The Hmong are a minority group from
Laos. The Hmong (pronounced "Mong") were found in China more than 4,000 years
ago. Because of their desires for freedom and autonomy, they were in constant
conflicts with the Chinese throughout history. They migrated down from China to
Laos, Thailand, Burma, and Vietnam in the 1800's to escape Chinese oppression
and persecution.
The Hmong were recruited by the CIA to fight the North Vietnamese force during
the Vietnam War. The Hmong guarded US radar sites, rescued shot down American
pilots, and fought to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail. With only 30,000 Hmong
soldiers, they fought and held back over 70,000 North Vietnamese troops for over
a decade. About one-third of the Hmong population in Laos perished during the
war. After the war over, the Hmong were persecuted by the Communist regime for
their roles during the war. Many of them fled to Thailand while other escaped to
the jungle and continued to fight the communist government until these days. The
Hmong refugees in Thailand were given a chance to resettle in another country.
Many came to the United States while others went to Canada, France, Australia,
and South America. There are about 300,000 Hmong living in the United States
now. Most of them live in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Carolina,
Michigan, Colorado, Michigan, and Rhode Island.
Hmong
Culture At a Glance
Hmong culture is one of the oldest cultures that are disappearing very rapidly.
Family is the center of Hmong life. The Hmong only have eighteen clans. A clan
consists of all Hmong with the same last name. They are considered coming from
one ancestor; and therefore, are a family. Consequently, a Hmong cannot marry
someone with the same last name. Each clan has a leader who is usually a
respectable elder in the clan whom everyone listens to. The clan leader is
indirectly responsible for actions of his clan members. In a family, the father
is the head of household. He normally has the final say of all family decisions
and normally communicates such decisions to outsiders. The mother is responsible
for raising the children. Older siblings are expected to help raise their
younger brothers and sisters. Boys are expected to help their fathers with
manual or outside work. Girls are expected to learn to do household chores such
as cooking, taking care of their younger siblings and doing needlecrafts.
Children are taught to respect their parents, older siblings, relatives, the
elderly and the authority. Parents are expected to love and take care of their
children. Once they get old, the children would bear the responsibility of
taking care of their aging parents. Either the oldest or the youngest sons
usually end up taking care of the aging parents. Reciprocity is the core of
Hmong cultural values and beliefs. Therefore, they strive to help others all the
time.
Marriage is the most important rite of passage in the Hmong family. It involves
a sophisticated ceremony and a dowry. The dowry is considered gratitude for the
bride's parents. It serves as a security bond to ensure that the couple are
serious about and committed to the marriage. The dowry is also a medium to hold
the groom, his family and his clan accountable for their actions. For example,
if a wife is being abused by her husband and his family and his clan do little
or nothing to protect her, they will be penalized in subsequent marriages
between members of the two clans through hefty dowry, fines or refusal to grant
consent for the marriages. This is a tradition that has been providing
protection for Hmong women for generations. The ceremony allows friends and
relatives to witness and recognize the union of the couple. The bride will take
her husband's name and will go to live with his family. It is inappropriate to
call a married woman by her first name. She should be called by her husband's
name preceded by "Mrs."
New Year Celebration is another important event for the Hmong. It's the time
that Hmong families take time off from work to be together to celebrate a
successful year through the pre-new year festivity called "noj tsiab" and to
welcome a new year with Hmong New Year Celebration. New Year is also a time to
cast away all unpleasant or undesirable things and start a new year with new
commitments. It's time for families and relatives to get together. Young people
used the New Year Celebration to meet new friends. Ball tossing and traditional
singing are used by young people to meet and interact with each other to make
new friends. Many Hmong meet their future spouses through this ritual. Most
religious ceremonies also take place during New Year Celebration. Therefore, New
Year Celebration is also a religious event for the Hmong.
Funeral is another big gathering for the Hmong. Friends and family members from
all over the country would come to pay their respect for the deceased. People
would donate money to help pay for the funeral expenses. At night, they would
gather at the home of the deceased to help comfort the grieving family.
Religious rituals would be performed throughout the funeral.
The Hmong's "traditional" religion is ancestor worshipping. Ancestor worshiping
involves several rites and rituals or ceremonies including Shamanism or other
types of spiritual healings. Ancestor worshipers believe that each person has a
soul. When the soul is lost or captured by evil spirits, that person may get
sick. A Shaman, through the ceremony, can help guide the lost soul to his/her
body and heal the illness. When someone passes away, the soul guided back to the
land of the ancestors through a series of religious rituals.
