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FAQ
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Frequently Ask Questions:
| Top 10 questions that we generally receive from
users. |
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1. What does Hnub
Tshiab mean? And how do you pronounce it?
How come it is also called HWAT?
Answer:
Hnub Tshiab is the Hmong
word for "new day". It
is pronounced "noo chia".
The reason why there are
two names, both English
and Hmong is that it is
a bi-cultural,
bi-lingual organization
that seeks to serve the
Hmong community. There
are often words that do
not translate well. HWAT
stands for Hmong Women
Achieving Together and
is shortened version of
the organization's name.
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2.
Do
you serve Hmong men and boys, too? And if not,
why not?
Answer:
We do serve Hmong men and
boys, too. Our mission is to improve the lives
of Hmong woman and girls, but we recognize
that if we want to create social,
institutional, and cultural change to improve
the lives of Hmong women and girls, that
everyone must do this together. Gender
dynamics that exist are invisible, imbedded in
the culture, and we have discovered that this
harms boys as much as it harms girls.
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3.
I have heard that Hmong girls are doing
better than Hmong boys these days. Why are
you not focusing on this?
Answer:
There are many
organizations that serve
Hmong boys. The reason
why Hnub Tshiab was
founded was because even
though it may appear
that Hmong girls are
doing better, they
really are not. In a
recent survey of 187
Hmong women who are in
the working word and
have access to
technology, we
discovered that well
over 50% had actually
experienced some type of
emotional or physical
abuse.
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4.
I do not feel like men and women are treated
differently. And even if they are, it is for a
purpose, isn't it?
Answer:
Your perceptions of gender
as lived and experienced by
you is never wrong. The
question is whether or not
you can the ability and
power to shape our own
destiny and life. Do others
support you in pursuing your
dreams of who you would like
to be? The reason why
Hnub Tshiab exists is because there are many
girls and women who still are discouraged and
not supported in achieving their highest
potential.
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5. What type of programs do you have?
Answer:
There are four program
areas: research, equity
programs, leadership, and
coalition building. For more
information about each of
these areas, click the
programs tab.
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6. There seem to be many organizations that
serve the Hmong community, why is there a need
for this one?
Answer:
We are the only organization that serves Hmong
women and focuses on social, cultural, and
institutional change. Other organizations tend
to be direct services oriented, and serving a
deeper end population. We are interested in
strengthening the community through our work
with capacity-building activities oriented
towards long-term sustainable change and
building on the assets that Hmong woman and
girls already have. This is why our leadership
programming is very important. Hnub Tshiab
existed for nine years as a volunteer group
before incorporating and only did so after an
extensive review of community groups.
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7. How is Hnub Tshiab funded?
Answer:
Hnub Tshiab is funded with
dollars from private
foundations, donations from
individual supporters, and
fees from different events.
Occasionally, we seek
corporate sponsorships.
However, we are heavily
volunteer-driven. Most of
our activities are carried
out by individuals who
believe in our mission and
have benefitted from our
work in their own lives. We
are also working to build a
$3 million dollar endowment
for the organization so that
even 100 years from now, our
great grandchildren will
reap the benefits of our
work.
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8. How can I get involved?
Answer:
If you
would like to get involved,
call our phone number or
send us an email and we will
get you on our list of
supporters to be notified of
our future activities. There
is a lot of work to be done,
and we can use all the help
that we can get.
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9. I have heard that Hnub Tshiab is a radical
feminist organization, and my relatives or
spouse think that I should stay away from
activities. What suggestions do you have for
me?
Answer:
Hnub Tshiab has guiding
principles and values that all Board members
and volunteers are familiar with for the sake
of clarity. We suggest that you get to know
these and have a discussion about what these
mean for you and your family. Over the years,
Hnub Tshiab has aligned itself with other
feminist organizations such as the Minnesota
Women's Consortium, the Hmong Women's
Professional Networking Association, and the
National Gender and Equity Campaign. There are
many forms of feminism, and while we do not
prescribe to any particular theory, we believe
that gender (male and female) is a powerful
force in shaping all of us. The better we
understand and can influence how gender shapes
all of our lives, the more informed and better
able we are to access the power that comes
along with each of these roles in being
intentional about how we live our lives and
treat others.
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10. I am not Hmong, but I am married to
someone who is Hmong. Or, conversely, I am
Hmong and my spouse is not. Does this
organization serve us?
Answer:
Hnub Tshiab recognizes the
growing diversity of
individuals of Hmong
descent. Hnub Tshiab
welcomes people of all
different backgrounds to
work with us and to benefit
from our knowledge. Our
program area related to
coalition building is aimed
at developing and increasing
the network of supporters
and allies who can help us
improve the community for
Hmong women and girls.
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Additional Resources:
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Below are links to a few
websites that maybe helpful.
These are just suggestions. |
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Checkout out our facebook. |
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Support us, by clicking the logo below. |
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Every click makes a difference. |
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Read what everyone is saying about us. |
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