Newsmakers: MN Zej Zog Celebrates 50 Years of Hmong Stories Through Portraits
MN Zej Zog is celebrating a milestone for the Hmong community—50 years since their arrival in the United States—with a unique project called “Of Distance and Time – Yav Ntuj Qub Qab.”
“This year you can expect a lot of cool things from MN Zej Zog and the Hmong community in general,” explained Pang Yang, executive director of the organization.
The project captures the strength and resilience of Hmong elders through heirloom photography by Richard Schultz and rising artist Artid Chah.
“These are uniquely Minnesotan stories and important for all of us to see and appreciate,” said Schultz.
The exhibit features Hmong women. Yang worked to identify the female elders in the community through social media posts, flyers at the grocery store and by word of mouth. The women and grandmothers come from across the Twin Cities; the eldest is 103 years old from Brooklyn Park.
Many are photographed with a family heirloom or treasure and shared their story about it.
“We realized how important that these other stories were, so we just had to do it,” said Schultz. “It’s added an incredible second layer to this project that we’re continually working through and improving as we go. But it’s just added just another level to the appreciation of the community and and showing the love of that these families have for their elders and telling their stories.”
The exhibit debuts in January at the Vandalia Tower in St. Paul.
For more information on upcoming celebrations throughout the year, visit mnzejzog.org or follow the group on their Facebook page at facebook.com/MNZEJZOG.
