Hmong-Owned Businesses in Minnesota

Hmong refugees began resettling in Minnesota in the mid-to-late 1970s, in the years following the end of U.S. involvement in Laos, sponsored largely by local churches and resettlement agencies. Minnesota's Hmong population grew from that initial wave and from secondary migration — families who first resettled in other states relocating to join relatives and an established community.

St. Paul in particular became a center of Hmong civic and economic life: the city's East Side and Frogtown neighborhoods hold a dense concentration of Hmong-owned businesses, and shopping centers like Hmongtown Marketplace and Hmong Village function as commercial and cultural hubs, not just retail space. Minnesota's Hmong community has also built significant political representation, with Hmong American elected officials serving at the city, state, and federal level.

The Hmong New Year celebration — traditionally held around Thanksgiving weekend — draws large gatherings in the Twin Cities each year, and Hmong-owned restaurants, grocers, and service businesses across the metro reflect a community that's been putting down roots here for two generations.