Hmongtown Marketplace has been an important destination for the more than 100,000 Hmong people in the Twin Cities. As a central meeting place, it has served to preserve tradition and foster community. It’s founder, Toua Xiong, a refugee himself, created this market space from the ground up.
He’s been able to persevere because for Toua, the challenges of building a business pale in comparison to some of the challenges he’s been through. After he made is safely to Minnesota, he had a vision to not only to create a space that Hmong people could call home, but also a marketplace where first generation shop owners could start a livelihood and thrive.
Now is a pivotal time for the marketplace, as many shop owners are thinking about passing down their businesses to the second generation. There’s a desire to reach out and invite in a broader community to learn and celebrate this culture and help preserve its legacy.
So Alight decided to bring 30 guests to come and experience the story, tasty fare, and culture of the Hmongtown Marketplace!
Guests were able to ‘Do the Doable’ as they spent time learning about this iconic culture of the Twin Cities but also patronizing the local vendors that help make Hmongtown Marketplace such a powerful community presence.
