WhoWho AreAre TheThe Hmong?Hmong? ByBy TongTong Yang,Yang, ExecutiveExecutive DirectorDirector UnitedUnited HmongHmong AssociationAssociation ofof NorthNorth CarolinaCarolina InIn ThisThis Presentation,Presentation, YouYou WillWill LearnLearn About:About: HmongHmong HistoryHistory TheThe HmongHmong’’ss InvolvementInvolvement withwith thethe VietnamVietnam WarWar TheThe HmongHmong ExodusExodus HmongHmong SocialSocial StructureStructure HmongHmong CultureCulture ReligionReligion HealthcareHealthcare BeliefsBeliefs andand PracticesPractices HistoryHistory The Hmong are hill-tribe people from Laos. They migrated from China in the 1800’s to Laos to escape Chinese oppression and persecution. The Hmong took refuge deep in the mountains away from the cities. They were farmers and hunters living in groups in small villages. During the Vietnam War, the Hmong were recruited by the CIA to fight the North Vietnamese and the Communist Pathet Lao forces. Long Cheng, a secret military base established by the CIA became the “capitol” for thousands of Hmong. TheThe SecretSecret WarWar The Hmong fought to defend their homeland and to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The U.S. promised to relocate the Hmong should the U.S. not prevail. The CIA recruited Hmong for pilot training. The Hmong carried out guerilla style ground assaults. They rescued downed American pilots. They provided intelligence. They guarded radar sites. Evacuation of a few high ranking TheThe AftermathAftermath military officials. After the Americans left, the Hmong were at the hands of the Communists. The Communists vowed to exterminate the Hmong. The Hmong faced Communist persecution: Mass killing Rape Torture Incarceration 1/3 of the Hmong population in Laos were perished by acts of war, diseases and starvation. General Vang Pao led thousands of Hmong to seek refuge in Thailand on May 14, Thousands were left behind. 1975. TheThe StruggleStruggle && AtrocitiesAtrocities ContinueContinue…… ThousandsThousands ofof HmongHmong fledfled toto safetysafety inin Thailand.Thailand. SomeSome surrenderedsurrendered toto thethe Communists.Communists. OtherOther soughtsought refugerefuge deepdeep inin thethe junglejungle andand continuedcontinued toto fightfight thethe Communists.Communists. Today,Today, thousandsthousands ofof HmongHmong areare stillstill beingbeing huntedhunted downdown byby thethe A “Chao Fah” Hmong rebel CommunistCommunist forceforce inin Laos.Laos. ExodusExodus toto ThailandThailand FromFrom 19751975 -- 1992,1992, moremore thanthan 100,000100,000 HmongHmong crossedcrossed intointo Thailand.Thailand. TheThe fortunatefortunate whowho survivedsurvived thethe triptrip endedended upup inin oneone oror moremore firstfirst--asylumasylum refugeerefugee camps:camps: BanBan VinaiVinai,, NongNong KhaiKhai,, BanBan NamNam Yao,Yao, andand ChiengChieng KhamKham.. OthersOthers remainedremained toto rebuildrebuild theirtheir homeshomes andand villagesvillages oror continuecontinue thethe fight.fight. ApproximatelyApproximately 200,000200,000 HmongHmong remainedremained inin Laos.Laos. TheThe RefugeeRefugee CampCamp Refugees poured into crude, overcrowded camps with food and water in short supply. Malnutrition and diseases in the confined spaces caused many deaths. No job, no education. Some Hmong refugees were given the opportunity to resettle in other countries such as the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, etc. TheThe LastLast SanctuarySanctuary WatWat ThamTham KrabokKrabok isis aa BuddhistBuddhist templetemple complex.complex. 8080 MilesMiles northnorth ofof BangkokBangkok FromFrom 4,0004,000 refugeesrefugees inin 19901990 toto overover 30,00030,000 thereafter.thereafter. 15,00015,000 werewere allowedallowed toto comecome toto thethe U.S.U.S. 4,0004,000 remainedremained ineligibleineligible toto comecome toto thethe U.S.U.S. 2,0002,000 moremore escapedescaped LaosLaos toto NorthernNorthern ThailandThailand now.now. HmongHmong inin thethe U.S.U.S. There are approximately 300,000 Hmong living in the U.S. now. Most of them are in CA, MN, WI, and NC. There are about 15,000 Hmong in NC now. Most of them are in Catawba, Burke, McDowell, Caldwell, Alexander, Iredell and Mecklenburg Counties. About 95% of Hmong adults in NC are working. About 60% of the Hmong in NC own their own properties. HmongHmong SocialSocial StructureStructure PatriarchalPatriarchal SocietySociety TheThe oldestoldest malemale isis thethe headhead ofof households.households. MalesMales settlesettle disputes.disputes. TheThe HmongHmong havehave 1818 clans.clans. EachEach clanclan consistsconsists ofof everyoneeveryone withwith thethe samesame lastlast name.name. ManyMany TypesTypes ofof HmongHmong TypesTypes ofof Hmong:Hmong: 1.1. WhiteWhite HmongHmong 2.2. Green/BlueGreen/Blue HmongHmong oror ““HmongHmong LengLeng”” 3.3. StrippedStripped HmongHmong 4.4. BlackBlack HmongHmong TwoTwo dialects:dialects: 1.1. WhiteWhite HmongHmong –– ““universaluniversal HmongHmong languagelanguage”” 2.2. Green/BlueGreen/Blue HmongHmong Hmong in different types of costumes HmongHmong LanguageLanguage Two dialects: White Hmong and Green Hmong dialects The Hmong lost their written language for centuries. History were told in the forms of stories, songs and folklores. The Hmong did not have a written Hmong dance language until the 1950’s when the French missionary invented one for the Hmong. Now the Hmong have two forms of written language—Hmong Latin and Hmong Pa Hoh. Hmong Latin—which used English alphabets—is the widely known form Hmong woman & child of written language for the Hmong. HmongHmong CultureCulture FamilyFamily isis thethe centercenter ofof HmongHmong life.life. MaleMale andand femalefemale havehave differentdifferent roles.roles. ReciprocalReciprocal obligationsobligations areare integralintegral partsparts ofof HmongHmong life.life. Corn grinder, a traditional Hmong tool ConceptConcept ofof FamilyFamily AA familyfamily consistsconsists ofof moremore thanthan justjust parents,parents, brothers,brothers, sisters,sisters, aunts,aunts, uncles,uncles, etc.etc. AA familyfamily includesincludes allall extendedextended familyfamily membersmembers andand clanclan membersmembers ofof bothboth sides.sides. InIn--lawslaws areare alsoalso partsparts ofof aa family.family. MembersMembers ofof twotwo differentdifferent clansclans maymay bebe consideredconsidered asas thethe samesame family.family. GenderGender RolesRoles -- MaleMale Men have more status and power than women. A newly married woman goes to the home of husband’s family. Contemporary Hmong men Family history traced through male line. Men settle disputes. Family decisions are conveyed to outsider through the men. Men have shared responsibilities as members of a particular clan. Men perform ancestral rituals, etc. Hmong boys with their “qeej” GenderGender RolesRoles -- FemaleFemale WomenWomen areare lessless sociallysocially activeactive thanthan men.men. WomenWomen havehave moremore privateprivate thanthan publicpublic Traditional Hmong girl power.power. TheirTheir powerpower andand respectrespect increaseincrease withwith age.age. WomenWomen tendtend toto playplay aa greatergreater parentalparental rolerole thanthan men.men. Contemporary Hmong girls MarriageMarriage Hmong cannot marry someone with the same surname. The bride becomes a member of the groom’s family. Hmong marriage involves an elaborate ceremony and a dowry. A married Hmong woman takes her husband’s name preceded by “Mrs.” It’s inappropriate to call a married Hmong woman by her first name, unless you are a A Hmong couple in traditional costumes member of her family. MarriageMarriage ContinuedContinued…… AA marriedmarried personperson isis consideredconsidered anan adultadult regardlessregardless ofof age.age. ItIt isis inappropriateinappropriate forfor unmarriedunmarried peoplepeople toto livelive together.together. GettingGetting marriedmarried atat youngyoung ageage isis commoncommon inin thethe HmongHmong community.community. InfidelityInfidelity isis aa seriousserious ““crimecrime”” inin HmongHmong culture.culture. MarriageMarriage ContinuedContinued -- DowryDowry Dowry is a sum of money given to the parents of the bride as gratitude. Dowry serves as a medium to bond the two families together. Dowry serves as a protection for Hmong women. If the marriage fails and the bride is at fault, her family “is supposed to” return the dowry to the groom’s family. If the marriage fails and the groom is at fault, he gives up the rights to reclaim the dowry and the claims to their properties and children. If the groom abuses the bride and his family fails to protect her, they will be penalized at subsequent marriages between the two families or clans through hefty dowry, fines, or refusal to grant consent to such marriages. Religion:Religion: AnimisticAnimistic oror AncestralAncestral WorshippingWorshipping ExistenceExistence ofof thethe soulsoul ExistenceExistence ofof spiritsspirits thatthat inhabitinhabit objectsobjects ReincarnationReincarnation ““JudgmentJudgment”” inin thethe afterafter lifelife Animal sacrifice usually involves HealingHealing powerpower ofof ShamanShaman chickens, pigs, or cows. AncestralAncestral Worshippers:Worshippers: 65%65% Christians:Christians: 35%35% BeliefsBeliefs aboutabout IllnessIllness CausesCauses ofof illnessillness fallfall intointo 44 groupsgroups ofof etiologies:etiologies: 1. Natural – germs, etc. 2. Supernatural – spirits 3. Social – curses; e.g. The Yang males cannot eat