in Milwaukee focuses on maintain Hmong cultures and customs.  It is a part of Hmong consortium which make up of Hmong Organizations in the Milwaukee area.

The two main events highlighted this year at Hmong Milwaukee New Year celebration were Ms. Hmong Milwaukee pageant contest and Hmong dances competition.  There were eight Hmong girls participated in the Ms. Hmong Milwaukee pageant contest and eleven groups of Hmong girl dancers participated in the dance competition. 

Ms. MaiDoua Xiong won the 2009 Ms. Hmong Milwaukee pageant contest (Exclusived interviewed with Ms. MaiDoua Xiong is coming up soon).  She said “The most joyful while I was on stage was when I heard the crowd make a lot of noises”.  The Ms. Hmong Milwaukee pageant contest went into two days competitions with many rounds of wearing different customs, talents showed, and answered questions.  The question that MaiDoua Xiong picketed from the question pool was “If you were sent to other countries to teach other ethic groups about Hmong, what are you going to teach them?”  MaiDoua Xiong answered “I will teach them about Hmong cultures and customs, that’s how they will know who Hmong really is”. 

Mai Vang, the entertainment Director of the Hmong Milwaukee New Year, said “It took two months to train the eight girls to get them ready for the Ms. pageant contest”.  Victor M. Vaj asked “How did you selected some of the judges for the Ms. Hmong Milwaukee Pageant contest?. I doubted that some of them may lacked experiences in the entertainment area and may given their decision improperly to the contestants?”.  May Vang answered “It’s very hard to find judges to judge the Ms. Hmong Milwaukee pageant contest.  We believed the judges we selected would do fine job for them”.

Maylee Vang, a SHR anchor, was one of the main Master Ceremony (MC) for the Ms. Hmong Milwaukee beauty contest. 

Hmong dancer group “Ntxhais Hmong USA” won first placed in the dance competition (SHR exclusived interviewed with the group will be online soon).  “Nkauj Hmoob SamNuer” won second placed and “Nkauj Hmoob Hnub Qub” won third placed.  Dr. Douglas Vue, a Hmong professor, said “Hmong girls really show their talents in the dance competition in very professionally”.

Hmong Milwaukee had two Hmong New Year celebrations this year.  A question asked Lo Neng Kiatoukaixy, Director of Hmong/American Friendship Association, on how his reactions to the two Hmong Milwaukee New Year celebrations.  He said “as time goes on, they will gradually come to just one Hmong Milwaukee New Year celebration”.

Milton Moua, the president of Hmong Milwaukee New Year, said “One of the goal in the future is to bring Hmong 18 clans together to consolidate many Hmong New Year celebrations into one”.  He also said “The different this year was that the Hmong New Year committee decided not to have Hmong leaders to participate in the cutting ribbon to open the Hmong New Year celebration”.

Mayor Tom Barrett from the city of Milwaukee, Mayor Dan Devine from the city of West Allis, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore represents Wisconsin fourth district participated in the Hmong Milwaukee New Year celebration and given speeches to Hmong on the first day.

Hmong Milwaukee New Year committee is looking to have Mr. Hmong Milwaukee contestants to compete for 2009.  If you are interested, contact Shee Yee Community Inc. or Hmong/American Friendship Association at 414-344-6575 to get detail info.