Minnesota Historical Society Earns Top National Award for 'Peb Yog Hmoob—We Are Hmong Minnesota'

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has selected MNHS as a 2016 History in Progress (HIP) Award winner for the project “Peb Yog Hmoob—We Are Hmong Minnesota.”

This prestigious award is given at the discretion of the AASLH awards committee to nominations that are "highly inspirational, exhibits exceptional scholarship, and/or is exceedingly entrepreneurial in terms of funding, partnerships, or collaborations, creative problem solving, or unusual project design and inclusiveness."

Elizabeth K. Xiong from the office of Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman wrote in support of the nomination, “This project...was genuine and positively transformational for MNHS, the local Hmong community and for Minnesotans across the state.”

Sia Her, executive director for the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans wrote, “The We Are Hmong project is a testament to the Hmong having arrived home in this state that is the 'city on the hill' for Hmong all over the world.”

“Peb Yog Hmoob—We Are Hmong Minnesota” was developed in 2015 by members of Minnesota’s Hmong community in partnership with MNHS. It included a number of programs with a 3,000-square-foot exhibit as the centerpiece.

The HIP Award is given to organizations that have also earned a 2016 Leadership in History Award of Merit. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards is the nation’s leading competition for recognition of achievement in state and local history.

The awards will be given during the AASLH annual meeting held in Detroit in September. A full listing of recipients can be found at: about.aaslh.org/awards.

About the Minnesota Historical Society
MNHS is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

Media Contacts: Jessica Kohen, 651-259-3148, jessica.kohen@mnhs.org or Lauren Peck, 651-259-3137, lauren.peck@mnhs.org