A night at Kajsiab House
Saving a Hmong community resource
Saving a Hmong community resource
By Laura Salinger
Hmong elders and youth, community members, and notable Madison area leaders gathered for the
fundraiser “A Night at Kajsiab House” on May 21 to show support for the program and celebrate its many
successes. Hmong story quilts hung from the walls while Hmong music played over the loudspeakers.
Dinner was served, Hmong performers took to the stage, and Madison area leaders Dane County Executive
Kathleen Falk and Mental Health Center of Dane County Executive Director Bill Greer spoke to the crowd
about Kajsiab House.
The night, although celebratory, was paradoxically bittersweet. Kajsiab House has long served the
Hmong community’s most fragile members and yet, like many social services, its funds are drying up.
“This year, we lost $100,000 from the state,” program manager Doua Vang says. He hopes that “A Night at
Kajsiab House” will bring visibility to the program. “Tonight, we want to publicize the program to the
community.”
Kajsiab House has somewhat flown under the radar in Madison. That is because program leaders want
to deal considerately with the sometimes-struggling community members they serve, many who face
sensitive mental health issues.
Kajsiab House participants are Hmong-American veterans, widows of veterans, and adults who have
suffered severe health problems because of their services and sacrifices in America’s “Secret War” in
Laos from 1961-1975. According to Kajsiab House, a high percentage of these elders suffer health problems
including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and chronic pain. Some also continue to
struggle with assimilation into American society, facing language, cultural, and transportation barriers.
Vang says that for many Hmong elders, Kajsiab House has served as a light in the darkness. Participant
testimonials vouch for the program, dubbing Kajsiab House a safe haven.
“When I first came [to the U.S.] I was depressed and full of worries,” an 88-year-old female participant
asserts. “My world was so small and my day was so long.” That, however, was before she found Kajsiab
House. The participant went on to laud the program and extol its positive impact on her life.
Former Madison school board member Bill Keys, a long-time Kajsiab House volunteer, said he will continue
to support the program.
“It is a fantastic service that the community offers for people that have served our country in the Secret
War and were victimized because of that,” Keys says. “Kajsiab House provides them a place to be and to
learn about the new country they live in.”
Kajsiab (Ga shee’ ah) means the relief of stress and tension from worrying about the safety of loved
ones. A program of the Mental Health Center of Dane County, Kajsiab House was founded in 2000 with the
goal of increasing accessibility and acceptability of mental health services for Dane County’s Southeast
Asian population. At the core of programming is the belief that Hmong culture and traditions must be
interwoven with programming in order to create a safe and expressive environment. Another program goal
is to help Hmong elders live successfully in a new society.
Hmong elders and youth, community members, and notable Madison area leaders gathered for the
fundraiser “A Night at Kajsiab House” on May 21 to show support for the program and celebrate its many
successes. Hmong story quilts hung from the walls while Hmong music played over the loudspeakers.
Dinner was served, Hmong performers took to the stage, and Madison area leaders Dane County Executive
Kathleen Falk and Mental Health Center of Dane County Executive Director Bill Greer spoke to the crowd
about Kajsiab House.
The night, although celebratory, was paradoxically bittersweet. Kajsiab House has long served the
Hmong community’s most fragile members and yet, like many social services, its funds are drying up.
“This year, we lost $100,000 from the state,” program manager Doua Vang says. He hopes that “A Night at
Kajsiab House” will bring visibility to the program. “Tonight, we want to publicize the program to the
community.”
Kajsiab House has somewhat flown under the radar in Madison. That is because program leaders want
to deal considerately with the sometimes-struggling community members they serve, many who face
sensitive mental health issues.
Kajsiab House participants are Hmong-American veterans, widows of veterans, and adults who have
suffered severe health problems because of their services and sacrifices in America’s “Secret War” in
Laos from 1961-1975. According to Kajsiab House, a high percentage of these elders suffer health problems
including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and chronic pain. Some also continue to
struggle with assimilation into American society, facing language, cultural, and transportation barriers.
Vang says that for many Hmong elders, Kajsiab House has served as a light in the darkness. Participant
testimonials vouch for the program, dubbing Kajsiab House a safe haven.
“When I first came [to the U.S.] I was depressed and full of worries,” an 88-year-old female participant
asserts. “My world was so small and my day was so long.” That, however, was before she found Kajsiab
House. The participant went on to laud the program and extol its positive impact on her life.
Former Madison school board member Bill Keys, a long-time Kajsiab House volunteer, said he will continue
to support the program.
“It is a fantastic service that the community offers for people that have served our country in the Secret
War and were victimized because of that,” Keys says. “Kajsiab House provides them a place to be and to
learn about the new country they live in.”
Kajsiab (Ga shee’ ah) means the relief of stress and tension from worrying about the safety of loved
ones. A program of the Mental Health Center of Dane County, Kajsiab House was founded in 2000 with the
goal of increasing accessibility and acceptability of mental health services for Dane County’s Southeast
Asian population. At the core of programming is the belief that Hmong culture and traditions must be
interwoven with programming in order to create a safe and expressive environment. Another program goal
is to help Hmong elders live successfully in a new society.
| (Clockwise from top right) Hmong quilted throw pillows for sale; Bill Keys, long-time volunteer and supporter of Kajsiab House; elder women; a group of Hmong elders; A woman sells Hmong crafts at the fund-raiser to raise money for Kajsiab House. |
