Retracing the Hmong Diaspora

Hello, my name is Pachia. I’m an academically-trained anthropologist and aspiring museum curator who will be traveling to Laos to fulfill my lifelong dream of returning to my homelands to discover more about my heritage.

As a Hmong-American, my trip to Laos will be the first time that anyone in my family has returned to the country since leaving forty years ago. It is an important next step to my personal growth and career, helping me delve deeper into understanding what it means to be Hmong and come from indigenous + ethnic roots in today’s globalizing world.

Laos is the most diverse country in mainland Southeast Asia with up to 49 documented ethnic minority groups and at least 240 subgroups.


During my 4-month-long stay, I will be spending 3-months with the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre (TAEC ): a social enterprise dedicated to preserving the cultural diversity of Laos through exhibitions, education, community outreach and engagement, along with advocacy and awareness.

I will be assisting with a variety of things including:

- Helping women in rural areas have better access to handicraft markets
- Curating an exhibition on traditional Hmong textiles
- Assisting with the research and curation of a new Music exhibition
- Copywriting for TAEC’s social media, website, and marketing  
 
I am asking for donations from the GoFundMe community to enhance my experience and allow me to travel to neighboring countries in an effort to:

“Retrace the Hmong Diaspora”

This would entail starting my trip in Thailand before going to Laos, to travel into Vietnam and up into southwest China, where it is believed we originated with Chinese civilization along the Yellow River.


Stories are a special way of passing down knowledge and inspiring the generations that come after you. It is through the traditional storytelling of my people that I found my passion for history, culture, expression, and curation.

To share this journey I want to blog my experiences and create a “virtual exhibit” that will bring new perspectives to the Hmong stories of diaspora and disenfranchisement. My goal will be to include the themes of unity and strength in discovering the new identities we are forming as a global and transnational community.

Your donations will help me:

- Participate in meaningful cultural activities ($525)
- Secure safe housing and food during my travels ($525)
- Purchase camera equipment to use for blogging, documentation, and content development that will support TAEC and my creative projects ($525)
- Offset domestic and international transportation costs ($1050)

My trip begins September 4th, 2017~ Right before I turn 26. I will be staying in the city of Luang Prabang  where my family is originally from.

Any amount you can donate helps! Thank you from the bottom of my heart <3