Hmong Association reaches out to campus and youth

By Angelite Caudillo
The Collegian

The Hmong Student Association at Fresno State has been giving back to the community for 21 years by promoting higher education, cultural values, and moral and ethical standards.

Senior graphic design major Der Yang is the president of the HmSA. Yang has been in the association for five years. She said the group gives all students the opportunity to learn about the Hmong community and its cultural values, as well as making new friends.

“I joined to meet new people,” Yang said. The group had about 90 members in the 2004-2005 year and Yang said they are estimating to get more than 100 members to interact with this year.

“I get to meet a lot of professionals,” Yang said. “The association can help students to start networking so they can also meet professionals that may be able to help them after finishing college.”

The student association plans to give back to the youth of their community through their two major annual events. The events include a higher education cultural conference and performing in a show for Amerasia Week. Yang said the group has even helped new Hmong refugees in the community.

Having graduated from a local high school, Yang said one new goal for the HmSA is to get high school students from all the local high schools to come together and compete in leadership activities. Yang said they hope to grab students’ attention by offering a prize.

The winning school will get $500 to $600 to use for their own school or for an organization on their own campus. The plans for this project are still in the works and Yang hopes the event will take place sometime this year.

The HmSA started meeting this year on Sept. 2. They will continue to meet every Friday at 4 p.m. in the USU Building room 317. Students are encouraged to come and join to have fun meeting new people.

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