Searching for sources of hmong identity in multicultural America
- Author(s):
- Her, Vincent K.
- Format:
- Book section
- Publisher:
- Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012.
- Language:
- English
- Abstract:
- The identity of an ethnic group is relatively stable with deep roots in family, culture, tradition, and history. Extensive research also has shown that politics, race, and intergroup interactions are all important considerations for individual and group identity formation. As Stuart Hall notes: "Cultural identities come from somewhere, have histories. But, like everything which is historical, they undergo constant transformation." For Hmong Americans, where should this somewhere in the development of their identity be located, what are the stories that constitute their histories, and what forces are influencing the transformations within their families and communities? 1 As Hmong Americans situate themselves within the twenty-first century, what bonds them locally and globally and what links them to others in U.S. society? Being Hmong in America today is different radically from being Hmong in Laos or in the refugee camps of Thailand in the 1970s and 1980s. Yet, for those of us who are first-generation Hmong Americans, being Hmong in the United States continues to be influenced by our collective experiences in the other countries where we were born (and, in the case of the 1.5 generation, where we first were educated). Our lives have been altered by transnational migration. More significantly, our outlook has been nurtured by the ideology, beliefs, and lifeways of our adopted home country. People necessarily rethink their identities as they pick up new ideas, respond to contemporary challenges, and assess their contributions to society. The aim of this chapter is to explore identity formation within the context of transitions and changes accompanying Hmong adaptation to American society. © 2012 by the Minnesota Historical Society. All rights reserved.
- ISBN:
- 9780873518482 (ISBN)
- Identifier:
- HmongStudies1228