Hmong People Research Articles

Protestantism among the Hmong People in the Mountainous Region of Contemporary Northern Vietnam

Since the 1980s, there has been a considerable change in the religious life of the Hmong ethnic communities from the mountainous provinces of northern Vietnam—specifically, their conversion to Protestantism. Protestantism was introduced into the communities under a modified model known as Vàng Trứ/Vàng Chứ through the endeavors of the Far East Broadcasting Company. From 1993 to 2004, the number of Protestant followers among these communities increased sharply. Today, the mountainous northern area of Vietnam is home to 300,000 Hmong Protestants of various denominations. This study, based on textual analysis, participant observations, in-depth interviews, and field trips, seeks to explore the Hmong conversion to Protestantism. The focus is on issues relating to the growth of Protestantism and Protestant influence on the Hmong people from 1987 (widely understood to be the beginning of Protestantism in the Hmong community) to the present day.

Translocating Trajectories, Transnational Mobilities: The Cross-border Migration and Livelihoods of Hmong in the Tri-state Area Between China, Vietnam, and Laos

This study investigates the transborder activities of the Hmong people within the tri-state area of China, Vietnam, and Laos, which emphasises their adaptive strategies in the face of evolving geopolitical and economic contexts. Through comprehensive multisite ethnographic fieldwork and snowball sampling, this study captures a wide array of perspectives from individuals directly engaged in industries crucial to the borderlands’ economy, such as tourism, hospitality, and trade. It highlights the Hmong’s utilisation of cultural and linguistic capital to navigate opportunities within and across their transnational networks. Key to their adaptive strategies is the role of South-South cooperation, which fosters regional integration and offers new economic opportunities while also allowing ethnic locals to retain significant aspects of their livelihoods. This study provides insights into how the Hmong community utilises both traditional clan systems and modern entrepreneurial practices to enhance their economic standing and cultural engagement across borders, which contributes to a broader understanding of minority groups’ roles in global and regional development.

The Relationship Between Awareness and Commitment to Participate in the Green Tourism Model of Local Communities: Evidence From the Hmong People Community in Lao Cai Province – Vietnam

The study explores the impact of green tourism on the Hmong community in Lao Cai province, Vietnam. The findings show that the environmental and socio-cultural benefits of green tourism have a positive and significant impact on the community’s awareness of green tourism, which in turn fosters their commitment to participate in sustainable tourism practices. However, the study finds no significant evidence of the impact of economic benefits on the community’s awareness of green tourism, indicating that the Hmong community values the preservation of their cultural heritage more than economic benefits. The results emphasize the importance of involving local communities in decision-making processes and ensuring that they receive tangible benefits from their participation to promote and support sustainable tourism initiatives.

Tessellation, shamanism, and being alive to things

ABSTRACT This study examines the entanglement of affects that occurred during a short episode at a science museum. The episode involved a small number of children and a teacher who had come to the museum in the context of a school field trip. It took place inside an exhibit called ‘Hmong House’, which reproduced various components of a traditional house of the Hmong people. A key aim of this paper is to trace, via the microethnographic analysis of a brief video recording, an affective journey meshing mathematical tessellation and Hmong shamanism. In addition, we elaborate on ways in which disparate themes, such as tessellation and shamanism, became interwoven in the life of those visiting the Hmong House at the time. The episode of the Hmong House may inspire other activities in which students or visitors, with life trajectories partially rooted in Indigenous cultures, can share practices that are foreign to other students. The most important qualities of these activities, we suggest, are the respectful dignity with which they are demonstrated and engaged with, and the freedom to undertake interdisciplinary journeys – without subjection to artificial disciplinary boundaries – in which improvisation and surprising turns are expected and ever-present.

The Relationship Between Awareness and Commitment to Participate in the Green Tourism Model of Local Communities: Evidence from the Hmong People Community in Lao Cai Province - Vietnam

Purpose: This study explores the impact of green tourism on the Hmong community in Lao Cai province, Vietnam, including their awareness of sustainable tourism principles and factors influencing their engagement. It aims to provide practical recommendations to enhance understanding and commitment to sustainable tourism, contributing to the existing knowledge and offering insights applicable to other regions and communities interested in promoting green tourism. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework for this research draws upon concepts and theories from sustainable tourism, community development, and environmental psychology, explicitly focusing on community participation and empowerment in tourism development. It explores the impact of the Hmong people's awareness, involvement in decision-making, and sense of ownership over green tourism initiatives on their commitment to participate in the green tourism model. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, a quantitative survey, to collect data from 200 Hmong individuals in Lao Cai province in early 2022. A thorough literature review accompanied the survey design, distribution, collection, and analysis of responses. By utilizing this approach, the research aims to comprehensively understand the Hmong community's awareness and commitment to participating in the green tourism model in Lao Cai province, Vietnam. Findings: The study's findings show that green tourism's environmental and sociocultural benefits positively influence the Hmong community's awareness and commitment to sustainable tourism practices. However, economic benefits were not significantly associated with public perception, indicating a greater emphasis on cultural heritage conservation than financial gains. These results highlight the significance of involving local communities in decision-making and offering tangible benefits to foster their active engagement in sustainable tourism initiatives. Research, Practical & Social implications: This study makes two significant contributions to the existing knowledge. Firstly, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the impact of green tourism on local communities, particularly the Hmong community in Vietnam. Secondly, it highlights the vital role of community participation in sustainable tourism development. The findings recommend policymakers' active involvement of local communities in decision-making and the provision of tangible benefits for their engagement in sustainable tourism practices, promoting their commitment to sustainable tourism. Originality/value: Being the pioneering study on this subject in Vietnam, this research holds a unique significance in raising awareness and fostering commitment among the Hmong community regarding their participation in green tourism within Lao Cai province. Furthermore, the study's findings can serve as a valuable resource for shaping policies and programs that actively involve the Hmong community in green tourism, leading to mutual benefits for the community and the local region.

Stories from Hmong in STEMM

The Hmong are an ethnic minority group residing mainly in Asia and Southeast Asia. In the 1960s, the US Central Intelligence Agency recruited the Hmong people who mainly lived in the mountains of Laos to fight on behalf of the USA in the Vietnam War. Their involvement in this operation, referred to as the Secret War, eventually led to their persecution and diaspora as political refugees. These refugees were mainly farmers, and few possessed any level of formal education. After immigrating to the USA and other Western countries, the children of these Hmong refugees became some of the first ever to receive a compulsory formal education that went beyond the primary years, leading to a high school diploma. In the decades that followed, many of these Hmong and their descendants faced enormous odds in their quest to succeed in higher education and in life.

THE SYMBOL “LANH” IN HMONG ETHNIC MINORITY GROUP’S SPIRITUAL CULTURE ON DONG VAN KARST PLATEAU, HA GIANG PROVINCE, VIETNAM

The article researches the “Lanh” symbol in the spiritual culture of the Hmong ethnic minority group in Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ha Giang province, Vietnam to indicate that Lanh is not just a plant that uses fibers to weave cloth for clothing and daily life. Besides, Lanh is the symbol of Hmong ethnic minority group. It is a symbol for the personality and soul of Hmong women. Discovering the symbol will be the key to opening the door to the culture, history, beliefs, religion, and human outlook of the Hmong people. Living scatteredly on the high mountainsides in the middle of the rocky plateau, the material life is still difficult, but the Hmong people have a rich spiritual life, contributing to the cultural diversity of the ethnic groups in Vietnam.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0202/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Quantification of six volatile oil constituents of Oleum Cinnamomi in rat plasma and multiple tissues using GC-MS and its application to pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies

Oleum Cinnamomi is the essential oil obtained from the herb Fructus Cinnamomi which is used by the Hmong people in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. At present, there are a variety of marketed preparations with it as the main medicine on the market. Information regarding the in vivo process of it is lacking, which has become a bottleneck restricting its development and utilization. In view of this, a GC-MS SIM analysis method was established for the simultaneous determination of six main volatile components [eucalyptol, p-cymene, 4-carvomenthenol, 4-isopropyl-2-cyclohexenone, α-terpineol, and 2-(4-Methylphenyl)-propan-2-ol] in plasma and ten tissues of rats to study their pharmacokinetic and distribution characteristics in vivo. The pharmacokinetic results showed that the t1/2 of each index was 0.41–1.66 h, Tmax was 0.16–0.68 h, Cmax was 13.66–2015.02 ng/mL, AUC0−t was 12.84–4299.00 h·ng/mL, CLZ/F was 1750.93–107013.11 mL/h/kg. This meant that the six components could be absorbed quickly, had a short residence time, and be eliminated quickly in the body. Among them, eucalyptol has the highest degree of absorption and a larger amount of entering the body. Moreover, the Cmax and AUC0−t of the six components increased correspondingly with the increase of the dose, indicating that the concentration of Oleum Cinnamomi in the rat plasma was dose-dependent. At different time points, the six components were widely distributed with uneven characteristics in the body. The six components mainly tend to be distributed in stomach, small intestine, and liver, followed by kidney, spleen, heart, and brain, and to a lesser extent in lung, skin, and muscle. And the six components were eliminated quickly in each tissue. The pharmacokinetic process and tissue distribution characteristics of Oleum Cinnamomi were expounded in this study, which can provide scientific theory for the in-depth development and guidance of clinical drug use of Oleum Cinnamomi, and at the same time provide a medicinal material basis for the in-depth development and utilization of Oleum Cinnamomi.

Factors Affecting Oral Health Care Behavior of the Elderly Ethnic Groups in Rural Areas

Background: Elderly Hmong ethnic people in rural and remote communities in Thailand have a higher burden of oral health problems and poorer access to dental services than non-ethnic groups. Oral health offers clues about an individual’s overall health since problems in the mouth can affect the rest of the body. Objective: To study the oral health care behaviors and the association between related factors and oral health care. Materials and Methods: In the present study population-based, cross-sectional study, questionnaires were made by researchers from reviewing the literature, and in-depth interviews were conducted. Four hundred elderly Hmong people from rural areas located in lower northern Thailand participated in February 2021. First, the sample size was calculated by the Khazanie (1996) formula. Then, multi-stage random sampling using stratified random sampling of the Hmong populations in four provinces of northern Thailand was conducted along with simple random sampling of each province. Results: Data analyses involved descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression was used for the data analyses using the stepwise method. The results showed that participants had an overall moderate level of oral health care behavior at 65.5%. Age, congenital disease, knowledge, perception of benefits, perceived barriers of oral disease, social support from family, and the use of oral herbs were predictive oral health care behaviors (p<0.05). Seven variables can predict the oral health care behaviors of elderly Hmong people at 50.3% (R²=0.503, adjusted R²=0.494). Conclusion: The present study found that medical conditions had a negative effect on oral health care behaviors. These results could be used as guidelines to arrange additional activities for elderly Hmong people and integrate primary care alongside the oral health care. For further study, applying health promotion theories can be considered to encourage elderly Hmong people to exhibit positive behaviors. The use of an experimental design to assess the effects of a program focusing on the modification of seven predictors for changing oral health care behaviors among elderly Hmong people should also be considered. Keywords: Influencing; Behavior; Oral health; Hmong; Ethnic groups; Elderly people; Rural areas

Views on Preserving the Indigenous Cultural Values of the Hmong People in the Northern Midland and Mountainous Provinces of Vietnam

Views on Preserving the Indigenous Cultural Values of the Hmong People in the Northern Midland and Mountainous Provinces of Vietnam

Perspectives of Queer Hmong Youth

This article highlights some of the tensions that exist for Hmong people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). It uncovers differences and similarities found between the experiences of queer Hmong youth and the larger population of queer youth living in the United States. Despite the perception that a traditional Hmong culture holds no place for queer Hmong Americans, individuals are finding spaces for acceptance and slowly moving the larger Hmong community to a place of understanding and tolerance. A vital part of this movement was Shades of Yellow (SOY), an organization that supported queer Hmong from its inception in 2005 until the group disbanded in June 2017. The life stories of three of its members inform this study, offering a more nuanced look at the experiences of queer Hmong youth living in the Midwest.

TRANSFORMATION IN FAMILY, LINEAGE AND VILLAGE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE HMONG PEOPLE AFTER FOLLOWING PROTESTANTISM IN THE NORTHWEST VIETNAM

Protestantism spread and developed in the Hmong community in Northwestern Vietnam has changed many aspects in the socio-cultural life of the Protestant Hmong in particular and some other ethnic minorities in the Northwest in general. Along with the rapid development of Protestantism in the Northwest, a Protestant Hmong community with a culture and lifestyle that is different from the rest of the Hmong community has been formed. Under the influence of Protestantism, family, lineage and village relationships of this Protestant Hmong community have been gradually changed in many aspects as well. This transformation has had a positive impact on the lives of the Hmong people but also poses many challenges for preserving the cultural identity of the Hmong ethnic in Northwestern Vietnam today.

The Present Status of Using Written Hmong Language in the Hmong Community in the Northwest Region of Vietnam - Case Study in Sơn La and Lai Châu Provinces

Writing system is an important part of a certain language. When a language has its own writing system and is widely used, it is apparent that the language will have a strong position and vitality. Hmong language is a mother tongue of Hmong people, an ethnic minority that are now residing in many parts all over the world and mainly in the northwest region (Tây Bắc) of Vietnam. Unlike many other languages which have only one writing system, Hmong has many different scripts that are being used at a time. Therefore, understanding how Hmong people use their written language is an intriguing topic to help demystify their language usage and furthermore, understand their spiritual life. From our practical fieldwork, in this paper we focus on the discussion of the current status of using written Hmong in its community in the northwest region of Vietnam.

Three Poems: Tasting the Country that Could Have Been Mine; Too Blind to See Giants; We, the Hmong People

Three Poems: Tasting the Country that Could Have Been Mine; Too Blind to See Giants; We, the Hmong People

Memoir as Metahistory: Kao Kalia Yang’s The Latehomecomer

This essay analyzes the methods Kao Kalia Yang devises to fashion her “Hmong family memoir” as alternate history and critical historiography. Attempting to write the Hmong people into world history, Yang pushes the boundaries of memoir in life writing that consolidates autobiographical reportage with creative invention and collaborative historical investigation.

Hmong ‘Marriage by Capture’ in the United States of America and Ukuthwala in South Africa: Unfolding Discussions

‘Marriage by capture’ among the Hmong people in the United States of America and ukuthwala in South Africa both take the form of the mock abduction of a young woman for the purpose of a customary marriage. The noteworthy point about these two customary marriage practices is that, although Hmong marriage by capture takes place in the context of a minority community in a liberal state, and ukuthwala occurs in a postcolonial state, courts in these jurisdictions convert these marriage practices to the common law offences of rape, assault, and abduction. This article reflects on the accused-centred approach in the case of People v Moua, in which the court invoked the cultural defence, and the victim-centred approach in Jezile v S, which severed cultural values from the rights of the woman. It questions whether the two communities in question, in their respective liberal and postcolonial settings, influence the attitudes of the courts in cases involving rape, assault, and abduction charges. The main argument proffered is that both approaches may encourage communities to continue marriage abduction practices without bringing them to the attention of investigative organs, with adverse human rights implications for the women and girls affected. The ultimate purpose of this conversation, therefore, is to show how the approaches of the courts to the recognition or non-recognition of these customary practices affect the rights of girls and women who encounter institutions of law that alienate people belonging to minority cultural groups, and often perpetuate injustice.

Investigation of the Language Usage of Hmong Ethnic People in the Northwest (Tây Bắc) Region of Vietnam - A Case Study in Bắc Yên, Sơn La province

The linguistics research in general and in particular, sociolinguistic study of ethnic minorities in Vietnam is a fascinating topic, but is also a very complicated subject in term of some typical reasons. The complication of the subject is originated from the objective reasons such as natural conditions, social and economic conditions and some other subjective reasons which belong to subjective of languages-the ethnic minorities. Hence, when considering the language scenarios of the ethnic minorities in general and the status of using language of ethnic people in particular, the selection of research subject and survey area are very important. Discussing on this subject, author Van Khang Nguyen in his work “Social linguistics” has speculated that: “first of all, one can see that the key point of the perception when investigating language from the perspective of sociolinguistics is the sociability and the variability of language.” The birth of language is the development need of human society and the development of the human society leads to the development of language which aims to meet the need of communication. Therefore, when studying language, the sociolinguistics always set the relationship between social transformations with the language usage. In our case study, the Hmong people in Bắc Yên district is an ethnic group with many typical characteristics for Hmong in Sơn La province as well as in the Northwest region of Vietnam. Currently, the language of Hmong people in Bắc Yên raises quite topical questions. For example, it is important to understand how Hmong people use their native language, national language and foreign language at the same time in their daily activities. How do Hmong people use Hmong writing system in their communication situation? What is their attitude with their language? The above-mentioned questions urged us to carry out a case study on the language usage status of Hmong people in the Northwest Vietnam.

Hmong Textiles, Symmetries, Perception and Culture

As part of this Special Issue, this paper attempts to add to a reflexive discussion and confront the simplistic understanding of why humans construct symmetries. This paper examines Hmong textiles called paj ntaub. The Hmong became a transnational people due to happenstance and the Vietnam War. Despite great trials and tribulations, the Hmong people and their art and culture survived. They express themselves and their identity through oral traditions and cultural practices, one of which is their textiles. The old textile styles, known as paj ntaub, are non-representational symmetric designs. The research for this paper was done in Laos. Grounded research, textual analysis and participant observation were the methods used. Though their textiles are a salient part of Hmong culture, little work has been done on the ontology of paj ntaub. This paper proposes a novel perspective to examining the paj ntaub by using anthropological symmetry, the gestalt theory on perception, and ethnographic analysis of the culture, meanings, and choices in design embedded in the textiles, as well as the process of making of the paj ntaub. This work proposes that the paj ntaub is not merely an expression of identity but a holistic expression in Hmong culture and reflects their relationship to their world.

The Hmong and the Communist Party of Thailand: A Transnational, Transcultural and Gender-Relations-Transforming Experience

AbstractBeginning in the early 1960s—and especially by the end of the decade—a large number of the ethnic Hmong people in Thailand aligned themselves with the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT). By the 1970s, most of the CPT's “liberated areas” were located in remote, mountainous areas populated by Hmong people. In this paper, I situate Hmong involvement in CPT through the literature related to the multi-ethnic connections being made through the organisation of armed groups and argue that Hmong involvement with the CPT was transnational, transcultural and gender-relations-transforming. The first Hmong Thai to join the CPT was recruited in neighbouring Laos. Other Hmong in Thailand heard about the CPT through radio broadcasts from Laos in Hmong language. Furthermore, many of the early CPT recruits travelled from their homes in Thailand for political and military instruction at a basic training centre called A-30, which was located somewhere in northern Laos near the border with China. There, most Hmong CPT recruits learned to speak, read and write central Thai language. Hmong CPT also started to meaningfully interact with other Thais, including those from northeastern and southern Thailand and Chinese Thais from Bangkok. Later, those deemed to have particular potential were sent to study in China or in Vietnam for specific military training. Some Hmong sent their children to study with the CPT; others went on their own. The Hmong also interacted with people from other communist movements in Southeast Asia.

Review of Hmong-Related Health Problems: A Quick Guide for Healthcare Providers.

The people of Hmong descent are one of the largest resettled communities in the United States (US). The Central Valley of California is well known to be the home to the largest Hmong population in the US. However, despite the presence of such a large Hmong community in the Central Valley, our knowledge of their cultural perceptions of medicine is limited. Based on local Central Valley health providers’ experiences and observations, the Hmong people have a number of health-related challenges that differ from those of the general population, and this should be considered when dealing with their healthcare needs. In this report, we present a quick guide about the Hmong community and their health-related issues. We hope this will help clinicians and researchers better understand the Hmong community, which in turn would help provide a better quality of healthcare to the Hmong people and stimulate intellectual curiosity among healthcare providers towards this unique Asian ethnicity.