- I'm back at camp with Cia Siab at Pettibone Park
to learn how language, community, and fishing connect.
I jumped right in
to join the Hmong lanuage and culture camp.
[counselor laughs] - There you go!
She's a pro!
- Angela: Trying to reel in our next meal,
eating a fresh-caught meal...
Thank you.
...while learning Hmong language.
Then, I sat down with Executive Director Xong Xiong
to learn about their mission.
- Xong Xiong: We're a Hmong social service agency
dedicated to helping victims of crime,
especially domestic abuse, sexual violence survivors.
We ground our work in Hmong language and Hmong culture.
We are a linguistically and culturally-relevant agency,
and so, we provide services to Hmong folks
who don't speak English in a way that they feel comfortable,
in a way that's, like, culturally relevant
and appropriate and sensitive to their needs.
So, it's that huge difference
where you go to and see familiar faces
and you don't have to explain certain things
about your culture.
- Can you tell us about your youth programming as well?
- Xong: We know that when young people are really proud
of who they are
or they're really well-grounded in their identity,
it's really a lot easier for them to succeed,
a lot easier for them to, like, overcome barriers
and, like, just, like, really stressful things in their life.
[exclamations] - Camper: It's a tie!
- Absolutely.
And it helps to, like, sounds like preserve the culture
so it doesn't get lost over time.
- I think that's one of the biggest reasons why we do it
is because we know that English being, like,
the predominant language, our young people,
a lot of them don't speak it, you know,
because of the 50 years since we've been in the United States.
This is an opportunity for us to also, like, teach them
parts of our language and parts of our culture
and things that are really important to Hmong people.
- Twirl this around it.
- Angela: What is some of the feedback
that you hear from youth
or from families as a result of the work that you do?
- Xong: I think a lot of them
really appreciate the work that we do.
When they come here, we serve them the food
that they're familiar with.
We have staff that speak to them
and, like, care for them in a way
that, like, they don't get anywhere else.
So, even for our elders coming here,
it's a place where they get to be with other elders,
you know, and share and have that common shared history
and struggle. - Eat your food!
Enjoy! [cheers and applause]
It's a good space, you know?
I think a lot of them say
that it's a really safe space for them
to be, like, who they are and be really happy and proud.
- Thank you so much, Xong.
I appreciate your time. - Yeah, of course.
Thank you.
[bright music]