Hmong people have a history of organizing to build strong communities based on their history of displacement from different imperialist powers. They have responded to the challenges of navigating different forms of state governance by organizing structures of self-governance to collectively provide mutual assistance such as food and other resources to each other and to practice their cultural traditions. Hmong families or clans also organized community gatherings and formed community organizations to address community-based issues. While Hmong women are at the forefront of providing mutual assistance and practicing traditions, these efforts have been attributed to men as the decision-makers.

In the United States, Hmong Americans face structural challenges like other Asian American groups—as well as concerns similar to those of Black and Latinx communities. They face issues of poverty, employment, racism, and lack of access to education, health care, and social services. Domestic and gendered violence is also a prevalent issue. Hmong Americans have maintained some forms of collectivity and organized against challenges around the clan structure. However, during instances in which the clan structure fails to include women and LGBTQ+ individuals or is unable to effectively challenge institutional racism, the organizing efforts have been taken up by women- and queer-led groups.

This module focuses on organizing as a form of community building and knowledge formation. It shows how Hmong organize themselves to resist structural inequalities and focuses on their fight for self-determination in solidarity with other communities of color, revealing how Hmong American organizers work both transnationally and at a local level. Hmong American organizing is intergenerational, even though they are led by specific segments of Hmong communities.