V.I.S.I.O.N. AWARDS RECOGNIZE HMONG COMMUNITY LEADERS
By Shoua Lee
Published Thursday, August 11, 2005
The V.I.S.I.O.N Awards held Saturday, August 6, 2005 at Mounds Park Theatre in St. Paul was not exactly the Oscars. Though the event did draw more than 300 hundred people into a 280-seated auditorium, it did not have the glamorous designer gowns, the Hummer limousines or the star-power of Chris Rock. But what it did have was something the Oscars no longer have, novelty.
For the first time in history, Hmong organizers put on an awards show honoring Hmong individuals in everything from Sportsmanship to Community Service to Parent of the Year.
There was rarely a dull moment throughout the entire evening as the audience was led through the night by the charismatic host, Yia Lee. The stage was alive with video clip introductions of the youth, young adults and the older generation of Hmong mothers and fathers that were nominated by people from the community for an array of awards. All of them were individuals who had toiled through adversity and succeeded in making something of themselves in the community.
After a powerful performance, Pada Lor, the lead vocalist for a band called Shattered Echo’z was happy and surprised to receive the Musical Talent Award.
Xiongpao Lee, an organizer for Hmoob Hlub Hmoob, a group that creates awareness for the Hmong suffering in the jungles of Laos, was humbled by his award for Most Influential. Prompted by the Parent of the Year winner, Pa Ying Lee’s urge for the young adults to speak the language that makes them who they are, Xiongpao gave his acceptance speech almost entirely in the Hmong language. He left some of the audience near tears with his sentimental speech about his experiences and the need for more activism in the community.
V.I.S.I.O.N., whose acronym stands for Validating and Inspiring Successful Initiatives for Outreach and Network, was originally founded by a handful of students from the University of Minnesota and other colleges in and around the Twin Cities.
The group is currently working on becoming a 501©3 non-profit organization and has organized conferences and retreats in the past for young Hmong adults motivated to create positive change. One of the founders, May Lee talked passionately about the group’s purpose behind generating the awards show.
“We wanted to recognize Hmong people who are doing great work and not getting any credit,� Lee says. “We always hear on the news and read in the papers about how Hmong people are doing all these bad things, but we never hear about the ones who are sacrificing their time and energy into making our community a better place. We thought it was time they be honored for their work.�
Lee, a writer and community activist, spent much of her time as well as her own money, along with other members of the V.I.S.I.O.N board to put the awards show together. Some generous businesses such as Malina’s Bar in the Greater Frogtown area also helped with cash donations and offered space for an after-party.
The entire event lasted a little over two hours and patterned its program after any quality awards show you would see on television. The evening was thoughtfully organized with a rich line-up of entertaining performances placed between the nine different awards that were presented.
Just like the variety in awards, there was an impressively diverse display of performances by local artists that included a song by the alternative rock band Shattered Echo’z; a traditional Hmong dance by the Freedom Dancers; a martial arts routine presented by SEACC youth; XeemXwm Vang, from the band watching leona sang a song and played his acoustic guitar; there was a very funny skit excerpted from “Stir-Fried Pop Culture�, a play written by Lee herself and there was a piano, guitar and vocalist trio by MICON Studios.
The biggest honor of the evening was the VISION Award, which was given to an individual who exemplified the meaning and purpose behind V.I.S.I.O.N.’s mission to do outreach and create networks.
Kathy Mouacheupao, a young woman with a long list of accomplishments including having worked with battered women and being the Program and Gifts Director at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, Associate Editor for Hmong Today and organizer for I.C.E Open Mics, a monthly forum for young Hmong artists to perform music and spoken word, manager of F.I.R.E and Delicious Venom, Hmong performance groups and organizer for the H-Project, a compilation CD of Hmong artists produced to raise money for awareness of the persecuted Hmong in Laos, graciously accepted her award. She spoke about issues affecting the Hmong community and the community at large and encouraged the audience to get involved by saying, “Pick one.�
After an evening full of inspiration and recognition, Angela Vang, 16, closed the show by singing “I Believe I Can Fly� by R. Kelly.
“The song was appropriate for the evening,� commented Penny Vang, one of the performers. The audience seemed to agree with their applause.
To find out more about V.I.S.I.O.N. and to see a list of the other awardees, you can go on their website at www.hmongvision.org. The list will be posted next month.
credit to: HmongToday
By Shoua Lee
Published Thursday, August 11, 2005
The V.I.S.I.O.N Awards held Saturday, August 6, 2005 at Mounds Park Theatre in St. Paul was not exactly the Oscars. Though the event did draw more than 300 hundred people into a 280-seated auditorium, it did not have the glamorous designer gowns, the Hummer limousines or the star-power of Chris Rock. But what it did have was something the Oscars no longer have, novelty.
For the first time in history, Hmong organizers put on an awards show honoring Hmong individuals in everything from Sportsmanship to Community Service to Parent of the Year.
There was rarely a dull moment throughout the entire evening as the audience was led through the night by the charismatic host, Yia Lee. The stage was alive with video clip introductions of the youth, young adults and the older generation of Hmong mothers and fathers that were nominated by people from the community for an array of awards. All of them were individuals who had toiled through adversity and succeeded in making something of themselves in the community.
After a powerful performance, Pada Lor, the lead vocalist for a band called Shattered Echo’z was happy and surprised to receive the Musical Talent Award.
Xiongpao Lee, an organizer for Hmoob Hlub Hmoob, a group that creates awareness for the Hmong suffering in the jungles of Laos, was humbled by his award for Most Influential. Prompted by the Parent of the Year winner, Pa Ying Lee’s urge for the young adults to speak the language that makes them who they are, Xiongpao gave his acceptance speech almost entirely in the Hmong language. He left some of the audience near tears with his sentimental speech about his experiences and the need for more activism in the community.
V.I.S.I.O.N., whose acronym stands for Validating and Inspiring Successful Initiatives for Outreach and Network, was originally founded by a handful of students from the University of Minnesota and other colleges in and around the Twin Cities.
The group is currently working on becoming a 501©3 non-profit organization and has organized conferences and retreats in the past for young Hmong adults motivated to create positive change. One of the founders, May Lee talked passionately about the group’s purpose behind generating the awards show.
“We wanted to recognize Hmong people who are doing great work and not getting any credit,� Lee says. “We always hear on the news and read in the papers about how Hmong people are doing all these bad things, but we never hear about the ones who are sacrificing their time and energy into making our community a better place. We thought it was time they be honored for their work.�
Lee, a writer and community activist, spent much of her time as well as her own money, along with other members of the V.I.S.I.O.N board to put the awards show together. Some generous businesses such as Malina’s Bar in the Greater Frogtown area also helped with cash donations and offered space for an after-party.
The entire event lasted a little over two hours and patterned its program after any quality awards show you would see on television. The evening was thoughtfully organized with a rich line-up of entertaining performances placed between the nine different awards that were presented.
Just like the variety in awards, there was an impressively diverse display of performances by local artists that included a song by the alternative rock band Shattered Echo’z; a traditional Hmong dance by the Freedom Dancers; a martial arts routine presented by SEACC youth; XeemXwm Vang, from the band watching leona sang a song and played his acoustic guitar; there was a very funny skit excerpted from “Stir-Fried Pop Culture�, a play written by Lee herself and there was a piano, guitar and vocalist trio by MICON Studios.
The biggest honor of the evening was the VISION Award, which was given to an individual who exemplified the meaning and purpose behind V.I.S.I.O.N.’s mission to do outreach and create networks.
Kathy Mouacheupao, a young woman with a long list of accomplishments including having worked with battered women and being the Program and Gifts Director at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, Associate Editor for Hmong Today and organizer for I.C.E Open Mics, a monthly forum for young Hmong artists to perform music and spoken word, manager of F.I.R.E and Delicious Venom, Hmong performance groups and organizer for the H-Project, a compilation CD of Hmong artists produced to raise money for awareness of the persecuted Hmong in Laos, graciously accepted her award. She spoke about issues affecting the Hmong community and the community at large and encouraged the audience to get involved by saying, “Pick one.�
After an evening full of inspiration and recognition, Angela Vang, 16, closed the show by singing “I Believe I Can Fly� by R. Kelly.
“The song was appropriate for the evening,� commented Penny Vang, one of the performers. The audience seemed to agree with their applause.
To find out more about V.I.S.I.O.N. and to see a list of the other awardees, you can go on their website at www.hmongvision.org. The list will be posted next month.
credit to: HmongToday
