In May 2019, Dr. Song Lee, associate professor of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation, traveled to South China Normal University in Guangzhou, China to attend a conference.

She presented to a room full of educators on the “Ethnic Identity of Hmong Youths in the United States." Little did she know that her academic presentation would turn into a journey throughout China, tracing her own Hmong roots.

The following is an excerpt from a Kremen School News blog post written by Lee about her experience:

Traveling the villages of China

After the conference ended, I traveled for two weeks with six other Hmong professors, all from different countries: U.S., Thailand, China and Australia.

Our travels started at a museum in Kaili City, showcasing embroideries, musical instruments and farming tools. I was delighted to see how similar these museum items were to my Hmong people. We then visited a Hmong village and caught a glimpse of the funeral of a local teacher, which brought tears to my eyes. I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being in the land of my ancestors and realizing the odds and honor of our group of Hmong professors to be greeted by the passing of a Miao/Hmong educator.

Over the next few days, we traveled to Xijiang and visited one of the most majestic Miao villages. As we reached our hotel and entered the courtyard, we were greeted with music of the qeej (a Hmong pipe), drums, and women and men dressed in Miao clothing.

Visit Kremen School News to read more.