Ma Manee Moua
First Hmong American Assistant
Attorney General
By Ka Bao Lee
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just did it. I didn't even think twice about it." She further explained that she knew her parents needed help and it was her job
to assist. If she wasn't able to help out, one of her older siblings stepped in. The Moua children just accepted the
responsibilities of helping the family.
Moua's positive attitude allowed her to seize the opportunities presented to her. In high school, Moua interned at the
Minnesota Attorney General Office. This internship exposed her to the legal system, as she watched attorneys do their job on
a daily basis and see how the court systems worked. During her time there, she saw that there were no Hmong attorneys.
"Growing up and being from an immigrant family, I saw some of the struggles and some of the issues due to the cultural
and linguistic barriers between the Hmong culture and American culture and how that became a conflict within the legal
system," Moua said. Knowing that cultural and linguistic barriers existed, coupled with the fact that there was none or very
few Hmong attorneys to help the Hmong community better understand the legal system, Moua decided to pursue a legal
career. She wanted to understand the legal system so that she could act as a bridge between the Hmong and American
communities, while advocating for the under-represented. "I want to make sure Hmong people are represented and have a
voice in the system and that they understand the system," Moua said.
However, the road to pursuing a legal career was not a simple one for Moua. She lacked professional and career-oriented
role models in the Hmong community to help guide her through the process. Moua said that one of the most difficult things
about entering a profession that lacked Hmong people was finding a Hmong mentor to give advice along the way.
Nevertheless, she reached outside the Hmong community and found great mentors in her professors, counselors, and
other attorneys who provided her with the support and guidance she needed to reach her goals.
Working in the legal profession where there are few Hmong attorneys can be culturally isolating at times. Moua
remembers being the only Hmong student at the University of Wisconsin Law School in her class of about 300 students.
She found herself as the only Hmong employee with her past and present employers. But she has learned to work and
become friends with a variety of people from different backgrounds and walks of life. These friendships have helped her to
feel less culturally isolated as she finds that people from different cultural backgrounds have more commonalities than
differences.
Moua also took it upon herself to held educate the non-Hmong community about her culture. She is not hesitant to speak
up when misconceptions about the Hmong community are raised. She believes that people tend to misunderstand each
other when they don't know about one another. However, through education, communication, and awareness, people may
realize how similar they are to each other rather than different. In law school, she spearheaded an event to inform and recruit
more Hmong students to enter the legal profession. Although she was the only Hmong student, many of her American
peers helped her to organize and promote the special event for Hmong students.
Support for Moua did not only come from outsiders, but Moua's family was also very supportive of her education and career
choice. Moua received a degree in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She graduated from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison Law School with her Juris Doctor. After law school, Moua worked for a private law firm. However, she
was always passionate about civil rights and wanted the opportunity to handle civil rights cases. The opportunity for her to do
so arose when the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice had an opening for an assistant attorney general position. She
applied for the job, was interviewed and hired. Today, she works in the Civil Litigation Unit at the State of Wisconsin -
Department of Justice handling a variety of legal issues, including civil rights.
Although Moua has achieved what she has set out to do, so far, there are still issues that she must confront. Some of
these issues are embedded in her Hmong culture while others are the same issues that anyone in her legal profession
may encounter. For instance, the Hmong culture is a traditionally male-dominant culture. As a Hmong woman, sometimes
the Hmong community may not perceive her as a leader because she is female. Moua is not offended because she
understands the history behind this mindset and does not feel the need to prove herself to anyone. She will assist if she is
asked and able to do so. But if her assistance is not requested, she does not take it personally.
Another problem that Moua encounters has nothing to do with her culture, rather her age. As a younger attorney,
sometimes older attorneys do not respect her as much because she has fewer years of legal experience. This is also not a
big issue for Moua. She explains that as a younger attorney she has energy to work twice as hard, read, and learn as much
as possible so when the time comes she'll be just as prepared to handle her work diligently. Moua explains that there's
really nothing she can do about her age. Over time as she gets older, gains more experience, and establishes herself,
everything else will fall into place.
Moua has gained the respect of many young Hmong girls who dream to become self-sufficient, independent, and
successful. Moua's advice to the younger generation is "Enjoy life. Remember who you are. Enjoy the process and have a
plan."
Ma Manee Moua
Ma Manee Moua is the first, and as of today, the only Hmong American Assistant
Attorney General (AAG) employed at the State of Wisconsin - Department of
Justice. In fact, Moua is the first Hmong American to hold the position of assistant
attorney general with any state Department of Justice in this country. However,
Moua's quest to be where she is today did not come without hard work,
perseverance, and dedication.
Moua, like so many first generation Hmong Americans, came to the United
States when she was only a child. And like others, Moua's memories of Laos are
almost non-existent. However, her memories of growing up in the United States
and why she pursued a law career are very clear. The Moua family arrived in the
Twin Cities in Minnesota in 1980 not knowing what to expect. Moua's parents,
who did not know any English, quickly came to rely on the limited English learned
at school by their young children. Moua recalls translating mail to her parents and
being the translator during parent/teacher conferences. Though many would
describe these experiences as odd, Moua saw it as her responsibility. Moua
said, "I