Hmong Village Market
St. Paul, Minnesota is home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the country! One place that holds a large amount of their culture is known as Hmong Village, a market that contains a wide variety of foods, clothing, items, and more. I took a trip to experience it for myself this month and WOW is a perfect way to sum up my thoughts!
I first walked through the section containing the restaurants/food that is ready to eat. Although I did not purchase food from this area, it smelled amazing. It was a busy day, I went on a Saturday, so there were some lines but they appeared to be moving quickly. Everyone was conversing with each other and there appeared to be a well-known flow to the movement in this area.
Next, I ventured to the sections that contained homemade, traditional Hmong clothing. The colors and patterns were beautiful and knowing of the cultural significance behind them made the experience even better. I found a small shop that wasn't too busy and began browsing through the options. The owner, a kind older woman, was very kind and shared with me the process of making the traditional garments worn within their culture. We discussed her life pre-moving to America and how happy she was to find an area that provided her with a sense of home (referring to Hmong Village & other areas of St. Paul). She added that having other Hmong individuals around the area made the transition easier to make. Below is an image of some traditional garments found at the market.
Last, I walked over to the farmers market/grocery section. This was easily my favorite area! There were many foods that I had not tried before that I was excited to learn more about. I found a stand that sold fruit and asked the merchant some questions. After hearing the descriptions of them, I opted to buy some Lychee. I had already had these before, but these were much fresher than any I had tried in the past! Below is an image from the grocery area of the market.
It was a wonderful experience to see all of the small businesses thrive and everyone interacts as if they were all family. I felt out of place due to not knowing what things were or how to properly order things, but I found helpful people who were willing to help me gather enough information to leave with a successful purchase!