Hmong Movement 09 Winter 2005

SPRING 2005 VOLUME 4. ISSUE 9HSIC QUARTERLY PUBLICATION

Hmong Movement

Celebrating 30 Years1975-2005

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief:Seng A. Vang, UC San Diego

Assistant EditorVanessa Vang, UC Davis

Features Editor:Ia Her, UC Berkeley

Perspectives Editor:May K. Yang, UC Berkeley

Layout Editor:Kao Vang, UC San Diego

Columnist:Julie Xiong, UC Berkeley

Writers/Contributors:Nenick VueChris T. Vang, Ed. DNoah VangMachiline Xiong

HSIC Board 2004-05

President Srida Moua : UC Berkeley

[email protected]

Vice President Mai Lor : CSU Fresno

[email protected]

Secretary / Treasurer Nenick Vue : UC Davis

[email protected]

Regional Representatives.:North Cal:.May K. Yang, UC [email protected] Vang, University San [email protected].:Central Cal:.Fong Lo, UC Santa [email protected] Vue, CSU [email protected].:South Cal:.Kao Vang, UC San [email protected] Thao, UC [email protected]

elcome to our first issue of 2005. This is our

ninth issue since HM launched three years ago

in 2002. We did not have a Summer and Fall

issue the past year. However, through some restructuring, we

are proud to continue with an energized new Editorial Board.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our contrib-

utors and previous Editorial Board members for heir dedica-

tion and service, HM would not be the great success it has

been without their talented services.

Since the arrival of the first waves of Hmong

refugees to the U.S. in 1975, the year 2005 signifies an

important benchmark for the Hmong American community. In our thirty year experi-

ence in the U.S. our community has undergone dynamic transformations in terms of

cultural, language, religion, economic, education, and political developments. Many of

these transformations indicate the many contributions we are making to our new home

in America. Our community have struggled and overcome many of the challenges of

resettlement and acculturation to a new way of life. Like other Southeast Asian

American communities, we have gone from displaced refugees to becoming self-suffi-

cient new Americans revitalizing many urban centers throughout the U.S. There are

many successes that can be found in our communities that represent attaining the

American dream.

It is very important to celebrate the successes of the Hmong American com-

munity but that must not overshadow or silence many of the urgent issues that face

many in our community such as unemployment, domestic violence, youth delinquency,

limited educational access, and language barriers. These are just a few challenges that

our community needs to address. We as college students have a very important role to

play. We are essentially the bridge for we know first hand many of our communities'

needs and daily struggles and with our opportunity to attain higher education we can

work towards giving our community a hand up. Think about how many in our commu-

nity will ever get the opportunity to go to college? We are agents for social change in

our community because if not us than who else and if not now then when?

In addition, this past summer 15,000 new Hmong refugees from Thailand

began arriving to the U.S. Many of these newcomers are our family members, who have

been long separated from our community. Unlike our earlier generations who did not

have an established community to assist us. We must do our most to welcome them

because they will go though many similar problems and many very different challenges

then our own families did when we arrived to the U.S.

In closing we hope you will enjoy reading the articles in this issue. We also

have an exclusive HM interview with Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You

and You Fall Down. We look forward to receiving your comments. Do not hesitate to

let the Editorial Board know what you think. I look forward to seeing many of you at

the upcoming 10th Hmong National Conference in April 2005. Thank you for your con-

tinual support.

In Solidarity,

Seng A. Vang

HM Editor-in-Chief

W

Hmong Movement WINTER 2005

From the Editor

Hmong Movement is published quarterlyby the Hmong Students Inter-CollegiateCoalition. (c) Copyright 2004. All rightsreserved. No contents may be reproducedwithout expressed written permission fromthe Editor. Unsolicited material will not bereturned. Letters sent to Hmong Movementbecome the property of the publication.Every precaution will be taken to ensure theaccuracy of information included at presstime, neither the Publisher or Editor shall beliable for damages arising out of errors oromissions. The opinions expressed hereinare those of the authors and not necessar-ily those of Hmong Movement or HSIC.

yob zoo xyoo tshiab,

We welcome the New Year with upcoming

events, projects and many other community

activities. This year we are also blessed with

the great opportunity to welcome both the

Hmong National Development Conference

and the 30th Anniversary of the Southeast Asian Diaspora.

Particularly 2005 marks the 30 years since the arrival of the

first wave of Hmong refugees to the United States in late April

of 1975. In celebrating 30 years, not only are we honoring our

triumphs in this country, but we are also honoring each frag-

ment of our struggles that continue to keep us wholly grounded

to our roots - one people, one voice, one struggle, one love. And

even though in times of displacement, in times in which we find

ourselves struggling to remain intact as a community, as a col-

lective entities. We must remember that our solid stance togeth-

er, as educated Hmong representatives of our community, helps

to honor those who have fallen; those who have risen; and those

who are still hanging on to take every step possible. In all that

we do, in our service to one another and to our community, we

are helping each other carry our scars with our heads held up

high - a support system to shelter hope so that it can be passed

on to those who come after us. This is the essence of what HSIC

has accomplished and continues to do so these past four years.

Like a Hmong oral folktale, we are the next chapter; we

need to pass our knowledge and culture from generation to gen-

eration. We are the evolving storyline whose words have adapt-

ed through space and time, now it's our turn to speak!

In solidarity,

Srida Moua

HSIC President

2 Hmong Movement WINTER 2005

N

Contents

Headlines

HSIC Updates.............................3

Connecting Across Comm.........4

Leadership Retreat....................5

SEA Deportation........................6

Features

Interview w/ Anne Fadiman.......7

Hmong Refugees......................10

Perspectives

VIetnam...................................14

Tus Txog Hnub Valentine.........15

Still (Poem)...............................16

Hawaii: Unequal Paradise.........16

Spotlights

Life After College....................18

Opinions

Role of HmongBeauty Pagent........................19

For more information about the HmongStudent Inter-Collegiate Coalition visitthe HSIC Website http://www.hsiconline.org

Hmong Movement is available online.Need back issues? Download them forfree at the Hmong Movement Websitehttp://hm.hsiconline.org

President’s Message

HeadlinesHSIC Updates : Year Three

HYLO 6.19.04: HSIC hosted the Hmong Youth Leadership Olympics at CSU Fresno.

The event focused on 1) leadership development, 2) mentorship, and 3) youth empow-

erment. With the support of CSU Fresno University Outreach Services and donations

from local Hmong businesses we were able to make HYLO a successful event. We

were able to provide free meals and T-shirts to more than 100 Hmong youth in junior

and high school. In addition more than 40 college students from throughout the state

volunteered to lead various activities and workshops.

Statewide Elections 6.26.04: HSIC chapters convened to elect the new exec-

utive officers and regional representatives at CSU Fresno.

Election Results:President: Srida Moua, UC Berkeley

Vice President: Mai Lor, CSU Fresno

Treasurer: Nenick Vu, UC Davis

North Cal:May K. Yang, UC Berkeley

Mai Vang, University of San Francisco

Central Cal: Diane Vue, CSU Fresno

Fong Lo, UC Santa Cruz

South Cal: Kao Vang, UC San Diego

Ying Thao, UC Riverside

Board Retreat 8.14-15.04: YEAR THREE

Board Retreat held at

CSU Fresno to train new

Board members and

strategize for first

Statewide Meeting.

Statewide Meeting 10.9.04: The first Statewide Meeting for YEAR THREE was

hosted by CSU Sacramento Hmong University Student Association. Board members

facilitated workshops to give chapter members a better understanding of the history

and structure of HSIC.

Workshops also included discussions

on important community issues and

project planning. More than 100 stu-

dents participated in the Statewide

Meeting.

Fresno Hmong New Years activities

were cancelled this year. Unfortunately,

we were not able to table and do our

annual festivities and performances at

the Fresno Hmong New Years. We

have tabled to distribute educational

resources, promote higher education

(college sweaters), network, and held

performances at the main stage the

past three years. We will work to hold

these events again next year.

South Cal Regional 1.15.05: HSIC

South Cal Regional Meeting was host-

ed by UC Riverside. Facilitated by

Ying Thao and Kao Vang

North Cal Regional 1.29.05: HSIC

North Cal Regional Meeting was host-

ed by UC Berkeley. Facilitated by May

K Yang and Mai Vang.z

Hmong Youth Leadership Olympics



Connecting Across CommunitiesBy Seng A. Vang

Kaying Yang who was the former executive

director of the Southeast Asian Resource

Action Center left her position to work with

the resettlement of the new refugees. She

share some of her personal experiences

and discussed some issues involved in the

resettlement process such as only those

who were registered by the Thai military

can resettle to the U.S. But this leaves

many more Hmong refugees who were not

registered to be ineligible for resettlement

and family members may also be seperat-

ed due to ineligiblity. Kaying believes it is

good that they are finally getting to come to

the U.S. but there is still much work that

needs to be done and that we, Hmong

Americans must do all we can to support

and welcome the new refugees once they

arrive to this summer.

In summary, the 9th Hmong

National Conference was a huge success-

ful. Participants were able to track organ-

ized workshop sessions relevant to their

interests such as Organizational

Development, Professional Development,

Research, Education, Youth Development,

and Advocacy and Civic Participation

tracks. Participants were able to learn and

engage in discussions regarding many

important issues affecting the Hmong com-

munity.

The 10th Hmong National

Conference will be held in Fresno,

California from April 8th to April 10th in

2005. This conference marks the 10th

Hmong National Conference and marks the

30th anniversary of the Hmong American

experience in the United States.

For more information on the Hmong

National Conference and HND please visit:

http://www.hndlink.org z

he theme for the 9th Hmong National Conference was "Connecting

Across Communities" held on April 2-4, 2004 in Charlotte, North

Carolina. More than 500 participants from throughout the country rang-

ing from California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Arkansas, Virginia,

Washington DC, New York, Michigan and South Carolina were in attendance for

the three day conference. About 30 HSIC members attended the conference and

participated in many important panels, workshops, and discussions at the annu-

al conference.

The first day of the conference opened with a plenary session entitled

"Using Research to Build Bridges that Meet Community Needs" by Dr. Dia Cha,

St. Cloud State University and Dr. Kathleen Culhane-Pera, Regions Hospital and

West Side Community Clinic. During the first workshop session, HSIC members

collaborated with other Hmong student organizations in "Hmong Student

Associations: Providing Support and Transforming

Leadership." Hmong student presenters from three

regions presented how Hmong student organiza-

tions are mobilizing, providing support and trans-

forming leadership. In addition, several HSIC mem-

bers were facilitators for the Youth Networking and

Discussion Forum sessions. The first day of the

conference concluded with an Open-Mic Night.

Several HSIC members displayed their many tal-

ents, performed interactive games and showcased

a Hmong cultural skit for the audience.

The second day of the conference included

three workshop sessions and featured a plenary

session entitled "The Education of Hmong

Students: Progress and Reflection 50 Years After

Brown vs. Board of Education." The speakers for

the session were Kazoua Kong-Thao, St Paul

School Board Member; Lee Yang, Freeport Elementary School Principal; and

Long Her, student at California State University, Fresno. Each speaker dis-

cussed their educational experiences and linked how Hmong students have ben-

efited from the Brown vs. Board of Education, which declared "separate but

equal" was unconstitutional in 1954. The second day concluded with an Awards

Banquet to honor outstanding individuals and organizations.

The final day of the conference featured a plenary session, "An Update

and Dialogue about the Refugee Program for the Hmong in Thailand." Speakers

for this session included Kelly Ryan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau

of Population, Refugees and Migration, Department of State (DOS); Dr Nguyen

Van Hanh, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Department of Health

and Human Services (DHHS); and Ka Ying Yang, Cultural Orientation Officer for

International Organization for Migration, Wat Thamkrabok, Thailand.

About 30 HSIC

members attended

the conference and

participated in many

important panels,

workshops, and dis-

cussions at the con-

ference.

”

“

T


2nd HSIC Leadership RetreatBy Nenick Vue : 2004 Leadership Coordinator

he 2nd HSIC Leadership Retreat was a

monumental success. Approximately 40 college

students and community members from all over

the state came together at CSU Stanislaus on

April 16th to18th to experience and explore lead-

ership development and community issues. Bo

Thao, the former executive director for Hmong

National Development flew in from St. Paul,

Minnesota to speak on leadership. The facilita-

tors included Alan Watahara, a California legisla-

tive lobbyist; Pang Vang, who works for Hmong

Women's Heritage Association; and Peter Vang, a

prominent Hmong community advocate from

Fresno.

The Leadership Retreat was more than

just who came and what they brought to the expe-

rience. The Leadership Retreat was a retreat

where the 40 students who attended were able to

bond and explore the leadership qualities within

themselves. There was less focus on administra-

tive and formal leadership, and more on identity

and Hmong college student empowerment.

There were informal workshops and socials that

focused on leadership at the individual and collect

levels. In the formal workshops, community

issues and leadership on state and national levels

were the topic of discussion as the facilitators

expressed their thoughts and concerns though

their experiences.

At the Leadership Retreat, the goals of

HSIC were reiterated as lasting bonds and friend-

ships were made over mutual concern for com-

munity and family issues. As the Leadership

Retreat ended, everyone left with a mutual under-

standing that Hmong college students as a collec-

tive whole can affect and change the policies,

problems, and issues that plague our community.

The Leadership Retreat for me was very

humbling and inspiring. Those 40 college stu-

dents who attended walked in not knowing one

another, but left in three days as friends. Each

participant brought in his or her own personality,

thoughts, and voice to add to the atmosphere that

happened at the Leadership Retreat. From

Friday night's Open Mic Night to Sunday after-

noon's sad goodbyes, the Leadership Retreat

was a genuine expression of the Hmong college

student experience. The sincere mood sparked

unplanned guitar and story nights where personal

thoughts, dreams, and experiences were shared.

Though informal, the Leadership Retreat captured

the human and sincere aspects of HSIC; that we

are all just Hmong college

students, even if one of us

wears the title of president

of HSIC. In our continuing

struggle to make a differ-

ence, to have our voices

heard, and most impor-

tantly, to find and under-

stand ourselves, the

Leadership Retreat was a

brief moment in time

where we came not know-

ing what to expect, but found ourselves reflected

in the voices, thoughts, and dreams of each

other.z

T

...lasting bonds

and friendship

were made over

mutual concern

for community

and family.

“

”

Information for this article was put together from API ForCE and CAAAV documents and We Will Not Be Moved documentary by the

Southeast Asian Freedom Network, discussions with community organizers involved in those organizations and my own archival

research analyzing how immigration reform laws affect Southeast Asian communities for a Master Thesis.

any in the Hmong community have been hearing

about the unjust deportation of Cambodian non-citi-

zens sent back to Cambodia. There have been numer-

ous cases in which former Hmong refugees are being detained and

facing deportation to France or other countries for overstaying

visas despite their strong ties to the U.S such as having family

members who are American born-children with U.S. citizenship.

Their only crime is trying to reunite with family already residing

in the U.S. Some wonder how deportation is going to affect me as

a Hmong person. Aren't we [the Hmong] former allies with the

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency during the Secret War in Laos?

Didn't more than 30,000 Hmong soldiers died fighting the com-

munist along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, sacrificed their lives to res-

cued downed U.S. aircrews, and protected important U.S. radar

installations which guided bombings over North Vietnam. How is

the logic of deportation justified when Southeast Asian refugees

such as Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotian, Mien and Hmong fled

for their lives to come to the U.S. Southeast Asian refugees

entered the U.S. legally and were granted "permanent resident sta-

tus." Will deportation affect me or someone in my family? How is

it that former refugees who came to the U.S. are now being forced

to be sent back to their homeland in which they have no connec-

tions with, do not speak the language, or have any social net-

works? This is not just a "what if" issue if a repatriation agreement

is signed between the U.S. and Lao government. Do not wait until

it is too late before you learn about this issue.

So you may be wondering how did this happen?

Beginning in 1996, three federal anti-immigrant reform laws were

passed. The first was the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death

Penalty Act, passed after the Oklahoma City bombing. This act

limited immigration

judges in reviewing deten-

tion and deportation cases

thus making all non-citi-

zens convicted of an

"aggravated felony" sub-

ject to mandatory deten-

tion and deportation. Even

if someone can not be

deported because their

home country refuses to

accept them, they were

required to be held in

indefinite detention. Next,

was the Illegal

Immigration Reform &

Immigrant Responsibility

Act (IIRARA). The provi-

sions of this act greatly

expanded the definition of aggravated felony offenses to include

crimes that have a sentence of one year or more (previously aggra-

vated felony offenses were five years this is now reduced to any

one year sentence). There were about 30 deportable offenses but

with the passage of IIRARA; this is expanded to more than 300

offenses which could include non-violent crimes such as shoplift-

ing, auto theft, or ambiguous crimes of moral turpitude (one

Cambodian man was deported for urinating in public). Not only

did IRRARA redefined and expanded what deportable offenses

were but it made them "retroactive." This means that even if you

committed an aggravated felony offense before 1996, or have

already served your sentences, or if your sentence was suspended

you are could be potentially deportable. Further IRRARA severe-

ly limited how an immigration judge can cancel a deportation

order such as granting waivers for having families in the U.S.

Third, the Personal Responsibility Act (Welfare Reform Act) cut

welfare benefits to non-citizens and limited eligibility to 5 years,

thus making it more and more difficult for immigrant and refugee

families to support themselves economically.

In 2001, The Supreme Court decided to hear two cases,

Immigration & Naturalization Service v. St. Cy and Davis v.

Zadvyas et al. The Supreme Court ruled that "indefinite detentions

and the retroactive provisions" were unconstitutional; despite cit-

izenship status all persons are accorded basic fundamental rights

under the U.S. Constitution and can not be simply detain without

any charges. This was a significant victory for immigration rights

but would be a short-lived victory because after The Supreme

Court made these rulings, the U.S. government conducted secret

negotiations and forced the Cambodia government to sign a repa-

triation agreement.

Many Southeast Asian detainees could not be deported

because there was no agreement before 2002, in exchange for

supervised released many Southeast Asians held in detention

agreed to accept a final order of removal (deportation order). At

the time they were told no such agreement would be possible con-

sidering the political situation. Cambodia was part of a dozen

countries such as Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, and Afghanistan

which did not have diplomatic relations with the U.S. However,

on March 22, 2002, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a

repatriation agreement, was signed between the U.S. and

Cambodia government. This enabled Cambodian non-citizens,

who have committed aggravated felonies to be deported back to

Cambodia. Currently this agreement affect more than 1500

Cambodians, but if similar repatriation agreements are signed

with Laos and Vietnam more than 9,000 Southeast Asian could

face deportation (breakdown of major ethnic groups: Vietnamese

4,000; Laotian 2,000; and Hmong 2,500; ).

Since the repatriation agreement in 2002, 90

Cambodians, 88 males and 2 female have been deported back to

Cambodia, it is highly unlikely they were will never be able to

returned to the U.S. A survey by the Southeast Asia Resource

Action Center indicated that most of the individuals with a final

order of removal have an average length of residence in the U.S.

of more than 20 years, a third have American-born children, and

more than half are the primary income earners for their families.

The logic of deportation criminalizes legal immigrants such as


Southeast Asian Deportation: Double PunishmentBy Seng A. Vang

...numerous cases

in which former

Hmong refugees

are being detained

and facing depor-

tation to Frace or

other countries.

“

”

M


refugees despite their strong

ties to the U.S. Many individuals

have already served their sen-

tences, yet upon completion of

serving their sentences they are

being detained by INS. In 2003,

the functions of the INS were

dissolved into the Department of

Homeland Security (DHS).

Immigrants are increasing being

viewed through the lens of a

criminal or even a terrorist. The

same institutions that monitor

terrorism and national security

concerns also share responsi-

bility in monitoring immigrants

and refugees. Imagine living

day to day knowing that one day

you or a family member will be

deported back to the country

that they fled for their lives. That

is the reality that thousands of

Southeast Asian families live

with. The deportation of former

refugees is a violent act of vic-

timizing victims.z

The deporta-tion of formerrefugees is aviolent act ofvictimizing vic-tims.

“

”

Seng A. Vang (SV) : Anne Fadiman (AF)

SV: Please tell us a little about yourself such as educational

background and some past occupational experiences that led

you begin work on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall

Down?

AF: I studied at a college that had no journalism classes, but I

spent much of my free time at the alumni publication, Harvard

Magazine, and had a wonderful mentor there who took me

under his wing and taught me a great deal about reporting,

writing, and editing. (I wish all young writers could be so

lucky.) I rapidly decided that I wanted to be a writer of nonfic-

tion when I graduated. A few years later I was fortunate to get

a job at Life magazine, where I spent ten years as a staff writer.

Although I suppose that you could identify certain themes in my Life stories--such as commu-

nication and medicine--that resurfaced in a more extensive way in The Spirit Catches You and

You Fall Down, its subject entered my life by accident rather than being painstakingly prepared

for. I heard about the conflicted relationship between many physicians at the county hospital in

Merced, California, and their Hmong patients because one of my old college friends--my broth-

er's freshman roommate--happened to be a doctor at the Merced hospital, and he brought up the

subject once when we were talking on the phone. I thought to myself: That sounds interesting.

I'd like to find out more about that.

It's my view that the best writing comes in just this way: a topic swims into a writer's view by

accident and it engenders so much curiosity that the writer, without being able to explain why,

simply knows it's something he or she wants to spend time with.

SV: How did you come to conceptualize the writing that would eventually become the materi-

al for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down?

AF: Do you mean the actual form the writing took? It started out as a magazine piece (for a pub-

lication called The New Yorker, though the magazine changed editors and it never ran). The

structure of the book was influenced equally by the two cultures it described: medical culture,

which was linear and fact-oriented and centered around making distinctions between things, and

Hmong culture, which was more about making connections. The alternation between the chap-

ters that told the main story line about Lia Lee and the chapters that provided various kinds of

background was one that I'd used previously for some of my Life articles, so it wasn't new to

me, but it seemed particularly appropriate here because it reminded me of the structure of the

Hmong folktales I'd heard and read, which often introduced material that appeared to be extra-

neous but turned out to be thematically linked.

But that makes it all seem very sterile, sort of like a mathematical formula. That's not how it felt!

It felt like a spicy, hot, emotional experience, one that I was carried away by rather than one I

was rigidly in control of. I didn't consciously make any of the above decisions; they came to me

in more unconscious ways, as if at some gut level I simply knew that they were the right way

of organizing what would otherwise have been an overwhelming mountain of material. At the

beginning I didn't plan to spend nearly so much time learning about or writing about Hmong

culture. I thought I'd just tell what happened to Lia from two points of view (her parents' and

her doctors'). But my respect for Hmong culture grew so rapidly that it became increasingly

important both to me personally and to my book.

FeaturesHM Interview with Anne Fadiman:Author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Seng Vang w/ Anne Fadiman


SV: What were some struggles you encountered trying to inter-

view or observe the Hmong family/community and the medical

doctors/institutions?

AF: My most difficult struggle in the Hmong community was that

the first interpreters I worked with--mostly high-status middle-

aged men--filled me with awe, and I was too scared to ask them

dumb questions like "Does it matter what I wear?" or "What did

Mr. Thao sound angry when he said such-and-such?" May Ying

Xiong Ly, the wonderful interpreter and cultural broker I was for-

tunate enough to find eventually, was younger than I was, and we

had a far more relaxed relationship. May Ying, a brilliant woman

who is now the executive director of the Hmong Women's

Heritage Association in Sacramento, made many things easy for

me because I wasn't afraid to admit my ignorance to her--and then

we'd laugh together about what an idiot I was. She's still a close

friend of mine. On the medical side of things, my main challenge

was learning not to assume that I understood the culture because

it was "mine." In fact, it wasn't mine any more than Hmong cul-

ture was. Medicine is a culture of its own, complete with its own

language (much of whose vocabulary I didn't understand at the

outset), traditions, and taboos, but it took me a long time to real-

ize that. Fortunately, there too I was lucky enough to have some-

one who served as an interpreter and cultural broker: Bill

Selvidge, my old college friend, who was a doctor at the Merced

hospital.

SV: What strategies enabled you to gain access to talk to people

in the book (interpretation, key informants, insider/outsider)?

AF: It's so interesting to hear you use the phrase "key inform-

ants"--which of course is exactly what I would have called the Lee

family and their doctors had I been an anthropologist. But I was-

n't an anthropologist; in fact, I'd never taken a course in anthropol-

ogy. So I didn't think of them as "informants" at all. Our relation-

ship was warmer, less formal, and more complicated than that. I'm

sure my ignorance of anthropology had its disadvantages, but it

also was helpful in that I felt no need to be "objective": I liked

most of the people in the book very much, and I saw no reason to

keep my feelings for them out of my pages. The Lee family and

their doctors all became friends of mine pretty early in the eight-

year process of doing the book, and they're still friends. That's

probably against the rule if you're dealing with "informants" and

trying to avoid personal involvement.

As I noted earlier, I required interpretation in both cultures. May

Ying Xiong interpreted both the language and the traditions of the

Lees' culture, and Dr. Bill Selvidge interpreted both the language

and the traditions of medical culture. Bill introduced me to many

of the doctors at the county hospital, including Lia's pediatricians,

Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp. In meeting several of the Hmong

leaders in Merced--Blia Yao Moua, Dang Moua, Jonas Vangay--I

was indebted to a local psychologist named Sukey Waller, who

knew them and was kind enough to make the introductions. These

leaders ended up spending a great deal of time educating me about

Hmong history and culture and were an invaluable resource.

Perhaps it's worth mentioning that the reporting (that is, the time

I actually spent in Merced)--though I think it was the most impor-

tant part of the experience--occupied only a small portion of the

time I spent on the project. I spent about six months reporting.

Then I spent about five years reading books, articles, and disser-

tations; photocopying and organizing thousands of pages of

research material; transcribing interview notes; and organizing all

this stuff. That part wasn't fun at all! Then came the writing, which

took about three years. Of course, during all that time I kept in

touch, though by no means constantly, with the people I was writ-

ing about. But most of the material in the background chapters (as

opposed to the chapters about Lia) came from research, not

reporting.

SV: What were some of your objectives you conceived for this

book to have? If so in what ways do you believe The Spirit

Catches You and You Fall Down has fulfilled your personal

visions?

AF: My goals were simple. I wanted the book to be accurate. I

wanted it to be fair. I wanted it to enable a reader who knew little

about either medicine or the Hmong to be able to identify with

both sides. I wanted it to make people think a little harder about

things they'd taken for granted (such as communication). And I

wanted it to be well-written. Did it fulfill these goals? Only to the

extent I was capable. It's entirely possible that others could have

fulfilled them more capably.

SV: What are some changes you have seen as a result of the book

in terms of cross cultural medical practices?

AF: There have been lots of changes, but I'm not sure any of them

are the result of the book; it's very likely that they are simply the

result of many people thinking about some of the same things I

did and coming to some of the same conclusions. Today many

medical schools and hospital residency programs offer courses in

crosscultural medicine; medical interpreting services have

improved; and in most large urban hospitals whose patients come

from all over the world, you're much more likely to hear doctors

including cultural factors when they're evaluating a case.

However, I don't want to sound as if all the problems have been

solved. There's still a long way to go.

SV: Since your book may be the only point of contact for many

readers to learn about the Hmong American community what

would you add that is not written in The Spirit Catches You and

You Fall Down? Because the events took place during the early

resettlement phrase 1980s of the Hmong arrival to the U.S. what

are some things you would add in an epilogue section to continue

the story in the book?

“I required interpretation in both cul-

tures. May Ying Xiong interpreted both

the language and the traditions of the

Lees' culture, and Dr. Bill Selvidge

interpreted both the language and the

traditions of medical culture.”


AF: I don't want my book to be the only point of contact with the

Hmong American community! I think it's a true picture--at least as

true as I could make it--of one Hmong family's experience in the

early 80s, but so much has happened since then that any reader

who assumes Hmong American culture has stayed frozen in time

is grievously misusing the book, which is a historical document

about a particular point in time. It's about what happened then,

during a period when Hmong culture was infinitely less varied

than it is now. For instance, in the early 1980s, no Hmong had yet

gone through the American educational system from start to fin-

ish; the Hmong college graduates had studied elsewhere (mostly

in France). Today, there's a huge amount of variety among Hmong

Americans--economically, educationally, socially, and doctrinally.

And it's my hope that Hmong writers will be able to describe that

wonderfully varied mix with their own voices.

Although I haven't definitively ruled out the possibility of an epi-

logue, I'm reluctant to gunk up the book with a hasty note glued

onto the end. Since the publication of the book, my interest in both

Hmong American culture and medical culture has been purely

amateur, not professional; I'm hardly an expert on what's going on

now and would not wish to represent myself as one. And in order

to "continue the story" I'd have to turn the people I wrote about

from friends back into sources. That would feel like moving back-

wards in the wrong direction, since the relationships that have

evolved are so important to me personally and are so dependent

today on my no longer being a reporter with a notebook and a tape

recorder.

That doesn't mean, though, that the broader subject of Hmong

American culture doesn't need to be written about. It's an endless-

ly rich subject--one I think I should leave to a group that didn't

exist in the 80s but that has many extremely capable and knowl-

edgeable members now: young Hmong American writers.

SV: In addition with the arrival of 15,000 new Hmong refugees

from Thailand in summer of 2004 what can be some suggestions

you can recommend for medical doctors and Hmong community

members to prevent misunderstandings?

AF: The arrival of the Hmong refugees from Tham Krabok is cru-

cially different from the first waves of Hmong immigration to the

U.S. When the first Hmong arrived, there were no Hmong here to

welcome them, and their first contacts were with ill-informed

social service agencies where no one spoke Hmong. The Hmong

who have recently arrived found a well-established network of

sophisticated and successful Hmong communities awaiting them;

almost all of them have been aided by bilingual and bicultural

Hmong who have been educated in the U.S. That's not to say,

however, that everything has been (or will be) easy.

It would be arrogant of me to give advice to Hmong community

members; they know far better than I do how to be of help to new-

comers. But as far as physicians go, I'd remind them that even if

they think they are familiar with Hmong patients, the newly

arrived refugees may surprise them; they may resemble Hmong

patients from the late 70s or early 80s more than they resemble the

bicultural Hmong American patients they may have dealt with

during the last few years. They should be sure to provide capable

interpretation services and consult with Hmong leaders if they run

into a conflict with a cultural subtext that they're unable to solve

with purely medical means.

SV: How has participating and writing this book affected your

life?

Hugely! First of all, I'm not the least bit sure that my husband

would have married me had it not been for the help of Lia's moth-

er, Foua Yang, who felt that I was much too old to be unmarried

and, when my then-boyfriend visited me in Merced, dressed me as

a Hmong bride in order to give George a hint. (He proposed the

next week.) When I had children, my parenting style was very

much influenced by spending time with the Lees. Most Anglo

families I knew seemed sort of chilly and distant compared with

Hmong families; the grandparents, parents, and children often

lived hundreds of miles apart and rarely saw each other. When my

own kids were babies, I ended up carrying them around every-

where. And I made sure that as they grew, they saw their grand-

parents as often as possible. I've lost both my parents during the

last five years, but just last year George and I persuaded his par-

ents to move near our family: it's so important to me to feel the

intergenerational connections that are taken for granted in many

Hmong households but somehow ignored in many Anglo families.

Spending time with Lia's doctors also affected my life. I'm much

more selective when I choose my family's doctors; it's important

to me that they relate to us as human beings as well as patients.

And when they're sensitive, I'm far more grateful and appreciative

than I used to be, because I have a better understanding of how

hard it is to be a doctor and how much effort it requires to bring

humanity into the mix.

SV: 2005 signifies the 30th anniversary of the Hmong American

experience in the U.S. What are some successes and challenges

based upon your experience and work with the community do you

feel are most important?

AF: I think the Hmong American community has been extremely

successful. Just look at the social indicators! The incidences of

divorce and child abuse are far lower than in most other American

communities. (I attribute that to strong family and clan ties.)

Hmong families are far less likely than Anglo families to place

their elders in nursing homes or their disabled relatives in institu-

tions.

Anne Fadiman w/ HmSa San Diego


Rates of higher education are going

up; welfare rates are going down. Of

course no community is entirely free

of problems, but the Hmong commu-

nity in many ways could (and

should) serve as a role model for

other Americans.

SV: Additional comments or infor-

mation you would like to discuss

about the book?

AF: I'd just like to voice my grati-

tude to both my Hmong friends and

my medical friends for opening up

their lives and their stores of knowl-

edge to someone who was an out-

sider in both worlds. I'll never be

either a Hmong or a doctor, so I'm

still an outsider and I would never

pretend to be anything else. But

there's no doubt that my own world

was vastly enlarged because of being

granted entry to the worlds of oth-

ers.z

n recent months, many Americans and political organizations in California and

else where came forward to voice their concerns about the fore coming Hmong

refugees when the US State Department officially announced its plan to relocate the

long-neglected Hmong refugees living in the Vak Thakrabom, Thailand . Although

some Americans may still have their own xenophobic attitudes toward other immigrant

and refugee groups, Hmong refugees are absolutely entitled to resettle in the United

States, regardless how other Americans may portray them to be. The American pub-

lic and political organizations do really need to relearn their past history involving the

Hmong during the Secret War in Laos. These refugees had sacrificed thousands of

lives to pay the ultimate price for their freedom years ago and should deserve to live

a better life, just like any other naturalized Americans who fought in the Vietnam War,

Korean War, World War I and II, and perhaps in the current war in Iraq. Americans

should openly welcome the new Hmong refugees to the new homeland so they can

start a life all over again.

Some Americans have portrayed Hmong Americans and their politics, socioeconom-

ic status, culture, and traditions inaccurately and inappropriately. Their negative

descriptions worry those who know and work with Hmong Americans. This article is

intended to bring the truth to those who view Hmong Americans negatively and at the

same to provide some insights for those who have been misguided about the sociopo-

litical transition of Hmong Americans.

Here are great examples of those who anti-Hmong Americans politically and econom-

ically.

Mr. James Emery's article "Defiant Youth, Weak Leaders Hurt Hmong" (March 20,

2003) and Mr. Joe Guzzardi's article "Hmong Wrong for America. America Wrong for

Hmong" (August 2003) are perfect examples of cultural misrepresentation, bigotry,

cynicism, humiliation, and anti-immigration sentiments. Not only is what they wrote

about Hmong Americans inaccurate, but also the way they portrayed the Hmong is

completely and culturally unprofessional.

Whether Mr. Emery is a professional, a farmer, or a welfare recipient, as many Hmong

are, his knowledge about the Hmong is still immature. Regardless of his claims that

he has testified in court and elsewhere as an expert on Hmong issues, his article

demonstrates that he is ignorant and somewhat closed-minded regarding the Hmong

Americans. Whatever information he has given to others about the Hmong is truly a

misrepresentation of the people and their culture. Mr. Emery should consider relearn-

ing what he thinks he knows about Hmong issues before giving any further deposi-

tions on behalf of Hmong Americans.

In addition, the civil and legal justice systems should utilize an "expert" such as Mr.

Emery with extreme caution. His anthropological and ethnological points of view result

in more harm than good, and his public testimony serves to confuse rather than clar-

ify non-Hmong perceptions of Hmong cultural matters. The same is true of Mr.

Guzzardi.

Sadly, in building his knowledge of Hmong, Mr. Emery consulted only a few people.

And perhaps these are the discontented and professionals who are culturally insensi-

tive in dealing with Hmong. Mr. Emery may not realize that the information his sources

provided is not entirely true and does not reflect the U.S. Hmong-American commu-

nity. Someone who wished to undermine and destroy the creditability and

Hmong Refugees are Entitled to Resettle inthe United StatesBy Chris T. Vang, Ed. D.

I

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solidarity of Hmong people may have given the faulty infor-

mation. Similarly, Mr. Guzzardi consulted Mr. Roy Beck,

who described Hmong refugees as unwanted immigrants in

the U.S. It is clear that Mr. Guzzardi's source is anti-immi-

grant.

Mr. Emery did not talk to those who care about, know, work

for, and serve the Hmong. As an "expert," Mr. Emery should

know better than to use one rotten apple in the basket to

paint a picture that misrepresents the entire Hmong-

American community. This calls into question his academic

integrity. Apparently, his expertise on Hmong issues so far is

very limited, serves no meaningful purpose for his audience,

and reflects nothing more than his self-proclaimed position

as a cultural witness. This kind of old-American bigotry still

exists in the minds of some Americans who lobby against

Hmong refugees because of their ignorance on Hmong

issues and the sacrifices Hmong made for the U.S.

To bring him up to date on Hmong issues, Mr. Emery should

read the Fresno Bee's article "Hmong Immigrants Make

Impressive Transition" (April 12, 2003), written by Mr. Silas

Cha. This article gives an accurate depiction of contempo-

rary Hmong Americans, their leadership, and their commu-

nities. The distortions in Mr. Emery's article suggest that he

may need a more westernized education to give him the

perspective on Hmong issues that would enable him to

serve as an accurate witness. Perhaps Mr. Cha's article will

broaden his views and assist him in that respect.

To overcome bigotry, Mr. Roy Beck and Mr. Joe Guzzardi

should read the article "After We Had Used the Hmong"

(February 10, 1991), written by Mr. Gary Shanks, a CIA hel-

icopter flight mechanic who supplied Hmong soldiers with

CIA planes in northern Laos during the Secret War. This arti-

cle accurately describes the Hmong's role in the U.S. Secret

War in Laos and the ways Americans used the tribal Hmong

as their military shields to guard the border for their political

interests. Here is an excerpt from his article:

We educated them not with books but with lectures and pic-

ture pamphlets on guerrilla warfare. We trained them not in

methods of farming, but in methods of killing. We supplied

them not with plows and seed but with machine guns and

grenades. We provided them not with medicine and cloth-

ing, but with stretchers and jungle fatigues and body bags.

Instead of building hospitals and schools we built airstrips

and bunkers and mountaintop outposts. We ferried them

into battles and we ferried them out, dead or alive. They

fought our war and 30,000 of them died, and when it was

over, we pulled out and left them in the mountains for

Phathet Laos and North Vietnamese to do with as they

wished.

How do you repay a people who have been victimized so

brashly, their lives devastated, their culture disintegrated,

their homeland now nothing but a distant dream? Not with

ridicule, contempt, or scorn. Not with a hearty dose of good

old-American fashion bigotry.

We owe their children a good education with teachers and

counselors who speak their language and can assist them

not only in academics but also with traumatic transition into

our educational system.

We owe them representation on the police force with their

own officers who understand their customs and culture and

can help bridge the tremendous gap between their cultural

and religious beliefs and our legal system.

We owe them physicians and other medical professionals

who are knowledgeable of and sensitive to their beliefs

regarding medical treatment, and can discuss with them the

benefits of modern medical techniques.

We owe them psychological counseling, not only for their

war veterans and surviving families, but also for their elders

who suffer from cultural shock and from depression over

their loss of authority as their children break away from the

traditional family values.

We owe them reunification with their families and relatives,

over 50,000 of whom still live in squalor and starvation in

disease-ridden refugee camps in Thailand. The United

States government has been dragging its feet on this issue

for 15 years. They (the Hmong) only want a fair shake and

a chance to contribute to our society… it was our policy that

brought them here… it's time we (U.S. government) started

living up to our responsibilities.

As a professor of anthropology and journalism, Mr. Emery

should have known Hmong issues better. He should have

considered the matter ethically and professionally before

writing for publication such a horrible, ruthless, and insensi-

tive article on Hmong issues. Most of the issues he dis-

cussed are typical problems in America. These issues face

not only Hmong Americans, but people in nearly all minori-

ty groups.

With respect to his academic freedom and freedom of

speech, Mr. Emery should have chosen a more appropriate

and scholarly medium for disseminating the information he

wished to convey. And he should have engaged his audi-

ence in a professional and constructive discourse on the

issues instead of lauding himself as a cross-cultural expert

witness.

These refugees had sacrificed thou-

sands of lives to pay the ultimate price

for their freedom years ago and

should deserve to live a better life...

“

”


What makes Mr. Emery an expert witness? One becomes

an expert only after obtaining in-depth knowledge through

years of professional experience and research. Even a

Hmong American, such as this author, would hesitate to pro-

claim himself an expert witness on Hmong issues. How

could someone such as Mr. Emery claim to be one when he

has described the Hmong inaccurately and negatively?

To understand Hmong issues better, Mr. Emery should

reflect on the experiences of his great grandparents, grand-

parents, and parents when they first came to America.

Hmong Americans are facing difficult challenges everyday.

Any people going through the process of adaptation learn

from the ups and downs, and the Hmong continue to press

toward the American dream as did Mr. Emery's parents.

However, Mr. Emery does not appear to appreciate that

Hmong Americans have made extraordinary sacrifices in

the process. He does not seem to understand the social

adjustments that are part of the struggle. Rather, he cites

the proliferation of gangs as an indication that Hmong

Americans are completely losing control over their family

structure, their youth, their leaders, and their community

organization. It is clear that he still lacks a great deal of

knowledge about Hmong Americans.

The truth is that, as a group-oriented and close-knitted com-

munity, most Hmong Americans are socially disciplined

according to their culture and traditions. In most cases,

Hmong family culture and traditions are more intact than

those of other minority groups with similar backgrounds.

However, some children may fall through the cracks while

changing, adapting, and assimilating. As an American, Mr.

Emery should have known the complexities and conflicts

that are part of the process of adaptation. It is incomprehen-

sible that he feels Hmong refugees should be more west-

ernized, that perhaps they should relinquish their culture

and traditions. In that regard, Mr. Emery needs to consider

that America is made of different nations, races, religions,

cultures, and traditions. Moreover, the social system of this

country is so intricate because Americans come from differ-

ent cultural backgrounds. And Hmong refugees are now

part of the American family fabric. Moreover, Mr. Guzzardi

should not have to pose any anti-immigration questions

regarding Hmong in America. Just like European

Americans, Hmong are neither right nor wrong for America

because this land is their home, too.

Although he wrote that the Hmong might be their own worst

enemy in politics, Mr. Emery's perception comes from the

old days before Hmong immigrated to the U.S.

Nevertheless, it is his own cynical interpretations of old pol-

itics, when Hmong were caught in the middle of the political

influences from the west. As with any race, Hmong do have

dissenters and supporters in the political arena, just like the

pros and cons in U.S. politics. Nowadays, Hmong live in a

democratic society and view things constructively and plu-

ralistically, as do most Americans. But they do not have

assimilationist views as Mr. Emery and other Americans do.

They participate in civic matters and continue to learn the

western philosophy of politics, whether they agree or dis-

agree with the platforms. Meanwhile, Hmong reserve their

right to practice their cultural traditions in order to preserve

their heritage for future generations.

As an educator, Mr. Emery should have known that there

are liberal and conservative Hmong Americans who may

disagree with one another on political platforms, just as

other Americans do. Despite his claim, the majority of

Hmong Americans are still congenial citizens and the

Hmong generally remain one of the most cohesive minority

groups in America.

Since Mr. Emery has invested a large amount of profession-

al energy in researching Hmong issues, I thank him for his

interest in the Hmong people. However, I ask him to treat

the culture and people he studies with unconditional

respect. If he is truly an expert, he should not render his pro-

fessional decisions on the basis of the tattletales of some-

one who regards Hmong refugees as a negative and unciv-

ilized group. Mr. Beck and Mr. Guzzardi are examples of

those who are cynical enough to blame Hmong Americans

for losing their country and for immigrating to the U.S.

I hope that Mr. Emery will take some time to learn the facts

and will want to write about Hmong issues again. When that

time comes, he should refrain from making inflammatory

comments ("an ominous sign of the erosion of Hmong cul-

ture," "barking orders," and "shame culture") and he should

consider carefully what kind of people he is interviewing (an

insensitive school counselor who lacks cross-cultural knowl-

edge, a war veteran who may have lost his leadership and

social status in the community and therefore have a bias).

I suggest to him that there are plenty of Hmong-American

leaders, professionals, and educators who would be good

sources to help Mr. Emery learn more about Hmong

Americans. Perhaps, he would consider interviewing con-

temporary Hmong Americans to improve his professional

repertoire. Otherwise, his ignorance about Hmong

Americans will become even more apparent. And his self-

proclaimed expertise on Hmong issues and unprofessional

depositions on behalf of Hmong Americans will undermine

the work of those who love and care about Hmong

refugees.

Mr. Guzzardi definitely needs cross-cultural training if he

ever wants to be a teacher for refugee immigrants again.

There are many Hmong Americans who can speak, read,

and write English and can become ESL teachers for Hmong

adults.

“ Even if Hmong Americans lack

strong leadership, perfect transition,

and sociopolitical status in America,

they do not deserve to be portrayed

as underclass citizens. ”


Therefore, a monolingual-ESL teacher, such as Mr. Joe

Gardner, who is culturally insensitive to refugee adult stu-

dents, should not have to worry about teaching adult edu-

cation classes anymore. Bilingual Hmong-American teach-

ers can replace him and thereby give adult Hmong stu-

dents a more meaningful education. Mr. Guzzardi's former

students must be sad to see a teacher, presumably a role

model, write such an obnoxious article referring to his stu-

dents' culture and traditions with a close-minded attitude.

And Mr. Guzzardi also advocates against their desire to

reunify their family members who are living in fear of per-

secution and wrongfully executed for no reason. A teacher

such as Mr. Guzzardi completely lacks human compassion

and turns his back on his students after he has used them

for his personal and occupational gain.

No doubt some Americans have cynical views of Hmong

ethnicity, politics, socioeconomic status, culture, youth, and

community. However, their cross-cultural misconceptions

do not make them the experts who should give civic testi-

mony representing Hmong people and community. If an

expert is needed, Hmong Americans deserve someone

who can give a true voice, not those who are insensitive

toward refugee groups, who are anti-immigrant, and who

are assimilationist educators.

Let's remind Mr. Guzzardi and Mr. Beck that this country is

known as the land of opportunity. It is known as a nation of

many ethnicities and a country of immigrants. Hmong

Americans have the same right to be here as any

European American who came here for religious, political,

or socioeconomic reasons. America is the right place for

Hmong Americans; it is the place where they belong.

Every Hmong living in Laos or a Thai refugee camps

deserves to resettle in the U.S. because of the unforget-

table military sacrifices the Hmong made for freedom in

the Secret War, assisting the Americans in suppressing the

communist regime in Vietnam. Instead of being xenopho-

bic Americans, Mr. Beck and Mr. Guzzardi should consider

that Hmong paid for their freedom. The U.S. should never

forget their contributions to its mission in Southeast Asian

countries. And Americans should continue to embrace

them and welcome them to their new homeland as they

wish to start a new life.

Even if Hmong Americans lack strong leadership, perfect

transition, and sociopolitical status in America, they do not

deserve to be portrayed as underclass citizens. Some

Americans think that the Hmong may have forgotten their

familial roots, ethnic identity, and contributions to the

world's civilization. However, the Hmong are well known to

those who sought their assistance and understood their

way of living. The contagious cynicism of some Americans,

including some Hmong Americans, could be a rhetorical

tactic that is intended to destroy Hmong Americans' soli-

darity and leadership. However, Hmong are making good

progress in the mainstream culture and are far from having

an ominous culture and traditions. The Hmong have sur-

vived for at least five thousand years. Today, Hmong cul-

ture and traditions are stronger and more pristine than in

the past twenty-seven years.

Let's urge other Hmong Americans to speak up to educate

cynical Americans about Hmong's past, present, and

future. Remember, the old phrases, "United We Stand;

Separate We Perish." Now, we must unite to educate

other Americans who resent our existence to protect our

future Hmong generations from being humiliated politically

and culturally. Hmong Americans just cannot continue to

be silent Americans and should not allow other oblivious

professionals to destroy their creditability. We need to be

proactive Americans, and we all must stand for something

or we will never stand for anything. We need to speak our

minds, to advocate for ourselves, and to defend who we

really are. Our synergetic collaboration will make a differ-

ence in educating those Americans who inaccurately

describe and negatively label us. To bring social and politi-

cal justice to our people, we must assist other Americans

polish democracy and freedom for all. It is our job to give

them, some cynical Americans, a better understanding of

our life and place in America. z

Chris T. Vang is associate professor in the Teacher

Education department at California State University,

Stanislaus.

Vong Moua, Sales & Leasing Consultant David Vang, Sales & Leasing Consultant

742 Academy Avenue Ph: (559) 875-4596

Sanger, CA 93657 Fax: (559) 875-8902

www.valleytoyota.net


PerspectivesVietnam War wounded him and LaosBy Noah Vang

ix shards of shrapnel remain in the body of

46-year-old Cha Vang after a grenade explod-

ed during heavy shooting and bombing

against the Vietnamese.

"I knew I was hit," Vang recalls now. "I knew I was

hit."

The first wound: Vang crouches down to his right

foot. "Here, here," Vang says, squeezing the top of

his yellowish tanned skin. "I can't see it, but I can feel

it."

The second and third wound: Vang softly massages

his right thigh. "Two are in here," he says.

The fourth wound: Vang slips himself out of his

grassy-green sweater. He pinches his left bare-naked armpit. The shard appears like a bump. "It

does not hurt anymore," he says with a sigh of relief in his voice.

The fifth and sixth shard of shrapnel: He twists his body and points to a black, burnt scar on his

lower back, two inches to the right of his spinal cord. "I thought I was paralyzed," he says, "I

couldn't feel my body for a moment."

The wounds have healed. "I walk around everyday with metal inside my body, but it doesn't both-

er me," he says. "I'm getting it removed soon."

Vang now lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for 22 years along with one of his two sisters. His other

sister lives in Missoula, Montana, which was where he first arrived in 1982.

Then he moved to Milwaukee in 1984 to reunite with some of his close relatives after they were

separated by the war.

The 5-feet 4-inches and weighs 150 pound, mellow-looking face, remembers the war as if only

happened yesterday. "When I open my eyes or close my eyes, I still see them," he says.

His oldest son, Pao, 25, sits still and listens.

Vang's scars date to 1973. He was only 15 then. He volunteered to join 600 other Hmong sol-

diers during the Vietnam War that persisted in Laos from 1954 to 1975. Vang, like many other

Hmong veterans, carries within his body reminders of the great debt that America owes to the

Hmong for their Vietnam sacrifices.

Few suffered as heavily as the Hmong, America's allies, during that conflict. Although the story

is not known to many Americans, the Hmong were often those sent to the front lines and they

were persecuted for their services after the war by the Communist Laotian regime.

Many, like Vang, fled to America and sought political asylum, where they live quietly, without acco-

lades, and with lasting remnants of the conflict in their bodies and souls. And like Vang, many of

these veterans also suffered the loss of other family members to the war. They were the lucky

ones in a way. They were the ones who made it out alive. "I am glad to be in America," he says.

"I enjoy the freedom."

But the cost was still great. Like many other children that grew up during times of wars, their child-

hood depleted, which he lives a memory dominated by war. "I had no choice, but to join," says

Vang. "I was poor. I was an orphan."

Documents

Hmong Movement 09 Winter 2005