Hmong Today

Hmong Today was established in 2003 by Wameng Moua and Sang Mouacheupao and issued its first newspaper on January 1, 2004. The project emerged from an effort to create an independently run Hmong American publication. Before founding the newspaper, Moua was reportedly offered the opportunity to purchase a half-share in Hmong Times, but declined. The founders proceeded to create Hmong Today after encountering the view that Hmong people would need outside assistance to operate a newspaper. Its independent founding was therefore closely connected to questions of Hmong ownership, representation, and institutional self-determination in American community media. The newspaper was headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a major center of Hmong American settlement and the location of one of the largest Hmong communities in the United States. It published on a biweekly basis and covered community news, culture, arts, entertainment, and political and social issues. Its geographic scope was national and international rather than exclusively local. Coverage included Hmong American affairs across the United States and news concerning Hmong communities abroad, particularly in Laos. The first issue's lead story addressed the persecution of Hmong people in Laos following the Laotian Civil War. Written by Wameng Moua, the article was titled "Betrayal, Lost Hope, And the Forgotten Tribe." Reporting on this subject remained an important part of Moua's work at the newspaper, and Hmong Today devoted multiple issues to the situation of Hmong people in Laos. This international focus distinguished the publication from a narrowly local newspaper and linked the experiences of Hmong Americans to wider diaspora and refugee histories. The paper generally published in English, with Hmong-language material appearing less often. This reflected the publication's understanding of its principal readership: many Hmong Americans primarily read English. Hmong Today consequently operated as an English-language vehicle for community identity, information, and cultural continuity. It was often discussed together with Hmong Times, another Hmong American newspaper, and both were described as among the community's most enduring publications. Wameng Moua managed much of the publication's operations. Sang Moua was identified as publisher and Sy Vang as president of the company. Kathy Mouacheupao, the sister of co-founder Wameng Moua, contributed to the arts and entertainment section and had joined the paper's work around 2001, before the first issue was released. The website was developed and administered by Hmongmedia. The newspaper also received professional recognition: in 2008, Wameng Moua received honors in two categories at the Ethnic and Community Media Awards. Hmong Today's reporting had a visible role in community events. Copies featuring the newspaper's coverage of the 2007 murder of Cha Vang were distributed at Vang's funeral. The paper's stories were also republished by local outlets such as the Twin Cities Daily Planet, extending the reach of selected reporting beyond its regular circulation. The Hmong Today website went offline in 2012. This does not, by itself, establish the precise date on which print publication ended or whether the brand continued through another format. The newspaper's records remain available in archival collections, including holdings associated with the Minnesota Historical Society, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the University of California, Irvine. In 2022, print archives were included in an expansion of the Hmong Cultural Center Museum in Saint Paul. These preservation efforts reflect the newspaper's value as a record of Hmong American public life, even though its current publication status and ownership are not clearly documented in the available material.

1. 2022Print archives enter a museum collection

   Print archives are included in an expansion of the Hmong Cultural Center Museum in Saint Paul.

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2. 2012Website goes offline

   The newspaper's website is reported offline, although copies and selected digital records remain preserved by archives.

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3. 2008Wameng Moua receives community-media awards

   Moua receives honors in two categories at the Ethnic and Community Media Awards.

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4. 2007Coverage of the Cha Vang murder circulates at his funeral

   Copies carrying coverage of Cha Vang's murder are distributed at his funeral, demonstrating the publication's role in recording major community events.

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5. 2004First issue is published

   The first issue appears on January 1, 2004, following the founders' preparations during the preceding year.

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6. 2003Hmong Today is founded

   Wameng Moua and Sang Mouacheupao co-found the newspaper as an independent Hmong American media venture.

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An independent English-language newspaper for Hmong Americans, combining local community journalism with coverage of Hmong culture, diaspora affairs, and international issues.

• Hmong Today biweekly newspaperNewspaper2004

  The core offering was a biweekly print newspaper reporting on Hmong American communities, especially in Minnesota and other parts of the United States. It covered local events, community affairs, culture, arts, entertainment, and issues affecting Hmong identity and public life. The publication also carried international reporting, including sustained attention to Hmong communities in Laos.

• Hmong Today websiteOnline news

  The website provided an online presence for the newspaper and its journalism. It was developed and administered by Hmongmedia. The site was reported to have gone offline in 2012, while selected articles and catalogued records remain accessible through archival institutions.

• 2012Online publication presence becomes unavailableOther

  The newspaper's website was reported to have gone offline.

  What changed. The online site ceased to be available, although institutional archives retained selected digital and print records.

  Aftermath. Hmong Today's historical material continued to be preserved through archival collections, but the publication's current operating status is not established.

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• 2003Founders choose to launch an independent newspaperStrategy

  The founders were offered an opportunity to acquire a half-share in Hmong Times but decided to establish Hmong Today independently.

  What changed. Wameng Moua and Sang Mouacheupao created their own Hmong American newspaper rather than joining the existing publication.

  Aftermath. The decision produced an independent community publication that became one of the more enduring Hmong American newspapers.

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• 2022Hmong Today print archives added to the Hmong Cultural Center Museum

  Print archives were included in an expansion of the Hmong Cultural Center Museum in Saint Paul, helping preserve the newspaper's community record.

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• 2012Hmong Today website goes offline

  The publication's website was reported to have gone offline, while institutional archives preserved parts of its print and online record.

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• 2008Wameng Moua receives recognition at the Ethnic and Community Media Awards

  Wameng Moua was honored in two categories at the Ethnic and Community Media Awards for his reporting.

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• 2004Hmong Today publishes its first issue

  The newspaper's first issue was published on January 1, 2004, following its founding by Wameng Moua and Sang Mouacheupao in 2003.

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1. Hmong Today
2. Hmong Today website archive