After researching the Hmong culture, I learned several interesting facts about their culture, ceremonial practices, and their views on death and dying of a loved one. Many people in the Hmong culture believe in multiple souls that reincarnate. Although for this to occur, these individuals believe that an honored deceased member must have a proper burial to enter the spirit world in a positive way. Funerals in the Hmong culture last for many days, and the more revered the deceased is the longer the funeral may be. Animal sacrifice is a common ritual performed at a Hmong funeral and the animal is used to provide food for the people attending the funeral (Purnell, 2014, p. 246).
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.
When people hear about elderly individuals most will assume that they are wise, filled with endless amounts of wisdom, and have stories to pass down. Well, if an individual is an elderly Hmong male, then this is accurate. It has been said “Within the family, the eldest man would traditionally hold the utmost power and control and would possess final say regarding all family decisions” (Tatman 2004). Also, the elder adults are typically seen as clan leaders. Clan leaders make many decisions and approve of any major decisions (Cobb 2010).
Retracing back to my ethnic history, Hmong people was a minority group that originally originated in China and slowly spread to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, United States, Australia, and France. It was never identified if the Hmong people had their own country or if they were part of the Chinese lineage whom had become a minority group of their own with its own language and culture. It is found that, the Hmong cultural last names consist of 18 different last names and were very similar to the Chinese last names. As to that there are still Hmong people who live in China mainland. For this reason, it had been a belief that the Hmong cultural did exist from China and had ancestors who were monarchs.
The ! Kung tribe is a group of nomadic hunters and gatherers that mainly reside in Botswana, Angola, and Namibia. Recently, the Bushmen have had to transition from a nomadic lifestyle to a more common sedentary one. In both lifestyles, gender roles of men and women have existed, starting at a young age and only strengthening as children matured. Gender roles of the !
Hmong identities are often influenced by three major factors that dictate patriarchal gender roles in Hmong families and communities. The importance of family, marriage, and roles by birth has significant contribution in shaping Hmong cultural expectations for men and women. The generational conflicts between these factors have influenced how men and women are expected to behave, but education has slowly paved the way for gender equality as Hmong has always found a way to change their ways of life in accordance to every nation they have come across (Vang, 2016). Ngo (2011) found that Hmong cultural values create a sense of oppression for Hmong girls as they are expected to be submissive while the boys are expected to be decisive. This
Hmong Culture The Hmong primarily originated from the “mountainous areas of China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos” (Purnell, 2014, pg. 236) and immigrated to the United States in 1975 after the Vietnam War. Primarily refugees from Laos, the Hmong people began immigrating to the United States in large numbers “after communist forces came to power in their native country.” (Bankston, 2014, pg. 332) Mainly settling in California, the Hmong began to be dispersed by American refugee settlement agencies across the country in the 1980s, also settling in Wisconsin and Michigan.
“We used to stack fucks like you five feet high in Korea, use you for sand bags” states Walt with an assault rifle pointed at the gang members laying in his lawn. Walt handled confrontation head on and had no intentions on backing down from this situation of trespassing. In Walts mind Asians were nothing more than the enemy with weird customs which he seen by his neighbors. He was also effected deeply by his time in Korea which he never failed to mention. This created a bias, he saw all Asians the same and spoke stereotypes about them constantly.
This research paper examines the factors first generation Hmong American college students encounter while pursuing completion of higher education. Existing studies shows that many Hmong American college students encounter struggles with families’ language barriers (Lee 4), differences in cultural expectations (Vang 2), and finical issue. The struggles they face shows on the Hmong American college students academics (Vang 2). Introduction Vocabulary Hmong: Hmong are a group from the mountains of China, Laos, and Vietnam.
Although my experiences are not as drastic as hers, she inspires me to make my own decisions. As I grow, I realize more that my independence is important because I cannot rely on other people as much since everyone’s experiences are different. For example, when they were children in Guyana, my parents had to walk miles to school while I am able to take the bus to school. Although my parents and I went to school up until the same age, our experiences lead to different approaches in situations. The transition from middle school to high school was eye opening because in middle school the class would move together, whereas in high school, everyone went their own ways.
My family has always been the center of my universe. They’ve taught me the importance of being united and taking care of one another—because in the end, all we truly have is each other. My parents have raised me to be a good daughter, sister, and citizen. They’ve shaped me to be respectful, responsible, and virtuous, knowing these values will last a lifetime. But above all, my parents have instilled in me an appreciation and eagerness for education.
My mother and father have always wanted the best for me, like all good parents do. One of the many things that they expect from me is to receive a college education, something that they never had the chance to do. My parents always advise me to not to make the same mistakes as they did, to go to college so I can get a good job and not have to struggle in my life. With no alternative, my father had to drop out of school to help his family financially after his parents had gotten a divorce, and then he had received his GED.
I was raised in a semi-strict learning oriented environment. My family consists of my father, mother, eldest brother, and younger brother. We all lived in Ewa Beach on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. The neighborhood was very lively with kids in almost every household along the alleyway. Growing up academics was a huge priority as it is for many students today.
When children heard about their burdensome stories, that stimulated and encouraged them to succeed. However, they were getting tired to work on their degrees due to their parents’ expectations. Most Asian American parents expect their children to be successful in the future. This kind of culture related to their traditional education which is parents have to be good examples then let children to imitate. A famous proverb states, “ The apple never falls far from the tree.
Parents in China demand children value education at an early age. I don’t believe that most American parents do that to their children. I believe that the majority of American parents are weak with regards to attending to the educational learning of their
