The Hmong People

Even though the Hmong had harsh time obtaining the American culture they never told people how they felt legitimately and absolutely no one cared for them and how they literally felt. The Hmong needed jobs to survive, back in their country they used animals as trade and buying, their revenue was for uppermost profit and buying items from animals, cars to houses. The Hmong came to America knowing nothing about the culture and currency and were given money from the U.S. They were basically given money and ditched by the government. The Hmong was left to learn how to survive on their own and make their own money. Soon they began to understand the conditions of work in the U.S.A, the Hmong began to amelioration and start a life.

Since ancient times Hmong people as been around. So what is Hmong? Are they Chinese or Mongolian? Most people think Hmong are either Chinese or Mongolia For example the word Hmong is very similar to the word Mong in Mongolian.

The Hoh Native American tribe has lived amongst the Nature Bridge camp for many centuries and has many interesting topics to study such as the reservation, people, food, clothing, recreation, religion, myths and legends, the age of the tribe, and the important events on the history of the tribe. Because of these, the tribe is rich in history and culture, making it a great essay topic to study for my Nature Bridge trip of 2017. The Hoh generally live in the northwestern part of Washington, and they have an entire reservation where a majority of their population lives. This reservation is on the Pacific coast, on the mouth of the Hoh River.

Summary: Many people know the Hmongs as “Migrants of the Mountains”, they received this title since they were thrown out of their original homeland, now they move from mountain to mountain inhabiting in the jungle. The Vietnam War started and the Hmongs were secretly recruited by the Americans. Soon after the war, many of those recruited Hmongs were then able to flee the country to America.

There are many differences in cultural practices between the Hmong and Americans. In the first chapter, soon after birth, the father in the Hmong family dug a hole at least two feet deep in the dirt floor and buried the placenta. Traditionally, if it was a girl, her placenta was buried under her parents’ bed; if it was a boy, his placenta was buried in a place of greater honor like near the base of the house’s central wooden pillar. In America, there are many policies in place that prevent people to take home the placenta of their children. It is usually taken to the laboratory and then disposed of as “biohazardous waste”.

Many immigrants have an extremely difficult time migrating to different parts of the world due to cultural differences, language barriers, and homesickness. Nowadays, there are translators and help available for those that are migrating from different countries. However, what if someone had migrated to the United States and barely had any of that support? The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is an incredibly touching book speaking of the struggle of the Hmong immigrants and the walls that were built between them and Americans, particularly the American doctors and medical system. The book focuses on a particular child, Lia Lee, and her family - specifically her parents, Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee.

I highly value culture and diversity in our society because it is a huge part of every American’s life, especially mine. I grew up as a Hmong American who was split in-between two distinct cultures, and I struggled of managing through two different cultures and their culture values. I developed many different perspectives on various topics and with the further exposure to health and higher education, I began to appreciate diversity, especially within my Hmong population. I realized the intersectionality of identities and the socioecological concerns a Hmong person may come across as they progress through life.

The One to Blame Growing up in a big Hmong family, I was never the right child to begin with. It was believed and practiced that boys are the one and only person that will carry on the family clan name to the next generation. Women on the other hand, were viewed the opposite compared to men. Women were expected to marry at a young age and leave their family behind to go live with their husband side of the family. Because of this, women were often not being supported in getting an education.

Hmong birth practices are very interesting and very different from American culture. Their births are usually at home and sometimes the woman is alone. Women labor in silence and catch their own babies as they are being delivered. Mrs. Lee delivered all of her babies by herself before coming to America. In The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down after birth practices are also different.

Growing up as Hmong-American youth, I was raised by a father who joined the military when he was twelve years old. He was forced into the Vietnam war fighting for safety, peace, and a relationship with the United States of America. Through this military influence and discipline at such a young age, my father accepted the military lifestyle. He carried it over from the Vietnam war to my family today. Growing up, my father was always strict on me, especially when it came to my appearances and education.