About US
The Center for Mien Advancement (CMA) is dedicated to improving the lives of Mien people and supporting the long-term progress of the Mien community. Our mission is to support, empower, and provide high-quality programs and services to Mien communities in the United States and, when possible, in other parts of the world.
Educational Advancement
We seek to support Mien students, educators, and scholars through scholarship opportunities, educational programs, and academic initiatives. CMA also hosts Mien academic conferences and educational events to provide both Mien and Janx (“non-Mien”) opportunities to learn about Mien history, language, culture, and lived experiences.
Social and Cultural Advancement
Recognizing both the progress and ongoing challenges facing the Mien community, a group of concerned Mien professionals came together to establish The Center for Mien Advancement. We strive to develop programs that promote educational, economic, social, and political advancement for Mien people in the United States and abroad.
Our hope is that all Mien people will have the opportunity to achieve success and reach their fullest potential both as individuals and as members of a transnational indigenous community.
We are committed to preserving and advancing Mien culture through education, research, publications, museum-style exhibits, conferences, and cultural events.
Language Preservation and Research
The Mien language has traditionally been maintained through oral transmission, which has contributed to regional variation and communication challenges among different Mien communities. As Mien groups migrated across different countries and regions, they adopted and adapted surrounding languages, creating additional linguistic diversity within the Mien world.
CMA supports the continued use and development of the unified Mien Roman script as a means of preserving and strengthening the Mien language. We also support linguistic research and language development efforts to improve understanding of the Mien language and to refine Mien orthography when necessary.
Economic Advancement
We seek to share knowledge and information about educational and economic opportunities with members of the Mien community. CMA encourages Mien youth and adults to pursue higher education, professional careers, entrepreneurship, and leadership opportunities to strengthen the economic well-being of Mien families and communities.
Media and Video Production
In the age of social media and digital communication, CMA believes that media production plays an important role in community education and cultural preservation. We produce short educational videos, interviews, and documentary-style media projects to educate both Mien and Janx audiences about Mien history, migration, culture, identity, and contemporary experiences.
Our Story
Our Story: Without a country of our own, Mien diaspora has placed us in many countries leaving us with our ethnicity as the only unifying voice. We recognize that Mien, being isolated in the remote mountains for centuries, lacked access to the modern world and opportunities to achieve educational, social, economic, and political progress until recently. Due to our military participation in support of America’s Central Intelligence Agency’s operations in Laos during the Secret War in Laos, we became refugees and were granted admission to the United States, Canada, and France through humanitarian immigration policies. We have made much progress, particularly for those Mien in the western countries. Whereas our parents had never had any opportunity to attend formal schools, our children today are all attending school and are achieving great academic successes receiving not only high school diplomas but graduate degrees in multiple disciplines. Whereas our parents could not afford bicycles in Laos, most families own homes, multipole vehicles, and even boats and vacation home. Whereas our ancestors lived in isolation being treated as second class citizens, we are now able to exercise self-determination to chart the course of our own social progress to build ethnic pride and promote awareness of our ethnicity. Despite all that we have achieved, our progress is limited and relatively modest compared to the general population of the host country.
Understanding our progress and challenges, a group of concerned Mien professionals have come together to launch The Center for Mien Advancement to develop programs to support the advancement of Mien people in the United States and abroad. We strive to promote and support Mien people in education, economic, social, and political advancements. It is our hope and dream that all Mien will gain the opportunity to achieve success and reach their life potential as individual and ethnic success as a transnational indigenous people.
Our Team
The Center for Mien Advancement is powered by a diverse group of Mien professionals, educators, scholars, and community advocates who share a common vision: to uplift the Mien people globally. Our leadership and board members bring a deep understanding of our community’s history, challenges, and opportunities. Each member of our team is committed to serving with integrity, cultural awareness, and purpose.
Together, we develop strategies, lead initiatives, and ensure that every program we run reflects the values and needs of our people.
