January 11, 2007
Written by C.N.
Hmong Hunter Shot in Wisconsin
You might remember that in late 2004, Hmong American Chai Vang shot six White Americans to death in Wisconsin, claiming that they shouted racial epithets at him and fired shots in his direction. He was subsequently convicted of six counts of murder. Now comes word that another Hmong American was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound, also in Wisconsin:
Dealings between the Hmong, an ethnic minority group from Southeast Asia, and predominantly white residents of the mostly rural north woods have been on edge since November 2004, when Hmong immigrant Chai Soua Vang, 38, of St. Paul, Minn., killed six white hunters and injured two while trespassing in a private tree stand. . . .
Vang is a very common name among the Hmong, an increasing number of whom have moved into the Midwest. Even before those shootings, Hmong hunters claimed they had been harassed, and whites complained that the Hmong do not respect private property.
People at Green Bay Hmong Alliance Church were told of the killing Sunday morning, though many had heard about it the night before and their first thought was of the 2004 shootings, said Nao Vang, 60. “Some worry this could be retaliation. People are very concerned about that,” he said. Yia Thao, president of the United Hmong Community Center, said he heard the same thing but urged caution.
However we judge Chai Vang’s crime in 2004, it is very sad to see that apparently, the cycle of intolerance and hostility between Hmong and Whites in Wisconsin continues. Similar to what many felt back in 2004, we can only hope that this latest incident is the work of a single deranged person and does not represent the sentiments of most Hmong or Whites in the area.
The cycle of violence has to stop somewhere.
Author Citation
Copyright © 2001- by C.N. Le. Some rights reserved. 
Suggested reference: Le, C.N. . "Hmong Hunter Shot in Wisconsin" Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. <https://www.asian-nation.org/headlines/2007/01/hmong-hunter-shot-in-wisconsin/> ().
Short URL: https://www.asian-nation.org/headlines/?p=354
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