The spirit of enterprise and the emergence of Hmong and Hmong American identities: Reflections of a Hmong anthropologist

Author(s):

Lee, Gary Yia

Format:

Book section

Publisher:

Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012.

Language:

English

Abstract:

Being Hmong is having many identities, starting at birth and continuing throughout life. Sometimes these identities are clear-cut, but often they clash with each other. As we mature, most of us learn, although it is not easy, to navigate through this maze of confusing self-images. We just accept it as part of our life, of belonging to a minority living on the margin, and of having to accommodate the demands of majority groups we live with. For a Hmong, even one's birth order puts a difference on one's identity: the firstborn is expected to lead and to bear more family responsibilities. Moreover, one's Hmong identity is determined by whether one is a boy or a girl. A boy's placenta is traditionally buried at the base of the central post of the house: he is expected to uphold the family line and assume the spiritual role by observing all religious rituals and making offerings to family ancestors. A girl's placenta is buried under the bed in her parents' bedroom: a girl has fewer responsibilities in ritual performance and ancestral reverence. She is expected to ua neej nrog qhua, to "marry out of the clan." After marriage and a few children, a married Hmong man is given his npe laus, "adult name," by his parents-in-law and will be referred to by that name for the rest of his life. A married woman will also be known by her husband's name, such as Niam Tooj (Tong's wife), almost suppressing her own name given at birth. Moreover, being born into a particular clan also sets a Hmong's identity for life. The name of the clan one belongs to is also one's family name, whether it is Moua, Vang, Yang, Xiong, Chang, Lo, Lee, or any of eleven others. For those from Laos and Thailand, another determining factor is the subdivision into which one is born: White Hmong or Blue Mong. Many older Hmong also reckon their identities on the basis of which village or region they come from. However, in the context of transnational migration and international politics, self-identity becomes more complicated. If a person is a refugee or the child of a refugee, new layers are added to his or her identity. It is no wonder that many young Hmong in the United States and elsewhere are confused about who they are. If a Hmong American teenager is asked, "Where are you from?" her answer could be as simple as Sheboygan, Wisconsin; or depending on the depth of her knowledge, it could stretch farther back into the past and around the globe. Moreover, if she were to visit relatives in Laos, would she be seen as a Hmong, or a Hmong from America, or an American? If she goes to China or Vietnam, would she be called Hmong, Miao, or Meo? All of these are possibilities in her self-image as a Hmong American living in the twenty-first century. Many of the trends and transformations I have witnessed over the past twenty-five years reflect not only the complexity but also the flexibility of Hmong and Hmong Americans as they align their culture and identity with their social and political environment. What is crucial is that new cultural features continue to evolve with a new self-image that has enormously raised Hmong consciousness about where they have been, where they are now, and where they are heading. © 2012 by the Minnesota Historical Society. All rights reserved.

ISBN:

9780873518482 (ISBN)

Identifier:

HmongStudies1677