| CONTENTS Discussing: Contemporary Issues Challenging: Women Issues Reading: Research Article Learning: History Guessing: Proverbs & Riddles Studying: Literature Visiting: Photo Gallery Admiring: Art Gallery Listening to: Hmong Radios Enjoying: Tales for Children Taking: Courses of Cult & Language |
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| TOPICS OF 2005 February 21, 2005 "4 phab phab ntsa": Randy Travis "4 murs" Randy Travis 4 Walls",Randy Travis March 9, 2005: Guest writer: Chris Lee Kev txo yus tus kheej txoj sia: tub ntxhais hluas kev nyuab siab Essai sur les causes de suicide chez les adolescents hmong Essay on Hmong teenagers' suicide March 27, 2005 Kho Hmoob kev tsim karaoke Critique sur le karaoke hmong Critique on Hmong karaoke March 28, 2005 Koom Haum Hmoob Thaib Association de développement chez les Hmong en Thailand Hmong Association for Developement in Thailand March 28. 2005 Huab tais Nplog tus Tub Xeeb Ntxwv Kev Npau Suav Les espoirts du petit-fils du roi du Laos Laotian Prince Soulivong Savang's Hope March 28, 2005 Huab Tais tus Tub xeev ntxwv ua "Phibthi" rau cov tub rog tuag La commémoration des soldats et civils mort durant la guerre secrète au Laos The Commemoration of deaths during the "Secret War" in Laos March 29, 2005 Kev toob kas noj mov zaub tseem tseem Le besoin de manger organic The need of organic food April 4, 2005 Ua li cas ib tug zaj thiaj plhis tau mus ua Huab Tais ntxhais nkauj ntxawm La peur des adolescents: comment un dragon peut-il devenir une princesse? Teenager's fear: How could a dragon become a princess? April 9, 2005: Guest writer: Paj Nyiag Xyooj Nws yog pes tsawg ne ... Hmoob tus me nqi tshoob Essai sur la problématique du prix de fiancée Voicing the Bride Price in Hmong Weddings April 25, 2005 Nkag siab rau lub neej laus nyob teb chaws vam meej Comprendre le 3ième age chez les Hmong Understanding the New Old Age in Hmong Community May 7, 2005 Txheej txheem tshawb fawb Méthodes de recherche: la contribution des recherches issues du groupe. L'expérience d'un ethnologue d'origine hmong Research Methods: the contribution of native researchers. The experiences of an Ethnologist of Hmong origin August 8, 2005 Kev thim xav txog tus nqi tshoob Critique sur le prix de fiancée Critique on the Bride Price in Hmong Society December 18, 2005 Tus tsov: yog tsiaj los sis yog dab. Le tigre: est-ce un animal ou un mauvais esprit? The Tiger: is it an animal or a bad spirit? |
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES Words, Pictures and Feelings At a Conference on Hmong Women's Issues Account of the conference "Building on Hmong Women's Assets: Past, Present, and Future" September 16-17, 2005, St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN This paper is dedicated to Choua Thao, The first Hmong nurse, A wonderful mentor A real woman. Join the Free Discussion Group: "Hmong Women Network" Keywords: Hmong women, women's experiences, leadership, networking, courage, native scholar, key for survival, courage to stand up, community commitment, female friendship Exhausted and ruined by my last two trips to Thailand to save Father Bertrais' archives and disappointed by the lack of support for Hmong women intellectuals, I have limited my participation to conferences and research trips in order for me to have more time to write my own research papers. "Why should I go to this conference?" Is that for professional growth? I was teaching courses on Asian American Women and Hmong culture at Fresno City College. Or is that for delivering a message to other women? The first motive was certainly the most genuine because I have lost my energy. The lectures in classroom are enough. The trip to Minnesota was lonely and monotonous: waking up before 5A.M., taking a taxi to the airport, and sleeping in the plane before taking another taxi to the conference. It was only when I arrived that I felt again excited ? It was good to feel this adventure spirit: I wanted to hear, observe and understand more about the making of Hmong women's history. The amphitheatre was full with many new faces and mostly young people. Hunger and curiosity were in the hearts and the faces of the attendees, I felt it, sit down in the back, curious as a child about new ideas. In this essay, I will only focus on persons or ideas or events that I have attended or that have attracted my curiosity. The last 15 years of my life spent to study Hmong issues play trick on my interest: topics that I know well do not get enough my attention. I am hungry of new things and of real generous scholars. Choua Thao, "Reflections of a Hmong Nurse during the "Secret War of Laos". The first Hmong women to become nurse. I have interviewed her many times when working together in Fresno, CA. But I still enjoyed listening to her message. "Courage, courage and courage to live the life you want". The respect that other women showed her tells more about her than words. Choua Thao is a living role model whose path empowers other women beyond her time. She is like a warn day that reheats my tired heart. We need you, Choua Thao. Mao Vang Lee, "Reflections of a Hmong Radio Participant in Long Cheng, 1973-1975". She learnt to write in Hmong by herself. She was one of the few female hosts of the radio in Long Cheng in the province of Xieng Khouang, Laos. She was capable to evoke her souvenirs of that time of the "Secret War" where Long Cheng was the main military base. After her talk, I finally understood the way Hmong American radios function. At her time, the radio participated to the war effort by diffusing love songs, plays, news and messages. The group of hosts of the radio "Hmong Long Cheng Xov Tooj Cua" have given birth to a popular and urban culture that continues on today in the US. They have introduced new lifestyle, new literature, new identity -- from 1960 to 1975-- in incorporating Lao culture and language within the Hmong culture and language. These years were certainly the most crucial period in term of cultural changes before the migration to the West, and the most exciting time after the arrival of the Hmong people from China in the mid of 1800's in Laos. Women were allowed to attend Laotian schools. Changes happened by necessity, but affected culture deeply. People dreamt of higher social positions. The models of success were being high ranked militaries such as colonel or public servants, or rich wife, second wife of soldiers. Two social classes emerged: the high class with the military households and the labor class with the farmers and soldiers. During these 15 years, it wasn't only war, but also a total modification of the Hmong society where the city of Long Cheng, refugee camp of the Secret War, became the first urban center and the heart of all Hmong of Laos before 1975. Mao was a drop of ink in the ocean of women's dreams in the past and in the present time. Her participation was astonishing to many ears and eyes. Kou Vang, "Portraits of Hmong Women". Photographer, she captures women through their social roles. Her pictures tell stories. Poetic, lyrical, and evocative of many unspoken secrets in these women's hearts, each picture looks like a pearl where has been seized the moment, the instant that suddenly reveals and brightens the tragic, the comic or the magic of the woman. Through her regard on Hmong women, she brought to light the dual world where Hmong women travel back and forth, between the Inside and the Outside, Lord Moon and Lady Sun, the Shadow and the Light, the Silence and the Sound, and the Upheaval and the Grace. Her work was talkative in shape, shade and color. I really like the way she works: she first meets the people before taking the pictures. Her work brings a sensitive and compassionate regard on Hmong women. Louisa Schein Ph.D. "Hmong/Miao Women in China - No Longer Only Farmers". She presented a fascinating study on Miao women migrating to urban settings for economic reasons. While listening to her, I was thinking about this new lifestyle: "They are so far from home" "Who will take care of them if they are sick?" I, too, am very far from home for work. France is about 18,000 miles from California. In fact, the process of globalization touches Hmong women, in rural areas in China where some of them should go to cities, become maids, cooks or merchants. Women are getting more freedom and financial independency, but at a certain price of loss. In Thailand where I have done some research, women who have a certain freedom are outcasts: some of them do prostitution for living in addition to their work in factories. The smartest are the ones who prostitute or serve as guide tour for married men from America. What a waste! Hmong community doesn?t really understand smart women. But there is hope. Dia Cha Ph.D. She was one of the keynote speakers of the conference. Slowly, she delivered her speech in a very monotonous but articulated voice. The message was however strong, so strong, too critical for all to accept it. She said "Traditions, norms, standards are made by people who participate to society. There was nothing written that Hmong women cannot perform social and ritual events. Women should get involved in any events" (It was my personal notes). It was a radical message. There is no compromise, finally. I went to shake her hands for this bravery. It was not easy to say. Women did not participate enough to social events. When they participate, they just occupy secondary positions as helpers. They never react to this sexist division. When they face injustice, they either aggress or withdraw back, but never really question the way Hmong society separates gender roles. The majority never seek the origin of our contemporary society and take their courage in their two hands to criticize it in order to gain more understanding. The ones who take their courage to claim are still too few, too afraid of each other. Dr. Cha called for support and common goals. But the reactions in the attendees while asking her questions showed some gaps between her message and the expectation of her public. Her speech was emotionless, quite academic on behalf of a woman who has fought all her life to be considered as an intellectual, recognized by her position of associate professor. However, for the attendees, I think they expected a strong leadership with sign of emotion, e.g. a Hmong leader whom they used to see. A well written speech was not what they used to hear from women. There was gap of representations. Should female leaders act like men? Do leaders know everything? Is knowledge always a good wisdom for leadership? Indeed, Leader doesn't always have knowledge. My personal conclusion is that we should NOT expect all skills and abilities from our leaders in all field of knowledge--t was the main stigma surrounding Hmong leadership in the contemporary society--, and we should NOT always expect leaders to lead alone. Each of us needs to give the best of us to support our community, and at the same time, each of us will need to preserve our integrity by living our womanhood as a right and a gift. We all should certainly follow Dr. Dia's recommendation: we need to participate to the social life from our level of skills and of expertise. The one who could lead should lead; the one who could write, take picture, and talk should ? . The overall of the conference still has some remains of the traditional speech such as "I thank my husband to support me", "I thank my family, my children" ? which is honorable because the Hmong society is still a patriarchal society where men rule, and women have to fulfill their gender role before being able to exercise their intellectual skills. Alas! Some of the women who are more aggressive should find their ways to use their strength to make a difference in the life of other women less enterprising. I have questions, too many questions! After this conference, I was voiceless for a few months, wondering if I should write an account. I read my notes from time to time, thinking that there is need to pose questions even if there is no hope and no satisfied answers. Native scholars have emotional ties to their research topic. Not always easy to write whatever they want. There is responsibility and accountability. Indeed, native researchers are not only researchers, but also necessary role models, participants sharing the destiny of their community, that explains lot of pressure and incapability to emerge totally in the academic world, especially if they are women. I have learnt it from the hardest path. Do women need to support each other? If yes, how could they do to support each other? I think the key answer remains in the nature of friendship between women. I am aware, after several years to do a PhD thesis on the socialization of the child in Hmong traditional setting that the social structure of relationship doesn't prescribe or ascribe friendship as a social skill or a sociality for women. In the traditional setting, early marriage and pregnancy in addition to an exhausted farming lifestyle, and clan division prevent women to develop and to experience long and last cooperation/friendship. The nature of the Hmong society, i.e. the patrilinearity, doesn't encourage female friendship. I think that it is the most barrier for women to learn to trust and learn to appreciate each other. I did not say that contingent friendship and individualistic friendship do not exist. Of course, there is female friendship in the Hmong culture. But it only takes place in the lineage of the husband. It is not socially promoted or encouraged. Thus, the network of female efficient reciprocal support is reduced to their closed relatives, e.g. the lineage of the husband. In America, I still observed outstanding women who only seek to promote sisters from their lineage or clan. Is there any chance to see more female disinterested friendship in America? I don't know. I think we will always find --in the past, the present and the future--the inevitable competition between women for things such as the "good husband", the "first place", and the "prestige". There is nothing new under the sun. But while competing with each other, they should not forget the main point which is a common goal that will make a big difference in many lives, not only women but men too. Courage of living one's life, steadiness to openly challenge society by remaining integrate, are not given to all, of course. Yet, I think it is important to compete with each other for higher goals, instead of fighting each other for husband, name, or prestige. There are better things to advocate for: freedom of choice in marriage, higher education and more professionalism, bi-lingual and bi-cultural skills, historical consciousness, gender equity, the removal of the pride price, and freedom of belief, etc. A society, for its survival, needs to be criticized so that it will preserve the best of its elements. I always think that the Hmong culture has something good to transmit to the next generations. Our ancestors back in China, when they invented our society, had set up the mechanism for its survival. At this time of great changes, far from home, women's sociality constitutes the new key of survival for the group if they could surpass, overcome and triumph the materialist competition in building genuine, supportive and lasting friendship. I repeat again that sincere, disinterested friendship is the key of female real support. The Hmong women whom I have met in the United States sadly used each other for personal interests, and did not see beyond the momentary needs. Women need to be retold, and men to become aware so that common effort will always enhance the good will of each other to build a safe and harmonious place to live where we will preserve, adapt and promote our heritage for a better understanding between genders, and communities. I encourage you all to positive actions. Join the Free Discussion Group: "Free Hmong Women Network" Fresno, California, 11th March 2006 Copyright © 2006 Kao-Ly Yang All rights Reserved. GO BACK TO THE TOP |
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