Celebrating Hmong American Experiences Through Illustration An interview with Duachaka Her INTERVIEW BY BRENDA TRAN
DUACHAKA HER is a Hmong American cartoonist and illustrator. Her love for drawing and storytelling started at a young age from watching animated cartoon shows to reading comic books at the library and bookstore. As a child of Hmong immigrants, she struggled with the balance between being Hmong and American. These difficulties led her to become fond of her culture and create works about her experiences growing up. Duachaka graduated from the University of Wisconsin — Stout with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Entertainment Design and concentration in Comics and Sequential Art. She is the creator of graphic novels The Collection and Then and Now. She also illustrates picture books and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Today she resides in Wisconsin and enjoys reading and watching movies in her spare time.
Above: A scene from childhood. Every year my mother would dress me up in a pair of newly sewn Hmong clothes to attend the local Hmong New Year.
In our conversation, Duachaka talks about her journey as a cartoonist and illustrator, her mission to celebrate Hmong American narratives through her work, and the importance of representation, among other things.
Right: Sisters Duab and Muaj from The Collection dancing to their favorite songs.
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