Hmong School Newsletter: Communicating With Hmong American Families

Hmong American communities, concentrated primarily in Minnesota, California, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, have a unique communication context that schools need to understand. The Hmong people have a rich oral tradition and the written form of the language was only standardized and widely adopted in the latter half of the twentieth century. This means that the relationship between Hmong community members and written text is different from communities with longer written language traditions.

Written Versus Oral Communication

Many older Hmong adults, particularly those who were adults during the refugee experience following the Vietnam War, received little or no formal schooling and may have limited literacy in Hmong and English. For these community members, written newsletters are not an accessible communication channel. Schools that rely exclusively on written communication are structurally excluding a portion of their Hmong community.

A communication strategy that pairs written newsletters with oral outreach, community liaisons, and in-person events is more complete. Identify which families in your enrollment are best reached by written communication and which need other channels.

Translation and Review

Hmong translation resources are less widely available than Spanish or Chinese translation resources. Machine translation for Hmong remains less reliable than for major world languages. Building relationships with bilingual Hmong staff members, community health workers, or cultural liaisons who can translate and review school newsletters is an investment worth prioritizing for any school with a significant Hmong population.

Family and Community Structure

Many Hmong families in the United States maintain strong clan-based family structures in which extended family members, including grandparents, aunts, and uncles, are significantly involved in children's education. School communication that reaches only the nuclear family may miss key decision-makers. Including community leaders in major school events and building relationships with clan community associations increases the reach and trust of school communication.

Cultural Acknowledgment in Newsletters

Hmong New Year, typically celebrated in late November or December, is the most significant annual celebration in Hmong communities. Including an acknowledgment of this celebration in school newsletters builds connection. Other important cultural moments include Hmong Heritage Month (May in some communities) and the anniversary of the Hmong community's experience with the Vietnam War era and its aftermath. Daystage supports sending culturally aware newsletters in Hmong to families who are reachable through digital communication.