Hmong Refugees in the U.S.: Origins & Resettlement

The Hmong are an ethnic group originating in China's mountainous southwest (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan). Their path to the U.S. runs through Laos and Thailand:

Journey

1. 1800s–1950s: Migration from China → Laos (Xieng Khouang, Luang Prabang) seeking autonomy.
2. 1960s–1975: CIA recruits Hmong for "Secret War" in Laos against Pathet Lao/North Vietnamese. ~30,000 Hmong soldiers; tens of thousands more displaced.
3. 1975: Pathet Lao victory; Hmong targeted for retaliation. Mass exodus to Thailand.
4. 1975–1990s: Refugee camps in Thailand (Ban Vinai, Chiang Kham, others). ~130,000 Hmong resettled abroad.
5. 1975–present: U.S. resettlement (largest share), plus France, Australia, Canada, French Guiana.

U.S. Settlement

• Minnesota — Twin Cities: largest Hmong population (~90,000)
• California — Fresno, Sacramento, Merced: ~80,000
• Wisconsin — Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Green Bay: ~55,000
• North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, Georgia — growing communities

Total U.S. Hmong population: ~330,000 (2020 Census). Median age: 23. High military service rate; strong clan/family networks.