The Hmong have been in the United States for over 40 years and yet to many, they are still the best kept secret of the Vietnam War. Dr. Pafoua (Pam) Her was part of the earliest Hmong families that resettled in the United State as political refugees after the Vietnam War. She arrived with her family in 1976 and while many have considered her family as one of the fortunate ones that did not have to endure the lengthy trials and tragedies in Laos and Thailand after the war, she and her family did not escape the challenges that awaited them in the United States as the unidentified, unacknowledged allies of the US during the Vietnam War. Dr. Her will discuss her personal experiences as a refugee child, young adult and woman in the United States and how she forged her identity and leveraged her experiences to create understanding, inclusion and unity. She will also discuss many aspects and traditions of the Hmong culture such as marriages, funerals, family relationships, clan structures, and more. Please join us for this great learning opportunity on the Hmong in America as we prepare to embark on our upcoming Fox Cities Reads 2020!