Hmong Americans: The conceptualization and experience of aging in the United States

Author(s):

Gerdner, Linda A.

Format:

Book section

Citation:

Diversity In Diaspora: Hmong Americans In The Twenty-first Century, (2013). pp. 188-206.

Publisher:

University of Hawaii Press, 2013.

Language:

English

Abstract:

The Hmong who are living in the United States originated from the remote highlands of Laos, where they lived in small villages comprised of extended patrilineal households (Cooper 1998; Quincy 1995). Historically, elders were treated with great respect and were revered for the wisdom they had acquired over a lifetime, as reflected in the following two proverbs. The first proverb is Cov laus lawv noj ntau diav mov lawv yeej paub dau (Elders have eaten more spoonfuls of rice and therefore know more). The meaning of this proverb is that wisdom is the product of a long life. The second proverb is Rab riam ntaus tau zoo nkauj los txiav thiab hlais tsis tau nqaij. Yuav tsum muab hov ntawm lub zeb ho (The knife made by the blacksmith is very beautiful but will not cut meat unless the blade is tempered and sharpened). This proverb conveys that the beauty of youth may be pleasing to the eye, but utility, like wisdom or knowledge, lies in unseen values and must be learned (Gerdner, Xiong, and Cha 2006, 26). The Hmong lived a relatively peaceful agrarian lifestyle until the war in Vietnam extended into Laos. As a result, Hmong men and boys were recruited by the communist Pathet Lao on one side and the Royal Lao Army, with support of the United States, on the other side. From the early 1960s to 1975, an estimated eighteen to twenty thousand Hmong soldiers died, while an estimated fifty thousand civilians died directly from the fighting or indirectly from disrupted village and agricultural life (Robinson 1998, 13). This had a devastating impact on Hmong families. In 1975, the United States withdrew from the Vietnam War, forcing those who served under U.S. support to flee their homeland or suffer severe persecution and/or death by the communist Pathet Lao (Hamilton-Merritt 1993). The majority of those who escaped crossed the treacherous Mekong River into Thailand, where they sought protection in refugee camps. Later, the Hmong relocated to host countries (i.e., the United States, Canada, France, and Australia). This dispersion resulted in further division of family members. Hmong endured numerous losses upon their arrival in the United States (i.e., lifestyle, key relationships, role identity), as well as threats to their cultural heritage (Parker 1996). When compared to other refugee or immigrant groups in U.S. history, the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement has identified the Hmong as having the greatest difficulty adjusting to life in America (Hunn n.d.). This adjustment has been particularly difficult for elder Hmong (Task Force of the Commission on Aging 1996), who are more likely to face language barriers, low socioeconomic status, lack of formal education, insufficient means of transportation, and social isolation (Thao 2002; Parker 1996). © 2013 University of Hawai'i Press. All rights reserved.

ISBN:

9780824837778 (ISBN); 9780824835972 (ISBN)

Identifier:

HmongStudies1001