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A Brief Look at the Hmongby KaShia Moua
December 6, 2011
Origins of the Hmong
Scholars, anthropologists and linguistic experts have studied the Hmong but they do not agree as to their origins.
The most recent ancestry can be traced to China.
Within China’s diverse ethnic population, the Hmong are known as Miao.
There is no Hmongland
Hmong in China Hmong live
primarily in Guizhou & Yunnan provinces (red stars)
Origins near Huang (Yellow River; see arrow)
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_china/china_pol196.jpg
Historical Timeline
200 B.C. – 1810 A.D -The Hmong occupied the Yellow River region of China and survived the many dynasties that ruled China
But things change… The Qing Dynasty aka Manchu
Dynasty (1644-1912)
The Dynasty reached its peak in the 18th century
Territory & population increases
Chinese culture gets integrated
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How did Chinese and
Hmong culture
CLASH?
Chopsticks
Spoons LANGUAGE
RELIGIONEither assimilate to
Chinese culture or……be killed
or
…get out
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Thousands are killed… Millions Flee China1790-1860
Hmong flee persecution in ChinaMillions fled to Southeast Asia
(Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand)
Hmong in Laos
1860-1960: The Hmong maintained relative peace in the highlands of Laos
Living in Laos
Farming in Laos Cooking in Laos
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Playing in LaosPeace ends,War begins.
Leading up to the Vietnam War…
1946: The beginning of the Cold War; Viet Minh establishes presence in Eastern Laos in Hmong territory
1953: Viet Minh invades Hmong homelands in northern Laos
1963-1975The U.S. Secret Army in Laos
& the Vietnam War
Hmong in CIA’s Secret War in Laos 1963-1975 Late 1950s: “Mr. Pop”
Edgar Buell, linked to U.S. Information Office, worked with Hmong in Laos
1961: CIA rep. Colonel Bill Lair met with Vang Pao, leader of the Hmong army in Laos
Initiation of secret cooperation between Hmong and CIA in Laos“Mr. Pop” Edgar Buell
Hmong National Development
A “Secret War” Hmong soldiers were recruited under the
direction of General Vang Pao, a general under the Laotian Army, to fight in the “Secret War”
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the promise…
What happens to Hmong men?
Hmong boys as young as 8 years old are recruited to fight
Hmong soldiers are trained to fly planes
Hmong soldiers rescue American pilots/planes that are shot down in Laos
Hmong soldiers guard supply trails
What happens to Hmong families?
Families are separated & displaced
Families lose their grandfathers, fathers, husbands, brothers and sons
Families live on foot, traveling to different locations on a daily, weekly basis
Babies and children die of starvation or drug over doses
What happens in 1975?
U.S. pulls out of the war & returns to the U.S.
Hmong are left behind & are viewed as traitors
Hmong are hunted & killed
What happens after the Vietnam War?
Hmong in Laos crossed the Mekong River and fled to Thailand to seek temporary refuge in Thai camps
May 1975, the beginning exodus of Hmong refugees. Only a selected few were airlifted to Thailand while thousands made the dangerous journey by foot.
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Death in the Jungles Death in the Mekong River
Hmong in Thai Refugee Camps Hmong Survivors 1976 – 1990s: Hmong refugees emigrated to
the U.S., France, Australia, French Guyana and Canada
1990s: UN refugee camps in Thailand began closing; Hmong refugees migrate to non-UN camp, ie. Wat Tham Krabok
2004: Approx 15,000 Hmong resettle in U.S. when the last refugee camp is shut down
My family arrives in Eau Claire, WI
April 9, 1976
Looking back, Looking forward
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Smiles all around Immigrant vs. Refugee
Immigrant can be broadly defined as any non-citizen in the United States, except for those legally admitted under specific non-immigrant categories or status.
Immigrant vs. Refugee
Refugee is defined as a person “unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of origin because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” INA §101(a)(42)(A)
Immigrant
An immigrant’s heart arrives in the new country years before their body does.
Refugee
An refugee’s body arrives in the new country years before their heart does.
Worldwide Hmong Population* China: 6,000,000
Vietnam: 787,604
Laos: 315,000
United States: 250,000
Thailand: 124,000
France: 8,000
Burma: 3,000
Australia: 1,800
French Guyana: 500-1,000
*2004 Diaspora Estimates from Professor Nicholas Tapp, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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Top ten states with the highest Hmong population:
California – 71,244Minnesota – 50,200Wisconsin – 45,268Michigan – 8,686North Carolina – 8,451Colorado – 3,875Georgia – 3,407Washington – 3,050Oregon – 2,729Florida – 1,856
*U.S. Census Bureau ~2006, American Community Survey
Hmong Migration Profile in the U.S.*
Those currently living in the U.S.► Entered before 1990 = 59%► Entered 1990-1999 = 28.9%► Entered 2000 or later =11.7%
*U.S. Census Bureau ~2006, American Community Survey
Arrival of Hmong Refugees in the U.S.
In 1976—the first wave of 500 Hmong to America
In 1980’s—second wave of 150,000+ Hmong to America
In 2004 – a smaller wave of 15, 000 Hmong refugees were resettled in the United States (from Wat Tham Krabok).
Hmong in Wisconsin
There are approximately 45,000 Hmong residing in Wisconsin
Some of the counties with the largest populations: Dane, Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Marathon, Milwaukee, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Sheboygan and Winnebago.
*Bureau of Migrant & Refugee Labor Services, Department of Workforce Development, State of Wisconsin
Hmong Stuff….
…in general
Hmong Clan System Social infrastructure is based on clan names
There are 18 original clans: Chang/Cha -Lee/Ly
Cheng -Lor/Lo/Lao
Chue -Moua
Hang -Phang/Pha
Her/Herr -Thao
Fang -Vang
Khang/Kha -Vue
Kong/Soung -Yang
Kue -Xiong
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Common Traditional Hmong Values
Education is highly valued
Respect parents and elders
Know & respect the Hmong language, culture and customs
Personal belongings or assets are an indication of hard work
Common Traditional Hmong Values Cont…
Peace seeking (avoid confrontations or conflicts when possible)
Expect to know one's role and responsibilities as a son/daughter; husband/wife; son/daughter-in-law, etc. –*these views and expectations are changing in the U.S.
Interdependency is an expectation; independence is not widely encouraged
• Traditional beliefs are that a spiritual world coexists with the physical world • Spirit types include ancestral spirits, house spirits, and natural spirits • Hmong spiritual teachings believe in reincarnation
Featured in The Split Horn, 2001 www.pbs.org/splithorn/shamanism.html
Hmong Spirituality and Beliefs The answer is “NO”
• Shamans communicate between the physical and spiritual worlds • Shamans perform rituals and sacrifice animals to pacify spirits and cure illness
Featured in The Split Horn, 2001 www.pbs.org/splithorn/shamanism.html
Hmong Shamanism Ancestral Worship vs Christianity
Ancestral Worship - Animism A family/clan in each generation
holds the belief and worships three generations of ancestors.
About 50-60% still practice ancestral worship and shamanism.
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Christianity
Christianity was introduced to the Hmong by missionaries (Catholicism was the first) in the 1940's. Since then, the number of Hmong converting into different religions has increased.
Some Hmong belief systems that CLASH
with Western Ideology
MarriageFamily size / family interdependenceReligionHealth & HealingGender Roles
Hmong Healing Practices that may conflict with the U.S. legal system
Herbalism (treatment for toothache, morning sickness, pain after birthing, infertility, impotence in the family, etc.)
Egg Coining (hard boiled egg, white cloth, silver bar or coin) Coining is common cure for diarrhea, fever, body ache, and headache.
Shamanism (sacrifice of certain animals)
What happens when cultures CLASH?
Sometimes the clash
gets you sent to the Principal’s office…
Sometimes the clashes are deadly…
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Racially Charged Hunting Tragedy
November of 2004 Chai Vang shoots and kills 6 Caucasian hunters
near Hayward, WI
November of 2005 Chai Vang sentenced to six life prison terms with
no chance of parol
Racially Charged Hunting Tragedy
January of 2007 James Nichols stabs, shoots and kills Hmong
hunter, Cha Vang near Peshtigo, WI
November of 2007 James Nichols sentenced to 69 years in prison
RACIAL CLIMATE in Wisconsin
Tension, fear and misunderstanding between Hmong and non-Hmong
Stereotypes
Misconceptions
Animosity
How do we improve the racial climate between Hmong and non-Hmong in Wisconsin?
Hmong Migration Education Act
Legislation that encourages school districts to include instruction that educates students about the role Hmong people played in the Vietnam War.
The bill will also encourage education on the persecution of the Hmong by the government of Laos, and the subsequent migration of the Hmong to Wisconsin.
The Hmong Migration Education Bill has
failed 5 times in the Wisconsin Legislature
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In 2007
Wisconsin legislature authorized construction of the Hmong Cultural Center of Wisconsin in Dane County (has yet to be financed and built)
RESOURCES Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND), Washington
DC www.hndinc.org
Hmong Resource Center Library, Hmong Cultural Center (St. Paul, MN) www.hmongcenter.org
Hmong Nationality Archives (St. Paul, MN) www.hmongarchives.org
www.hmongcenter.org
www.learnabouthmong.com
http://www.jefflindsay.com/Hmong_tragedy.html
Special thanks to Yer Vang, Esq.
Questions & Answers
THANK YOU
Contact Information:
KaShia [email protected]
