The Hmong

           

 I was introduced to the Hmong when I read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, a story about a young Hmong girl, Lia, who had epilepsy. Although her story was captivating, what I remember most about the narrative was the struggle between the Hmong culture and American culture. 

It was a challenge for Lia's parents to understand what doctors wanted them to do and how to give Lia medicine, and it eventually led to the separation of their family on the basis of a misunderstanding. 

What intrigued me most about this book was that it seemed like no one knew anything about the Hmong except the Hmong, and not only that, but that the Hmong had to be either completely Hmong or completely American--a difficult transition. You can't live as a Hmong in America; there are't the same resources and there are laws against parts of your religion, you don't speak the same language and you don't know how to use the same transportation  I wanted to know why they weren't like the other cultures in the U.S. that can be distinct and yet at the same time function in the U.S. quite easily, and how they held on to that culture.

There needs to be a way to help the Hmong live in America without destroying their culture or pretending like it doesn't matter, because it does.

So what, then? A Hmong school? Governmental support of Hmong communities? A Hmong community center? It's difficult to know which one is best, but that's what I want to explore