Essay On Hmong Culture

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Hmong Culture The Hmong primarily originated from the “mountainous areas of China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos” (Purnell, 2014, pg. 236) and immigrated to the United States in 1975 after the Vietnam War. Primarily refugees from Laos, the Hmong people began immigrating to the United States in large numbers “after communist forces came to power in their native country.” (Bankston, 2014, pg. 332) Mainly settling in California, the Hmong began to be dispersed by American refugee settlement agencies across the country in the 1980s, also settling in Wisconsin and Michigan. Communications Hmong speak what is known as “either White or Green Hmong, sometimes called Blue” (pg. 237.) as stated in Purnell (2014). These languages differ as they are not always interpreted the same to those that speak the other language of Hmong. Always have a professional interpreter available who can primarily speak the patient’s language. According to Purnell (2014) “Hmong children often have not developed a vocabulary that can fully interpret medical terms” (pg. 238) and should be …show more content…

While women mostly “retain the name from which they were born, they are still considered a member of their husband’s clan.” (Purnell, 2014, pg. 240) There is not single leader of the Hmong, instead there are leaders for each clan whom are older males. While the father or husband is the decision maker of the family, the oldest son takes over decision making if he dies. Marriage within the Hmong culture is characterized as the daughter living with their husband and in-laws, and the boys marrying before they are considered adults. Often times girls are married at a young age when they enter puberty, and may stop attending school to be with their husband and family once started. The marriage is a traditional ceremony and not a legal marriage. So states that have laws of being a certain age do not

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