“Knowing Who You Are”: The role of ethnic spaces in the construction of Hmong identities in the Twin Cities A thesis presented to The faculty of The College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Zachary Jay Bodenner May 2014 ©2014 Zachary Jay Bodenner. All Rights Reserved 2 This thesis titled Identity in New Spaces: Hmong Ethnic Spaces in the Twin Cities by ZACHARY JAY BODENNER has been approved for the Department of Geography and the College of Arts and Sciences by Timothy G Anderson Associate Professor of Geography Robert Frank Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT BODENNER, ZACHARY JAY, M.A., May 2014, Geography Identity in New Spaces: Hmong Ethnic Spaces in the Twin Cities Director of Thesis: Timothy G. Anderson The geographic literature has shown that there is a connection between ethnic spaces and ethnic identity formation and persistence. However, by focusing on the Hmong population of Minneapolis, and St. Paul, Minnesota, this qualitative research will demonstrate that different types of ethnic spaces play different roles when it comes to these complicated formulations. Ethnic identities are complex, socially constructed phenomena that shift with changing contexts, and are in fact not mutually exclusive; any individual person could identify as a member of multiple ethnic groups. These intricate identities are displayed in ethnic spaces where Hmong individuals showcase, in a variety of ways, embodiments of these identities that are symbolic, commemorative, artistic, bodily, and performative. Ethnic spaces become not only producers and re-producers of identity, but outlets for the expression of identity in all its complicated forms. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, this work could not have been possible without the men and women who volunteered their time and testimony, expecting nothing in return. To the nineteen people who graciously accepted my requests for interviews, thank you. This study would not have been possible without you, and I earnestly hope that I have not misrepresented you or the information you provided. Second, I am forever grateful to my advisor and committee members for offering me guidance and assistance throughout this project. You have changed the way I perceive the world, and I hope that this work reflects all that I have learned. Finally, to my friends, family, and fiancé for standing with me through moments of doubt and frustration. Thank you for supporting me when I needed it. 5 CONTENTS PAGE Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2: Hmong History and Values ........................................................................................... 15 Chapter 3: Literature Review ......................................................................................................... 34 Cultural Collision: From the “Melting Pot” to Cultural Pluralism .............................................. 34 New Faces in New Places: The Transformation of Immigrant Sources and Destinations ......... 41 Ethnicity and Identity: Nebulous Concepts................................................................................ 49 Ethnic Spaces: For the People .................................................................................................... 59 Chapter 4: Methods ....................................................................................................................... 66 Chapter 5: Hmong Ethnic Spaces ................................................................................................... 79 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 79 Hmong Freedom Celebration/J4 ................................................................................................ 83 Hmong New Year ....................................................................................................................... 97 Hmong Village .......................................................................................................................... 112 The Hmong Cultural Center ..................................................................................................... 131 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 139 Chapter 6: Identities: Can “Hmong” and “American be separate in the United States? ............ 142 Overview .................................................................................................................................. 142 Identification with other Hmong ............................................................................................. 144 Identification with Americans .................................................................................................. 158 Conditional Maintenance of Hmong Culture ........................................................................... 167 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 183 Chapter 7: Symbolic Ethnicity and Representations in Space ..................................................... 186 Overview .................................................................................................................................. 186 Material Symbols ..................................................................................................................... 189 Performance Symbols .............................................................................................................. 200 6 Symbols of Shared History ....................................................................................................... 210 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 229 Chapter 8: Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 232 Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 242 Appendix A: Interview Protocol ................................................................................................... 255 Appendix B: Institutional Review Board Approval ....................................................................... 256 Appendix C: List of Interview Respondents ................................................................................. 257 7 LIST OF FIGURES PAGE Figure 1: Lao Refugee Arrivals to the United States by Year. ........................................... 26 Figure 2: Hmong and Lao Refugee Arrivals to Minnesota by Year. .................................. 28 Figure 3: Umbrellas shade attendants of the Hmong Freedom Celebration. .................. 84 Figure 4: Spectators pack the River Centre at Hmong New Year in St. Paul (Source: Lao Family Community). ........................................................................................................ 101 Figure 5: Toys, Hmong clothing, and movie posters decorate the walls at Hmong Village. ......................................................................................................................................... 113 Figure 6: Hmong ABC was not able to survive on University Avenue. ........................... 116 Figure 7: A sign on the Cultural Center door asks for those inside to speak Hmoob (Hmong) as much as possible. ........................................................................................ 133 Figure 8: The qeej is used during the funeral ceremony to guide the deceased soul to rest, and, increasingly, as a form of entertainment (Source: Minnesota Historical Society). ......................................................................................................................................... 191 Figure 9: A paj ntaub of Hmong history. ......................................................................... 193 Figure 10: The triangle pattern encircles a story paj ntaub depicting Hmong celebration. ......................................................................................................................................... 195 Figure 11: Several patterns are shown in this paj ntaub (source: Hmong Embroidery). 197 Figure 12: Pageant contestants display the stunning breadth of traditional and non- traditional clothing (Source: Hmong America New Year)............................................... 198 8 Figure 13: Vang Pao in military uniform adorns the walls of Hmong Village. ................ 213 Figure 14: The proposed Hmong and Lao vetrean's memorial: a bamboo shoot resting atop a paj ntaub (source: TwinCities.com). .................................................................... 215 Figure 15: The produce room at Hmong Village (source: Twin Cities Daily Planet). ...... 219 Figure 16: Vang Pao looks down on Long Tieng. ............................................................ 220 Figure