50 years ago, Eau Claire welcomed its first Hmong refugee family. The Moua family, sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church, arrived at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in the brisk early spring of 1976 with all their belongings tucked under their arms. Their arrival was the result of the United States’ role in the The Secret War.

Today, some 3,000 Hmong people call Eau Claire home. They are the second largest ethnic population in the county, following caucasians — and are educators, farmers, lawyers, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs; our neighbors.

A Half Century Home: 50 Years of Hmong Resettlement in Eau Claire shares the sorrow, joy, challenge and opportunity that is woven into our Hmong community’s lived experiences. This film, produced by Volume One, offers an honest, multigenerational look at our neighbors’ journey through personal, one-on-one interviews, historic video and photography, local event footage and more. This story has never been told before. Not in this way.

This project could not have been made without the incredible support of the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association and select local sponsors: Northwestern Bank, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Deborah Becker Insurance, Chippewa Valley Technical College and Royal Credit Union.