The Transmittance of Milwaukee\u27s Hmong Cultures and Traditions

Milwaukee is one of many cities in America where the population is very diverse but it is one of the most segregated cities in this country. The built environment creates barriers that cause the separation of different cultures and ethnicities. One of the ethnicities in the city of Milwaukee is the Hmong culture and the magnificent traditions that go along with it. A majority of the older Hmong population are refugees and have resettled in the Washington Park neighborhood to no call it their home. In my research I have observed, interviewed, and documented what I have noticed in the Hmong culture located in the Washington Park neighborhood. The spaces that the Hmong people inhabit are changed with the traditions, heritage, and history that each person holds and has carried over from Laos or Thailand. Each aspect of their traditions is held dear to their hearts. One of the main places of my research in the Washington Park Neighborhood was the Hmong American Friendship Association (HAFA) which was founded in Milwaukee in 1983. HAFA was created by Hmong refugees and is used to better the lives of Hmong people in the greater Milwaukee area. There was also the opportunity for me to spend time with a Hmong family in the Washington Park. The space that this family provided for me was their whole home. I had the opportunity to ask questions and learn the different religious rituals and ceremonies that were done. I also observed the household layout and how the Hmong culture changed the functions of different spaces in this home and in HAFA as well. The overall cultural observations that carry the traditions and heritage down through the generations that inhabit these spaces is the spoken language but it is also smells, sounds, and sights that may awaken memories and induce a behavioral or habitual response. My research will take a person through the history and sentimental values these spaces hold as well as the overall feeling of safety that the presence of the Hmong culture provides for the Hmong refugees