Hmong Australia Festival is officially opened started on the o9th June 2018 from 6pm until midnight.
This festival began with honoring the owners of the land (Australia), welcomed honored guests either local governments and federal level or Victoria Multicultural Commission (VMC) and Cultural And Language Diverse (CALD) communities to join Hmong community members in this festival.
Then It followed by singing Australian National Anthem, giving speech and cultural performances from Australian multicultural communities.
Hmong Australia Festival president Pacai Xiong has given an opening speech welcoming honor guests and elaborating the reasons why there is this festival and thanks to VMC and business partners or organizations's donation and funds that making this festival possible.
Mr. Xiong said that this festival is to make Hmong community known to other Australian multicultural communities and to preserve Hmong culture, language and identity as well as be a part of the Australian multicultural fabric. This organization is a non-government organization and it is setting up for Hmong community. So I want Hmong to join and support this function and be part of it. As we live in Australia, we need also to integrate with other communities.
After that Carly Moore, Deputy Mayor of Hume City Council said that she is thrilled to participate with Hmong Australia Festival function for the first time.
Carly Moore, Deputy Mayor or Hume City Council-SBS Source: SBS
Hume is growing very very quickly, so there is a lot of opportunities for council to provide services to people with diverse background, we are very multicultural communities, so there are lots of opportunities for council to connect with all different cultures and do our very best to provide services that everybody needs. I think that English is a very important skills for everybody living in Australia to have, but I think that migrants have got a lot to offer, I would like them to contribute to our communities, but I also like to support them in any way that we can, said Ms Moore.
Tsebin Tchen, the former first Australian Chinese elected to Australian Senate with the Liberal Party and former Victoria Commissioner said that Victoria Multicultural Commission (VMC) has been set up by the Victorian government over the past two decades and it is still carrying on today.
Tsebin Tchen, former Liberal Party MP elected to Australian Senate and former Victoria Multicultural Commissiner-SBS Source: SBS
VMC is set up by the Victorian government as a bridge to connect all the multicultural communities and the government, so that we can help communicate the needs and desire of the cultural communities by acknowledging the problems and also communicate back the government policies of multicultural affairs to the communities. Every Victorian government is committed to continue the work of VMC which means every Victorian is equaled and honored for their contribution and we also expect everyone to be proud of their culture as well. I am delighted to be here tonight with Hmong community not only to showcase their culture but also the participation from other communities to involve and demonstrate their culture as well, and this remarkable achievement of your part and the commitment of your part towards Victoria vibrant and inclusive communities. I hope you can continue this work year after year.
After the opening ceremony and welcoming guest was done, there are many different performance groups from different communities to entertain those who attend Hmong Australia Festival 45 years event.
Rare Diamond is a Hmong community dancing group which also offer a dancing performance where Hmong young girls dress in Hmong traditional costumes. You can watch the video clip here:
Indian dance performance team leader from Melbourne Indian community also performed a traditional dance and one of the team member said that "the love and affection that we've got here is overwhelming and we feel the love around here and I hope we can put a good show and you all will entertain for the night. It is a fusion performance of Indian Contemporary and Bharatnatyam dance forms and one of the very traditional dance form of Natri."
You can watch the performance here:
Tou Saiko Lee, a Hmong US Hip-Hop and Hmong Rappers who utilizing music to showcase Hmong cultural identity, Hmong traditional wisdom in telling spoken word poetry (kwv txhiaj), show leadership in Hmong community, use it as a bridge to connect inter-generation especially with his grandmother, his aunt and his Hmong fellow musician to send the message through song to Hmong community worldwide about who are the Hmong, Hmong identity, Hmong past and future.
You can listen to the full song that SBS Broadcasted which has been sort out by Tou Saiko Lee here:
Vietnamese team did the Nola traditional dance and Vietnamese melody in Japanese kimono.
Fillipino's the Advance League of People's Artist Inc also deliver the "Solidarity Song" at Hmong Australia Festival.
Fillipino's Advance League of Artist Inc performed "Solidarity song" at Hmong Australia Festival 2018-SBS Source: SBS
We can see that though Hmong Australia Festival Inc is the host who organised this festival but it is not just for this particular community but there are different Victorian multicultural communities also join to show case their cultural identity and hopefully creating an understanding and harmony society as a fabric of Australian multiculturalism.
Please note: All video clips in this story is published with the permission from parent and the concerned parties.
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