Hmong American Peace Academy

 Eighteen Global Scholars students met at the high school at 6:30 a.m. for an early-morning field trip to the Hmong American Peace Academy (HAPA) in Milwaukee. Our goal was to create a positive cultural exchange with HAPA students, and they did not disappoint! We had an amazing time and were grateful for the hospitality and insightful knowledge shared with our students during the visit.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Mr. Kearney, the school's Chief Academic Officer. He welcomed us alongside a group of approximately seven HAPA students, often referred to as Scholars. We began with brief introductions to help everyone feel comfortable with one another before splitting into small groups of three or four for a tour of the school, each led by a HAPA student.

Of course, our students quickly noticed some differences between HAPA and MHS. For example, HAPA students are served both breakfast and lunch, and the school has a café that students can visit. The café serves as a quiet study space during study hall for students who meet certain academic requirements. It offers plenty of reading material as well as a fully functional coffee bar complete with espresso drinks, boba, and more.

HAPA students also have the opportunity to work in the café, serving their classmates while gaining valuable work experience and earning a small paycheck. Very cool!

We were especially excited when our hosts offered each of our students a complimentary drink from the café. We then had the opportunity to sit together and engage in open conversations about our different school experiences and cultural backgrounds.

MHS students conversing with HAPA students about different school and cultural experiences in the school's Cafe.

Another aspect of the school that our students thoroughly enjoyed was the amount of Hmong culture proudly displayed throughout the building. For instance, every classroom featured Hmong-language writing alongside English translations, while artwork and traditional Hmong clothing were displayed in cases throughout the school.

One fascinating thing we learned about the Hmong language is that it is tonal, with eight tones! Essentially, a word's meaning can change depending on its tone. To put this into perspective, languages such as Chinese use three different tones, and Thai uses four. English is not a tonal language. The brief introduction of the Hmong language and the tones that are  tonal system gave our students a fascinating glimpse into the complexity of language and communication.

The Hmong language is also connected to music. During our tour, one teacher brought out a traditional musical instrument, a type of flute, and played a short musical phrase. The teacher then explained how the notes could convey a message.

Historically, during periods of conflict and persecution in Southeast Asia, music served as a way for Hmong people to communicate and preserve their cultural traditions. The flute was also used to send messages over long distances, serving as a fascinating example of how music can communicate meaning beyond spoken words.

Our HAPA student tour guide explaining different items in the school's museum.

Some of the fascinating and beautiful artwork on display in the school was paj ntaub which is also referred to as "story cloth." Some of the students that gave us a tour explained that their parents were actually refugees that escaped during the "secret war" (The Secret War was the US and CIA training Hmong fighters in Laos to fight against the North Vietnamese to prevent the spread of communism in the region).  You can see two of the story cloths below and the migration story they help tell.

Story Cloth showing refugees fleeing across the MeKong River into a refugee camp in Thailand.

A second Story Cloth showing the migration from the mountainous regions of Laos to an urbanized western cultured city.

We left the Hmong American Peace Academy with a large sense of excitement to continue learning and experiencing (the goal of any good field trip).  In fact the HAPA students showed an interest in visiting Mukwonago and MHS students showed an interest not only in learning more about Hmong culture but also learning more about their own cultural history. They came back inspired to learn about their own culture while also having an interest and excitement to learn more about others. They were very intrigued to learn about the Hmong New Year celebration that HAPA helps organize in Milwaukee and many students expressed an interest to attend. 

I would like to finish by expressing my gratitude to the students, Mr. Kearney and the Hmong American Peace Academy for welcoming us into their community. They showed great hospitality and our students had a great time and found the experience to be insightful and inspiring, which is a testament of the work HAPA put in to the experience.

To learn more about the Hmong American Peace Academy, visit their website linked here.