The line to enter stretched into the parking lot, filled with attendees often wearing colorful Hmong attire draped with silver coins and vibrant beads, eager to join the three days of festivities.

Over 10,000 Hmong people attended the Sacramento Cal Expo for the annual Hmong New Year celebration each day. The festival aims to celebrate cultural traditions, promote awareness and provide youth with scholarships for higher education. This year, the festival featured cornhole, a ball-tossing courtship game, a beauty pageant and dance and singing competitions. 

One traditional courtship ritual is the ball-tossing game. A young woman tosses a ball to a man she is interested in, sparking a conversation or passing the ball to signal interest in someone else. This allows them to get to know each other and explore potential relationships.  

“While ball tossing is more of a game now, we’re working to preserve this tradition and bring people together,” Kathy Yang, President of the Sacramento Hmong New Year, said.

“The older generation used to care more about ball tossing, but now younger people don’t really care about courtship anymore,” Faith Cheng, a nursing student at American River College in Sacramento, said. “We care more about spending time with our family.”

Attendees wore vibrant, handmade Hmong clothing, often passed down through generations. The distinct styles reflect the cultural heritage of the Green and White Hmong, two different dialects that represent the different regions Hmong people originally lived in.

“Hmong New Year is about bringing the community together, and it’s special to us because we don’t get a lot of recognition,” Cheyenne Huang, an attendee from Oregon, said. “We get to celebrate together, eat good food and enjoy beautiful outfits and music.”

California Assembly Bill (AB 167) requires K-12 curriculum on Hmong history, the Vietnamese American refugee experience, the Cambodian genocide and Native American studies by March 31, 2023. The bill also allocated $1.2 million to support this initiative, contingent on related legislation in 2021–22.

Despite being recruited in the Vietnam War, the Hmong community’s contributions remain largely unrecognized in schools, said Sarah Khang, a freshman at Cosumnes River College and of mixed Hmong Heritage. The Hmong fought in a “secret war” against the North Vietnamese communists and the Pathet Lao. They disrupted the communist North Vietnamese on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, providing intelligence about enemy operations, guarding U.S. strategic installations and rescuing downed American pilots in northern Laos. 

“We’re a small group, and it’s hard to explain where we’re from since we don’t have a country—we’re from Thailand but moved to the U.S.,” Khang said. “We fought in the Vietnam War, but you don’t hear about that in history classes like you do with slavery. I’d like the government to include our history in textbooks so students can learn that we fought for this country too.”

The Hmong, comprising about 0.2% of the U.S. population—or roughly 300,000 people—migrated to states like California, Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Carolina after fleeing Laos and Vietnam after the Vietnam War.

“I want the celebration to be recognized as a state holiday so we can gather with family and friends. This is our New Year, Christmas and Thanksgiving all rolled into one,” Cha Huang, an attendee from Oregon, said.

Silver, traditionally prized by the Hmong for its beauty and symbolism, is becoming less common in jewelry due to rising costs, with accessories now often incorporating other metals.

Daisy Cheng, a nursing student at American River College, volunteers at the Paul Hom Asian Clinic, where she supports women affected by domestic violence and mental health.

“A lot of the newer generation doesn’t like to wear traditional clothes,” Cheng said. “But I feel like if they see teenagers like us wearing it, they’ll feel more comfortable doing the same.”

Women in Hmong communities often face challenges tied to traditional gender expectations added Cheng. “The older generation expects girls to do everything—clean, watch the kids, clean up after the boys. It’s frustrating,” Cheng said.

Yang has also faced challenges as the first woman in her role. “I’m the first woman to serve as president since we began celebrating the Hmong New Year in 1980,” Yang said. “I’ve dealt with negativity from people who don’t want a woman in charge, but I see it as an opportunity for change.” 

Yang emphasized the importance of ensuring the festival’s accessibility and cultural preservation for the future. “My goal is to secure funding so we can make this event free for everyone to enjoy. It’s not about business-it’s about preserving our culture and providing a space for everyone to come and learn,” Yang said.