The Hmong American Partnership is a Hmong-community-focused, critical race theory-aligned civic organization in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that provides immigrants and refugees with classes, counseling, job training, and financial aid programs.

Background

In August 1990, the Hmong American Partnership was founded as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Initially, the group provided programming to Hmong people, members of an ethnic group with roots in East and Southeast Asia who had recently immigrated to or taken refuge in Minnesota. Since its founding, the group has expanded its programming to include other immigrant and refugee groups in the state. ^{1 2}

Aside from its main office, the Hmong American Partnership has five other specialized offices in Saint Paul, Minnesota, through which it offers its programming. ³

Activity

The Hmong American Partnership offers participants a variety of programming intended to make individuals self-sufficient members of the community. The organization offers an “Adult Basic Education” program that teaches participants how to speak basic English, use a computer, understand the American health care system, and understand how to secure housing. To that end, the organization also offers jobs training programs wherein participants receive labor training and certification, for instance in commercial driving. ⁴

The organization also offers participants wealth management programming, access to lending services for small business loans, homeownership counseling, as well as the opportunity to open an “individual development account,” in which participants have their contributions to a program savings account “matched” by the organization. ⁵

Statement on Chauvin Trial

On April 21, 2021, the Hmong American Partnership issued a statement regarding the verdict to convict former police officer Derek Chauvin of murder in the death of George Floyd. The statement, which characterized the verdict positively, included claims of the existence of pervasive systemic racism, “anti-blackness,” and white supremacy. ⁶

Funding

Federal, state, or municipal agencies and offices that have provided over $250,000 of funding to the Hmong American Partnership include the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Health’s Center for Health Equity/Office of Minority and Multicultural Health, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Minnesota Insurance Marketplace, United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Community Services, HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Hennepin County. ⁷

Nonprofit organizations that have provided over $100,000 to the Hmong American Partnership include the Bush Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust, Pohlad Family Foundation, Saint Paul Community Literacy Consortium, and the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation. ⁸

Leadership

May yer Thao became the president and CEO of the Hmong American Partnership in October 2021. Previously, she was the executive director of the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber, assistant deputy director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, a worker with the United States Peace Corps in Thailand, and a grant administrator at the Medical College of Wisconsin. ^{9 10}

Mai Lor Lee is the chair of the Hmong American Partnership’s board of directors as well as a diversity specialist at the Andersen Corporation, a manufacturer of windows and doors. ^{11 12}

1. “2016-2018 HAP Annual Report.” Hmong American Partnership. 2018. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.dropbox.com/s/92l0tmouc9cfeyq/2016-2018%20HAP%20Annual%20Report%20web.pdf?e=1&dl=0.
2. “Hmong American Partnership.” ProPublica. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/411667580.
3. Homepage. Hmong American Partnership. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://hmong.org/.
4. “2016-2018 HAP Annual Report.” Hmong American Partnership. 2018. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.dropbox.com/s/92l0tmouc9cfeyq/2016-2018%20HAP%20Annual%20Report%20web.pdf?e=1&dl=0.
5. “2016-2018 HAP Annual Report.” Hmong American Partnership. 2018. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.dropbox.com/s/92l0tmouc9cfeyq/2016-2018%20HAP%20Annual%20Report%20web.pdf?e=1&dl=0.
6. “HAP Statement on Chauvin Trial Verdict.” Hmong American Partnership. April 21, 2021. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://hmong.org/about-us/hap-in-the-news/derek-chauvin-trial-verdict/.
7. “Funders and Annual Reports.” Hmong American Partnership. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://hmong.org/about-us/funders-and-annual-reports/.
8. “Funders and Annual Reports.” Hmong American Partnership. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://hmong.org/about-us/funders-and-annual-reports/.
9. “Leadership.” Hmong American Partnership. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://hmong.org/leadership/.
10. “May yer Thao.” This Is Milwaukee. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.thisismilwaukee.us/mayyerthao.
11. “About Us.” Andersen Windows and Doors. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.andersenwindows.com/about/.
12. “Leadership.” Hmong American Partnership. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://hmong.org/leadership/.