Guest Storyteller: Mai Zong Vue
Storytellers from different cultures representing communities in Dane County will perform one hour programs at eight different library locations and entertain attendees by sharing their stories and traditions. Storytelling is the preservation of history and a vehicle for sharing wisdom, serving as a source of comfort while providing means of entertainment. Storytelling allows us to reflect on not only who we are but also upon whom we’ve been and what we can be, both as individuals and a collective humanity. It spans generations, exists across culture and is as old as humanity itself.
Mai Zong Vue is a Hmong folk story teller and folklore singer. She arrived in Wisconsin as a teenager and had been living in Madison since 1992. She will share stories of Hmong refugee resettlement experiences in the early 1980’s, assimilation stories of Hmong families in Wisconsin, and culture clash stories from her youthful days and family struggles. Mai Zong is a bridge builder using folk stories. The stories she tells will either make you laugh or cry because she chose a path in life that was not well-travelled on top of being a refugee. There will be time for question and discussion at the end, which the audience can ask questions and share their personal experiences of the Hmong resettlement in Wisconsin or America.
