What Are The Arguments Against Hmong Hate Crimes

Sherry Lee
ASAM 15 MWF 10am-10:50am
Professor Franklin Ng
23 October 2015
Racial Crimes against the Hmong Hate crimes can happen anywhere, anytime, or to anyone. A hate crime is an act of violence that is prompted towards a person or group of people based on aspects that make them different from a specific group such as race, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes occur when there is a dominant person or group over another. As defined by Merriam-Webster, a hate crime is “any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation).” A history of hate crimes have begun long before the 1900s, however, the arrival

They escaped from oppression in Southeastern Asia. The Hmongs have been in the United States for approximately forty years. Many Hmong reside in California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. There is about two hundred fifty thousand Hmong people in the United States, however Saint Paul, Minnesota, is where many reside. Even though the Hmong people escaped from oppression in Southeastern Asia, they still face discrimination in the United States especially from those who are in authority. There have been cases of hateful crimes that were act upon the Hmong people such as the case that dealt with Cha Vang, who was a hunter that was murdered and hidden in the woods, and Sao Lue Vang, who was also a hunter that was badly beaten up and hospitalized for many months. The sentences given to the criminals of these victims were unjustified. If the roles of the victims and criminals were switched, the sentences for the criminals would be more

Victims could suffer psychologically due to being in a life threatening event that may have caused serious injuries. Author of “Hate Crimes, Oppression, and Legal Theory,” David A. Reidy, stated that violent hate crimes can cause significant psychological harm to an individual or individuals due to the assaults that were received. Sao Lue Vang was severely injured internally and externally, which now requires for him to use a wheelchair to move around. The consequence of having to use a wheelchair instead of his feet to move around would absolutely affect him psychologically. Not only would this affect the victim but the people around the victims as well. As Vang’s daughter, Mai Vang, stated, “He won’t be able to cook for us, and he won’t be able to help us with anything like before because of what Kevin Elberg did to my father (Suab Hmong Broadcasting)…” To not be able to do the things one was able to do before, can be a burden and that feeling of being a burden could affect one’s psychological thinking