Rival parties celebrate Hmong New Year

Last year, about 120,000 people attended the weeklong event at the fairgrounds, and a similar number is expected this year, said Zang Her, vice president of the Hmong International New Year Inc.

At both celebrations, many people showed up in traditiona

l Hmong dress, and both events featured traditional Hmong games such as kator, a sport similar to volleyball in which the ball is kicked across a net.

Both had rows of vendors selling food, traditional herbs and DVDs.

But the fairgrounds celebration retained its traditional focus, welcoming people from around the world and opening with speeches by Hmong leaders.

Gen. Vang Pao, who commanded a CIA-trained force to fight communists in southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, made his traditional visit to the fairgrounds. Prince Ophat Nachanpasak, a member of the Lao royal family that was deposed in the mid-1970s, also spoke to the fairgrounds crowd during opening ceremonies.

Her said the fairgrounds event embraced tradition.

“Hmong around the world like to come because of the customs to show the younger generation,” he said.

The event at the regional sports complex in southwest Fresno had a more youthful flavor.

Organizers put together men’s and women’s sports tournaments, including soccer, volleyball and football, and well as a fishing tournament.

Hmong International New Year Inc. has organized the annual event at the Fresno Fairgrounds for years.

But United Hmong International organized the rival celebration when community members grew upset about how money from the fairgrounds event was handled. They said profits were misspent on trips abroad and not

on the community, such as on a Hmong community center.

In the mid-1990s, Levitra Without Prescriptionthere was a split between two Hmong groups stemming from a disagreement over how proceeds were being used. Foro levitra It also led to separate events, one in Fresno and one

in Hanford in 1995.

The next two years, dueling events were held at the Sunnyside Swap Meet and the Fresno Fairgrounds.

In 1998, the two groups resolved their differences and evolved to become the Hmong International New Year Foundation.

Each of this year’s events had its followers, although some said they hoped the two events would merge again.

Houa Moua, 23, of Fresno, said she attends the fairgrounds event every year.

She said two events could become too confusing.

“We should only have one event,” she said. “By doing two New Years, it will be hard for people who come to find friends or relatives.”

She said she will visit the sports complex event to see what it’s like, but added: “I am not going to take sides because we are all Hmong.”

David Yang, 23, of Sacramento was working for a food vendor at the fairgrounds Sunday. He said the crowd seemed a little smaller than in past years.

At the sports complex, vendor Kao Yang, who was selling traditional herbs, said there seemed to be fewer buyers but more people at the sports complex event.

Kao Yang’s husband was selling herbs at the fairgrounds, but she had not spoken with him to check on sales.

“I think this is more of the way people want [the event] to be,” she said. “The young people will like this better.”

With soccer and football games buzzing around him, Va Yang, 34, of Fresno, said the sports complex event had more appeal for him.

“There are more things to watch,” he said. “Over there, it’s just walking around the fairgrounds, eating and buying movies … there’s not as much entertainment as there is here.”
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