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50 years of Hmong in Minnesota: A Timeline
This year (2025) marks 50 years since the first Hmong refugees arrived in the United States. Today, 330,000 Hmong people reside in the U.S., with nearly a third of them living in Minnesota. However, their journey to get to the U.S. goes back even further.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - This year (2025) marks 50 years since the first Hmong refugees arrived in the United States. Today, 330,000 Hmong people reside in the U.S., with nearly a third of them living in Minnesota. However, their journey to get to the U.S. goes back even further.
Timeline of Hmong refugees in Minnesota
Timeline:
Here's a timeline of events that led up to Hmong refugees coming to Minnesota.
1954
The Geneva Accords is adopted and Vietnam is divided into two countries along the 17th parallel. North Vietnam is formed as a communist country. South Vietnam is a democracy and becomes a U.S. ally.
1961
General Vang Pao. Photo courtesy Vint Lawrence Collection at the Center for Hmong Studies.
The Secret War begins after President John F. Kennedy authorizes the recruitment of ethnic minorities in Laos to conduct clandestine military operations in an effort to stop the spread of communism. CIA Agent Bill Lair met with Hmong leader and then Royal Lao Army Colonel Vang Pao to discuss U.S. objectives. The Hmong becomes the CIA’s Secret Army and receives direct financing, recruitment and training.
1962
Fourteen nations sign the Neutrality Act of 1962, making Laos a neutral state. This prohibits foreign forces from being in the country. However, the North Vietnamese army is already in Laos and running supply missions throughout the country to the pro-communist Viet Cong in South Vietnam.
1963
Vang Pao is awarded the rank of Brigadier General.
1964
Long Cheng is established as the military base for the Hmong army. It also serves as an airbase for the CIA.
1968
Brig. General Vang Pao is promoted to the rank of Major General.
1969
The CIA redesignates its Secret Army as the "Special Guerilla Units" (SGU).
1973
The U.S. and other countries sign a peace treaty in Paris that requires an end to all foreign military activities in Laos.
April 30, 1975
Saigon, the capitol of South Vietnam, is captured by North Vietnam, leading to the collapse of the South Vietnamese government.
May 14, 1975
Long Cheng falls to communist forces after General Vang Pao and some military forces are airlifted to Thailand. Thousands of Hmong gathered in Long Cheng with hopes of getting out, but only a fraction make it on flights. Communist soldiers begin targeting the Hmong for their role in the Secret War. Many are captured by communist soldiers and sent to re-education and concentration camps where they either starved or were worked to death. Others make the perilous journey on foot to Thailand. Many of them drown trying to cross the Mekong River to Thailand. An estimated 100,000 Hmong died as a result of Laotian policies after 1975. Those who make it to Thailand are kept in refugee camps, with Ban Vinai being the largest.
Dec. 2, 1975
The pro-communist Pathet Lao group overthrows the Laotian monarchy.
December 1975
The first Hmong family arrives in Minnesota. More families follow soon after thanks to the efforts of two main volunteer agencies, Catholic Charities and Lutheran Family Services.
1975-1978
The first wave of Southeast Asian refugees arrive in the U.S. While there are some Hmong refugees, they’re predominantly Vietnamese.
1979-2003
Second wave of Southeast Asian refugees
1992
The Thai government closes all refugee camps. Some of the people living in the camps are returned to Laos. However, 15,000 Hmong refugees fled to a Buddhist monastery called Wat Tham Krabok.
2004-2006
The Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok are the last wave of Hmong refugees to resettle in the U.S. As many as 5,000 of them come to Minnesota.
'Hmong in Minnesota: 50 Years of Resilience' documentary
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Hmong in Minnesota: Reflecting on 50 years
FOX 9 executive producer Panhia Yang and anchor Chenue Her discuss our new documentary "Hmong in Minnesota: 50 Years of Resilience."
Watch:
A new FOX 9 documentary "Hmong in Minnesota: 50 Years of Resilience" dives into the journey of Hmong refugees in America 50 years after the fall of Vietnam. Interviews and historical footage illustrate the success of Hmong families as well as the cultural challenges they faced as they resettled in Minnesota. Hmong Americans in Minnesota, spanning multiple generations, also share their hopes for the next 50 years.
"Hmong in Minnesota: 50 Years of Resilience" premieres at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 24 on FOX 9+ and streaming on FOX LOCAL and FOX9.com. You can watch the documentary on-demand on FOX LOCAL, FOX LOCAL Mobile, YouTube and FOX9.com.