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Language: English

Unit 2: Resilience and Resistance – Hmong Resilience and Resistance

Time Frame

  • 1–2 class periods

 

Materials

  • Hmong Politicians Profile Assignment worksheet
  • Green Card Entrepreneur Voices – Bo Thao-Urabe’s story
  • Hmong Town Marketplace and Hmong Village images 

Connections to the 7 Cs of Ethnic Studies

  • Celebrate: using Hmong counter-stories and community narratives through storytelling
  • Challenge: understanding how Hmong individuals and organizations contribute toward action, organizing, advocating, and healing in their local communities

 

Instructions

 

Ignite: Qualities for Success

  • Display on the board an image of either Hmong Village or Hmongtown Marketplace in St. Paul, Minnesota.
  • As students are looking at the visual, share with them: 
  • Hmong immigrants arrived in the US with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and simple pots and pans. Look at the bustling marketplace on the screen, and think of what qualities are needed for survival and success. 

 

Turn and Talk

Ask students to brainstorm with an elbow partner what three qualities (bravery, hard work, etc.) they would need to survive and eventually open a store like the image on the screen, if they had to move to a new country with no knowledge of the language and no money.

  • Ask a few students to share out loud with the class.

 

Chunk: Resilience

Acknowledgement: This was the shared journey for many Hmong Americans. There are other Hmong narratives that may contrast this one, such as Hmong Chinese, Hmong Laos, Hmong Vietnam, and other groups with their own different experiences. Some may have fought along with the communists or with the Pathet Lao for their own survival or by choice. Similarly, not all Hmong followed the refugee journey or chose to migrate to the United States, as many chose to remain in Laos and Thailand, and some even migrated to different countries throughout the world. This lesson will focus mainly on the shared experience of Hmong Americans. 

 

Explain that the Hmong were an ethnic minority group from China. Throughout history, the Chinese and Hmong fought many wars against each other over land and resources. Eventually, Hmong fled China into Southeast Asia. In Laos, the CIA recruited the Hmong to help fight against communism and the Pathet Lao during the Secret War. They were recruited due to the Hmong being familiar with the land; many joined out of necessity to survive during wartime. When the US withdrew from the Vietnam War, they also abandoned the Hmong in Laos. The Hmong faced persecution and genocide by the Pathet Lao and had to fend for themselves in the jungles of Laos. 

 

The journey to get across the Mekong River to Thailand was in itself a journey of resilience. The Hmong had to hide in the jungle, forage for food, travel in groups, and often move under the cover of the night sky to evade the Pathet Lao. Along the way, some had to abandon personal belongings, some had to leave behind family members, some elders had to be carried, some crying babies were drugged with opium to keep them silent when the enemy was nearby, and some babies did not make it. It was their mental and physical resilience that helped them to reach the river and to cross it into Thailand to gain their freedom. (Background Information)

  • Resilience is the ability to get through an incredibly hard time and keep going. 
  • Quick Check-In: What is one example of how the Hmong showed resilience?
    • The Hmong had to hide, travel at night, and look out for each other in the jungle to reach safety across the Mekong River. 

Chunk: Resistance and Power

Transition from history to community, by introducing the clan system and political representation. Explain how Minnesota is home to over 90,000 Hmong immigrants, with St. Paul being the largest urban concentration in the US. 

 

Cultural strength

  • Explain how the clan system is a strength for the Hmong. Use a team analogy to help explain a clan; if one member of your team wants to start a business, everyone on the team pitches in to help.
    • Turn and Talk: Who is a part of your clan, or “team,” or the people you can always count on? 
  • Connection to Resistance: Explain to the students that resistance doesn’t always mean fighting, and can also mean organizing to make sure your people or community have a voice and receive fair treatment. 

 

Politics

  • For a long time, the Hmong community in MN did not have anyone in city or state government who understood their history or culture. Hmong lacked political representation until Mee Moua came along in 2002. Mee Moua was the first elected Hmong state senator.
  • Not only did she use her voice to make sure Hmong were heard, she also opened the door for Foung Hawj and others to follow, attracting Hmong Americans to participate in politics.

 

Chew: Bo Thao-Urabe’s Story

  • Provide an excerpt from “Bo Thao-Urabe” from Green Card Entrepreneur Voices, pages 11–12.
  • Have students read the passage of Bo’s experience with creating positive changes.

 

Group Task

  • Paragraph and Summary: One partner reads a paragraph; the other summarizes the paragraph in 5 words. Switch halfway through the reading.
  • Discuss and Analyze: 
    • Recall: What challenges did Bo face when she was growing up?
      • Sentence Starter: Bo faced the challenge of . . . 
    • Concept: How did Bo use her resilience to help her start her own projects?
      • Sentence Starter: Bo showed resilience by _____________; this helped her because ___________.
    • Connect: How does Bo’s story show resistance, using her power to create a positive change for others?
      • Sentence Starter: Her work created change for the community by __________.

 

Optional Extension Assignment: Hmong Politicians Profile Assignment

  • Create a list of Hmong politicians; have students pick one to research and complete a worksheet on.
    • Possible politicians: Kaohly Her, Fue Lee, Jay Xiong, Nelsie Yang, Samantha Vang, Mai Xiong, Susan Pha, etc.
    • See the worksheet.

 

Review: Exit Ticket

Have students fill in the blank to answer this question prompt: “The Hmong community united together and drew on their strength of ______________________ to challenge ____________________, and created a lasting change by _____________________.”

 

Multilingual and ELL Support

  • Provide a graphic organizer for the Hmong politician profile assignment.
  • Provide sentence stems for reflection questions:
    • A quality one would need is _______ because . . .   
    • I noticed that  . . .
    • I think / I believe Hmong American Day is important / not important because . . . 
    • I think many Hmong became interested/involved in politics because . . . 
    • We can celebrate / critique _______________ because . . .

Vocabulary and Definitions

  • System: the organized way of doing something based on the way it was set up and meant to work
  • Resilience: the ability to bounce back after a tough experience or time
  • Clan system: a large extended family connected by both a shared last name and shared ancestors
  • Change: the process of something becoming different than what it was before
  • Politician: a person elected to help run a government and make decisions for the city, state, or country
  • Entrepreneur: a person who starts their own business or projects to help solve a problem or provide goods or services

Resource List 

Hmong Politicians Profile Assignment

Directions: Choose a current or former Hmong American elected official (like Mee Moua, Foung Hawj, Samantha Vang, Tou Xiong, Jay Xiong, Mai Xiong, etc.) to research. Draw an image of them in the box below. Use trusted sources to complete their profile below!

Facts:

Politician’s Name: ___________________________________________________ 

Age and year elected: ________________________________________________

City & State Where They Live: ______________________________________

Position: ______________________________________________________________

Their District or City: ________________________________________________

Political Party: ________________________________________________________

            

Background:

Where were they born? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where did they go to school? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did they do before they were elected? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why did they decide to run for office? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What Do They Stand For:

What are the top 2 or 3 things this politician wants to fix or improve, or their beliefs or issues?

Issue 1: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Issue 2: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Issue 3: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe at least one or two new bills, laws, projects, or big ideas they helped create or pass while in office.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Impact:

How has this politician specifically helped or spoken up for the Hmong American community? Give a real example.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Reflection: 

Why do you think it is important for Hmong Americans to be elected as lawmakers and government leaders?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unit 2 Resilience and Resistance – Resilience in the Oromo Culture

Time Frame

  • 2 class periods 

 

Materials

 

Connection to the 7 Cs of Ethnic Studies

  • Center: centering the Oromo indigenous culture of helping each other 

 

 

 

Instructions

 

Day 1 Warm-Up Question

  • Think about a time someone helped you without you asking. What did they do? How did it make you feel? Write two to three sentences or draw a picture.

Ignite

  • Ask students the following questions. (Students can answer in English or a heritage language. They can also draw their answer, if they’d like.)
    • What do you think culture means? If it helps, you can describe our classroom culture, our school culture, your family or community’s culture, our culture in America, etc. 
    • What do you think resilience means?
  • Have students share their answers.

 

Chunk 1

  • Give a student-friendly definition of culture and resilience.
  • Provide the lesson on Oromo culture below. 

 

The Oromo Culture of Helping Each Other

 

  • Jiga is when people come together to help each other with work. Everyone shares the effort so no one has to do it alone.
    • The focus is on teamwork and shared responsibility. 
  • Qabo is when people quickly show up to help someone they care about who is in trouble, without needing to be asked.
    • The focus is on community being there whenever it’s needed.
  • Afoosha is when a group of people regularly support each other, especially during emergencies, by sharing money or resources.
    • The focus is on financial and social support.

 

Chunk 2

  • Give a scenario of a student at school who recently traveled from Ethiopia to the US. Ask the following questions:
  • What challenges do you think this student would have with class, lunch, friends, and recess? (Expected answers include the language barrier, not knowing where to go for class/lunch/recess, and difficulty making friends.) 
  • Knowing what our school is like, how do you think students would react to their new classmate? What kind of help do you think the teacher and school would provide?
  • Given our lesson on Oromo culture, would our response be the same as that culture’s, or different?
  • Jiga: Who would be responsible for helping the new student get to classes? Learn English? Get resources for the family?
  • Qabo: Do you think our school is ready to help this student in their time of transition?
  • Afoosha: What role can our school play in providing this student and their family with resources and support to help them transition to a new country?

Exit Ticket

  • Name one of the three Oromo cultural values we learned today (Jiga, Qabo, or Afoosha) and explain what it means in your own words.
    • The value I remember is ___. It means ___.

 

Day 2 Warm-Up Question

  • Think about Tashitaa’s story. What is one challenge he faced when he arrived in the USA? How do you think the Oromo cultural values could have helped him? Write one to two sentences.

Chew

  • Watch Tashitaa Tufaa’s video
  • Turn and Talk, sharing with a partner: 
    • What Oromo culture did Tashitaa mention? 
    • How did he use his Oromo cultural upbringing to persevere when he was learning English, working multiple jobs, and starting his own business?
  • In small groups or with a partner, fill out the Student Worksheet (see attachment/appendix 2) with suggestions for what community help could have looked like for Tashitaa if the Oromo cultural system had been centered when he arrived in the USA. Refer to the slides from this lesson. If needed, you can refer to the handout “Why Is Oromo Culture Important?” (attachment/appendix 1).

 

Review

  • Have students summarize what the Oromo culture means to them. How could we use aspects of Oromo culture and justice systems in our classrooms, schools, and society?
  • Ask students how their family is the same or different from the Oromo culture when it comes to responsibility for caring about the needs of others.

Exit Ticket

  • One Oromo cultural value I want to bring into my school or community is ___ because ___.

 

Multilingual and ELL Support

  • Provide visuals (see slides/attachments).
  • Provide sentence stems for written work and verbal share-outs / small group discussions.
  • Provide captions for the video.
  • Provide Tashitaa’s text in students’ home language, if needed.

 

Vocabulary and Definitions

  • Culture: A reflection of how people live and exist as a community or nation. Culture includes many parts of life, such as politics (how people are governed), religion (belief systems), traditions (customs and practices), and the economy (how people work and support themselves).
  • Resilience: The ability to keep going and not give up when things get hard.
  • Guuza/Jiga (JEE-guh): When people come together to help each other with work. Everyone shares the effort, so no one has to do it alone. The focus is on teamwork and shared responsibility. 
  • Qabo (KAH-boh): When people quickly show up to help someone they care about who is in trouble, without needing to be asked. The focus is on the community being there whenever you need it.
  • Afoosha (ah-FOO-shah): When a group of people regularly support each other, especially during emergencies, by sharing money or resources. The focus is on financial and social support.

 

Resource List 

Appendix 1: Why Is Oromo Culture Important? (Student Handout)

 

What Is Culture?

Culture is a reflection of how people live and exist as a community or nation. Each person and every group of people has their own culture that guides their daily life. Culture includes many parts of life, such as politics (how people are governed), religion (belief systems), traditions (customs and practices), and the economy (how people work and support themselves).

Culture can be seen in how people dress, how they help each other, how they celebrate weddings, and how they express sadness and joy. In simple terms, culture is the way people live their lives and support one another. It acts like a mirror, reflecting who people are and how they live.

What Is Oromo Culture?

The Oromo people, like all groups, have their own unique culture that shapes their daily lives. This culture influences how they think, act, and interact with others. Oromo culture includes many traditions, such as festivals, marriage practices, systems of helping each other, and ways of resolving conflict. These cultural practices guide how people live and support one another in their communities.

Oromo Culture of Helping Each Other

Helping one another is a very important part of Oromo culture. People support each other and stand together during times of need. There are several ways this support happens in everyday life.

One way is Jiga. This is when people come together to do work as a group. For example, people may farm together or help each other build something. This shows the importance of teamwork and shared responsibility, where no one has to do everything alone.

Another way is Qabo. This is when people quickly help someone they care about when they are in trouble, even if that person did not ask for help. This shows that the community is always ready to support its members when they are in need.

A third way is Afoosha. This is a system where a group of people regularly support each other, especially during important events or emergencies, by sharing money or resources. This provides both financial and social support and ensures that people are not alone during difficult times.

Conclusion of Oromo Culture

Oromo culture is deeply rooted in the community and serves as a system for organizing daily life. It is built on strong values of mutual responsibility and support. People help one another not just occasionally, but as an expected part of life.

 

Appendix 2: Using Oromo Culture (Student Worksheet)

Work with a partner or small group. Use the teacher’s slides and our discussions about Jiga, Qabo, and Afoosha to help you answer the questions below. You can also refer to the “Why Is Oromo Culture Important?” handout. 

Part 1: Understanding the Situation

What challenges did Tashitaa face when he came to the USA? 

 

Part 2: Applying Oromo Culture

How could the community have come together to help Tashitaa using Jiga (working together), Qabo (helping without being asked), and Afoosha (providing financial and social support)? 

 

Part 3: Symbolism of Resilience in Oromo Culture

Draw various ways the community came together to support Tashitaa using Oromo cultural values and resilience.

Unit 1: Identity and Language – Identity Through Language: Ashti’s Story

Time Frame

  • 2 class periods

 

Materials 

  • Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a Fargo High School – Ashti Mohamed Ali’s story and video
  • Highlighter
  • Pencil and Notebook
  • Vocabulary and Definitions Handout

Connections to the 7 Cs of Ethnic Studies

  • Cultivate: learning about how Arab American history, people, and language provide opportunities for identity affirmation and healing
  • Celebrate: using Arab American counter-stories and community narratives through storytelling

 

Instructions

 

Day 1 – Identity, Language, and Background Knowledge

Ignite: Interactive/Interpersonal Activity 

Show two visuals of multilingual students and classroom communication challenges.

  • Ask students:
    • What language do you speak at home?
  • When do you feel like you belong?
  • How would you feel if people could not understand your language? 

Turn and Talk

Use sentence starter: “I would feel ___ because ___.”

  • Invite two or three students to share with the class. 
  • Write key feeling words on the board (frustrated, scared, invisible, proud, confused, excited). 

Tell students: Today we are going to meet a young woman named Ashti, whose story is connected to many of these feelings.

 

Vocabulary Introduction

Distribute the Vocabulary and Definitions Handout before watching Ashti’s video. Review each word and example. Students should keep the handout on their desks during all activities.

  1. Say the word aloud; students repeat.
  2. Read the definition in simple words.
  3. Give a real-life example.
  4. Students turn and tell a partner what the word means in their own words.

Cultural Background

Iraq is a country in the Middle East with a rich and ancient history. Baghdad, where Ashti was born, is the capital city and one of the oldest cities in the world. Iraq is home to many different ethnic and religious groups, including Arabs and Kurds. 

 

The Kurdish people are an ethnic group with their own language (Kurdish) and culture, found primarily in northern Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria. Many Iraqi and Kurdish families came to the United States as refugees or immigrants, often fleeing violence, war, or political persecution. Minnesota and cities like Fargo, North Dakota have significant Iraqi and Kurdish communities. These communities have brought rich cultural traditions, languages, food, music, and values to the United States. 

 

The name Ashti (آشتی) means peace in Kurdish. Names in Iraqi and Kurdish culture often carry deep meaning connected to family history, values, or hopes for the future.

Chunk: Interpretive Activity (Viewing/Listening) 

Watch Ashti’s video. Tell your students to watch without writing, and just focus on understanding the story.

  • Pause and ask yes/no questions:
    • Did Ashti speak more than one language? (Yes / No)
    • Was language easy for her at first? (Yes / No)
    • Did language affect how she felt? (Yes / No)
  • Optional cultural connection video before reading:
    • Show a short video (3-5 minutes) connected to Iraqi/Kurdish culture, family traditions, language, or daily life experiences to help students build background knowledge before reading Ashti’s story.

Examples:

Exit Ticket

  • What is one way language connects to identity?
  • What is one thing you learned about Iraqi/Kurdish culture or multilingual experiences?

 

 

Day 2 – Ashti’s Story and Identity Reflection

Warm-Up Review

Quick partner review:

  • What do you remember about Ashti’s story?
  • What challenges did she face?

Chunk: Reading & Organizer Activity

Read Ashti’s story together or with a partner. 

Draw the graphic organizer chart on the whiteboard as seen below, then fill it out using words or short phrases. Complete one example together as a class before students work independently.

Challenge Action Outcome
     
     

 

Chew: Interpersonal Activity (Partner Talk)

Partner Questions

  • What language challenge did Ashti have?
  • How did language make her feel?
  • Why is language part of identity?
  • How did Ashti stay connected to Iraqi culture and family?

Sentence Stems

  • Ashti felt ___ when she used ___ language.
  • Language is part of identity because . . .
  • Stand – Share – Switch
  • Iraqi culture is important to Ashti because . . .
  • I feel connected to my identity when . . .

 

Stand – Share – Switch

After partner discussion, do a Stand–Share–Switch:

  • Students stand up and share one idea from their discussion with a new partner.
  • Switch partners and share a different idea.
  • Return to seats and write one sentence they heard from a classmate that they want to remember.

Students may:

  • discuss with partners
  • draw
  • write short responses
  • orally share ideas

Example questions:

  • What language do you hear at home?
  • What foods remind you of family/community?
  • What traditions are important in your home?
  • What music, clothing, or celebrations are important in your culture?

 

Review: Presentational Activity (Writing or Drawing) 

Students may choose writing, drawing, or oral sharing to show understanding.

Option A: Writing (Short)

Sentence starters:

  • Ashti speaks . . .
  • Language makes her feel . . .
  • I learned that identity is . . .

Option B: Drawing + Sentence

  • Draw one moment from Ashti’s story.
  • Write one sentence below the picture.

Student Personalization

Students connect to their own experiences:

  • Do you speak more than one language?
  • When do you feel included or left out?

Exit Ticket (2 minutes)

Student answers:

  • One thing I learned today about identity, language, or belonging is . . .

Multilingual and ELL Support 

  • Visuals and pictures
  • Sentence frames
  • Partner support
  • Oral answers accepted
  • Drawing instead of long writing
  • Teachers check for understanding before independent writing
  • Optional oral responses before written responses

 

Resource List 

 

Vocabulary and Definitions Handout

 

Vocabulary Word Definition  Example 
Belonging The feeling of being accepted, valued, and “at home” within a group or community Feeling like you are welcome and understood by people around you.
Identity The mix of qualities, beliefs, and history that makes a person who they are.  Your name, your language, your culture, your family—these are all part of your identity.
Culture A shared way of life—including traditions, food, language, and beliefs—passed down through generations.  The food your family eats, the holidays you celebrate, the language you speak at home.
Challenge A difficulty or problem that takes effort to overcome.  Learning a new language in a new country can be a challenge.
Language The specific words, sounds, or symbols a group uses to share ideas and connect with one another. Arabic, Kurdish, English, Spanish, Oromo, Hmong, etc.
Name The word or title used to identify a person—often carries family history or special meaning. The name Ashti means peace in Kurdish.
Feeling An inner emotion—like pride, sadness, or excitement—that arises in response to an experience. Feeling proud when someone recognizes your culture.

Unit 1: Identity and Language – Hmong Identity and Language

Time Frame

  • 1–2 class periods

 

Materials

  • Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a St. Paul High School – Iya Xiong’s story and video
  • T-Chart 
  •  

Connections to the 7 Cs of Ethnic Studies

  • Cultivate: learning about the Hmong history, people, and language to provide opportunities for identity affirmation and healing
  • Celebrate: using Hmong counter-stories and community narratives through storytelling

Instructions

Ignite: Language

Write on the board: 
Nyob zoo. Kuv lub npe hu ua . . . 
(Hello. My name is . . .)

 

Ask students if anyone recognizes the language or can read it. Call on a few to guess or read it out loud. Ask students to raise their hands if they speak a language other than English at home. 

 

Turn and Talk

Imagine if you were to move to a new country where no one speaks, reads, or understands your language. How would you tell them who you are? How would you tell your story?

  • Ask a few students to share out loud with the class.

 

Chunk: Oral Tradition

Introduce the Hmong people as an ethnic minority group out of China who migrated throughout much of Southeast Asia. The CIA recruited Hmong to help with the Secret War in Laos, and as a result, many Hmong had to flee Laos into refugee camps in Thailand. Today, Hmong are scattered throughout the United States, with a massive presence in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Twin Cities are home to the largest concentration of Hmong. The Hmong identity has been shaped by a fight to retain their language and culture. 

  • Briefly explain the Hmong journey: China -> Laos -> Refugee Camps -> US
  • Define “oral tradition”: history passed down by mouth, usually through storytelling, songs, or cultural practices, rather than reading through books. 

 

Turn and Talk

When in school, students learn history by reading textbooks. Why is oral history just as important as textbooks?

  • Ask for a few students to share out loud with the class. 

 

Chunk: Hmong RPA

  • Explain Hmong RPA (Roman Popular Alphabet), the most common Hmong writing system today. It was developed in the 1950s by French missionaries. RPA are the ABC’s that we know, but the Hmong written version just sounds different. 
  • Briefly explain that Hmong is a tonal language with eight tones. The final letter in a written Hmong word is usually not pronounced; it indicates the tone or vocal pitch, and each word has its own meaning. 
  • Show the students the word Hmoob (Hmong). Explain to them that the “b” at the end is silent; it is a tone marker, tells you only to say the word with the high tone, and acts like a musical note. 

 

Turn and Talk

What might happen if you didn’t say the word Hmoob with a high tone, and instead said it with a lower or mid tone? How does language influence or affect one’s oral history?

  • Ask a few students to share out loud. 

Chew: Iya Xiong’s Story and Activity

  • Provide a short excerpt from “Iya Xiong” from Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a St. Paul High School, using the middle of page 3 to 4.
  • Read the passage of Iya’s experience in America out loud to the class, and have them follow along.

 

T-Chart Activity

  • Provide students with a T-Chart labeled Barriers on one side and Bridges on the other.
    • Barrier – On this side of the chart, have students find and write about Iya’s experiences that made her feel lonely, confused, different, or challenged.
    • Bridge – On this side of the chart, have students find and write about Iya’s experiences that made her feel proud, connected to her family, or positive. 
    • Students should identify at least 3-5 barriers and bridges each.

 

Group Discussion/Share

  • How does Iya’s story add to the history of Minnesota?

 

Review: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket

On a slip of paper (regular notebook paper or sticky notes) or a digital form, students must write and turn in:

  • Three things they learned about Hmong history or the language
  • Two reasons why storytelling is important
  • One question they still have about Hmong culture

 

Multilingual and ELL Support

  • Provide sentence stems for class discussion and discourse.
  • Provide students with the T-Chart.

 

Vocabulary and Definitions

  • Oral tradition: history passed down by mouth, usually through storytelling, songs, or cultural practices, rather than reading through books
  • Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA): the Hmong reading and writing system that uses the same letters found in English

Resource List 

 

T-Chart

 

Direction: Complete this T-Chart as you listen to Iya’s story. What were some barriers and bridges?

Barriers
Write about Iya’s experiences that made her feel lonely, confused, different, or challenged.		 Bridges
Write about Iya’s experiences that made her feel proud, connected to her family, or positive.