The Hmong: Strangers in Their Own Land

Figure 1: Hmong Children

Today’s blog post will explore a cultural group that has existed for centuries but has been in geographical flux since the end of the Vietnam War: the Hmong (Figure 1).  The Hmong hail from southeast Asia, specifically from Vietnam and parts of Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, but they can be found throughout the world, including the United States.  The Hmong have a rich history and cultural traditions that govern their daily activities, which will be explored further herein.

Traditionally the Hmong are a group of horticulturalists who grew a variety of crops.  They grew a series of food crops, including rice, corn, and a variety of vegetables and fruits, but their primary cultigen was opium poppy (Figure 2), which they grew for medicinal purposes.  They were aware of the consequences of consuming too much opium poppy and there does not appear to be many incidences of its abuse among them.  This cultigen was traded with outside groups, but it made the Hmong unpopular among neighboring groups, which appears to be the preference among them. 

The Hmong lived in highland villages that isolated them from various other groups.  There was a wide variation in the house styles that existed in any village, but there were common elements among them, including a cooking hearth, altar, and granary (food storage area).  While the house style varied the house placement did not.  Houses were built in areas only after consulting the local and familiar spirits, as well as surveying the practicality of the location for proper house construction.  Once the location was decided upon the community came together to construct the dwelling.

Figure 2: Opium Poppy

The Hmong people are divided into patrilineal clans, but there is greater emphasis and attention on the individual family unit.  The remaining members of the clan, however, are considered part of the extended family network and consulted and contacted accordingly.  Members of each clan are expected to marry outside of their clan, and often the family does not get involved in such matters, allowing individuals to make their own choices on who they marriage.  Prior to marriage being able to take place a bride price is negotiated based on the potential fertility of the woman, meaning younger women who can bare more children fetch higher bride prices.

The Hmong largely believe in animistic religions, which are religions largely based in the belief in spirits existing in all entities.  There are several classes of spirits that the Hmong acknowledge, including the household spirits that guard the home, medicinal spirits that control health, natural spirits that exist among plants and animals, and shamanic spirits that can only converse with spiritual practitioners.  They believe strongly in the notion of maintain a balance between the physical and spiritual world, and that any imbalance can and does lead to sickness and potentially death.  Certain circumstances, such as childbirth and marriages, leave individuals vulnerable to spiritual attacks, so specific rituals are conducted to protect those affected. 

Figure 3: Hmong Refugees

 

During the Vietnam War the Hmong worked closely with the United States Armed Forces to combat the North Vietnamese Communists.  They were secretly trained by the Green Berets to fight alongside US military personnel.  Unfortunately, when the US withdrew from the war efforts in Vietnam many Hmong were displaced.  Those who were not captured or killed fled the country as refugees (Figure 3), braving terrible conditions and dangerous circumstances when trying to escape to freedom and safety.  Several thousand Hmong refugees have been resettled in the US, as well as various other parts of the world.  Unfortunately, their resettlement has not been easy as their way of life is so different from the cultural norms of their host countries.  Several generations of new Hmong have been born since the war, and many of them have assimilated as a means of survival.  Despite this there remains some grip on traditional cultural traditions and values, particularly among the older Hmong who were raised in Vietnam.  Hopefully as time goes on and people learn more about the Hmong there will be less judgement against them and they will feel safe and comfortable enough to practice their traditional ways without consequence.

References

Peters-Golden, H.  (2011).  Culture Sketches: Case Studies in Anthropology. 6th Edition.  Mc-Graw Hill Education.