In many Hmong families, love is understood through quiet rituals of care.

“We don’t typically say ‘I love you,’” said Minnesota-based artist Melody Her. “But it’s there through the ways we feed one another, the way that we share time with each other and the way that we welcome one another into our homes.”

This weekend, artists across the Twin Cities are exploring the many ways love can be expressed — from an intergenerational Hmong family learning to heal in Theater Mu’s latest play to a celebration of 70 cultures at the St. Paul RiverCentre. 

A Hmong family across generations

Three generations of Hmong women will take the stage this weekend for “HMong Futures: The Future of Us,” a Theater Mu production by playwright Katie Ka Vang. 

In the play, set on a farm in northern Minnesota, Fhoua (played by Nancy Ma) returns home after five years of absence, to her mother, Zong (Sharon Omi), who has spent her life in survival mode. Fhoua’s 16-year-old daughter Maly (Melody Her) becomes a bridge between her mother’s estrangement and her grandmother’s stoicism. 

“I strongly relate to Maly in the sense that she’s a helper and tries to put others before herself,” Her said. “She puts her foot forward a lot more than I would. She’s very strong in that way. She’s kind of like a mother to Fhoua, which is ironic because she’s only 16. She’s an only child and they basically grew up with one another.” 

When they arrive, Maly brings with her the language she learned from a nonviolence communication retreat — New Age jargon that is, in Zong’s ears, “absolute nonsense,” Omi said. And yet, those words seep into Zong’s consciousness, allowing her to recall and share her own history. 

“The sad, painful periods in her life that she tries so hard to keep buried turn out to be the gifts that help her daughter [Fhoua] understand her own pain,” Omi said. 

The play arrives in the wake of heightened immigration enforcement in Minnesota that has directly impacted Hmong families like Fhoua’s. 

“It’s empowering to have the opportunity to tell the story of Hmong people, our pride in our culture and what connects us to one another,” Her said. “But on the flip side, it can be really difficult as an artist to carry that responsibility, especially when folks in the company [Theater Mu] have very personal stories and experiences with  [Operation Metro Surge].”

“Whether you were in the Twin Cities when it happened or not, it has affected all of us,” Ma added. “[The author] bell hooks talks about how justice is just truth-telling, and part of this play is truth-telling.”

Inside St. Paul’s Gremlin Theatre, “HMong Futures” becomes a portrait of three Hmong women breaking generational cycles and learning a new language for healing.

“Communication looks different depending on which generation you’re in,” Ma said. “But that doesn’t mean change is impossible and the gaps between us can’t close. I hope audiences feel that, wherever they land in the spectrum of communication, there’s possibility for change and growth.” 

70 cultures under one roof

The International Festival of Minnesota is imagining what multicultural belonging looks like with two days of visual art displays, food and live music from Minnesota’s communities of color. Across three stages at the St. Paul RiverCentre, local troupes will highlight African, Latin and Asian dance traditions. 

The festival will also feature multicultural art and fashion demonstrations — from Chinese calligraphy and Senegalese pottery to kimono dressing and saree draping. 

Metro Transit is offering free rides to the festival. You can download a pass here. Be sure to stop by our Sahan Journal table. 

Music from the African diaspora

Four Twin Cities-based artists will bring hip-hop, rap, highlife and R&B to “Afromatic,” a live show at the Cedar on Saturday. 

The concert lineup features artist and activist Brandyn Lee Tulloch with his ensemble Poetic Roots; Afrobeats and highlife artist Osa Deraé; Kenyan singer-songwriter Le Ru; and Ghanaian rapper YG Solo.

The radical poetry of Kabir

Six centuries ago, a weaver named Kabir used poetry to dismantle rigid religious beliefs and unite Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities in India. 

This weekend, Pangea World Theater brings his message to the Twin Cities with “The Mind Has a Hundred Thousand Gates” by playwright Meena Natarajan. The show features classical music, dance and live poetry addressing recent ICE actions in Minnesota. 

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