'Iu Mien at Peralta Hacienda' Exhibit Opening December 12, 2009

Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is proud to present our most recent exhibit: Iu Mien at Peralta Hacienda. Since 2003, a group of Mien women have found footing in the historic park's community garden space. After fleeing their homelands in the mountains of Laos, living as refugees for many years, and finally, immigrating to the United States, this garden has become a place for cultivating traditions and creating understanding in the diverse neighborhood of Fruitvale.

In the exhibit, you can read the women's own words, telling about their lives and traditions, and see them sharing their culture and arts with youth at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park. As they garden, cook, and embroider, they communicate a sense of who they are, and their history and culture, to children of many cultures.

Along with the exhibit opening, five short, original, autobiographical films will be screened, with Mien voiceover and English subtitles. The Mien women featured in the exhibit will also be present, selling their embroidered crafts.

Free entry to this new exhibit is our holiday gift to you, and beautiful Mien embroideries will make great last-minute gifts for your loved ones!

Official Website: http://www.peraltahacienda.org