18xeem july 2007 promotional issue

CULTURAL HMONG MAGAZINE

US $3.99 CAN $5.99

I S S U E

01J U L Y

18XEEMTRADITIONAL & MODERN CLOTHING YIA "THE BULL" MUA DELICIOUS VENOM FOLKLORE STUDIO NIDA XIONG PROMOTIONAL ISSUE

Great Prices. Great Things. Get it all online now! www.TajLajHmong.com

18XEEM is looking for passionate writers, artists, photographers, and contributors. Join us today and be compensated for your ideas.Email us at [email protected] for more or visit our website!

18XEEM is looking for passionate writers, artists, photographers, and contributors. Join us today and be compensated for your ideas.Email us at [email protected] for more or visit our website!

18XEEM.COM | JULY 07 1

PresidentKay Yang Editor in ChiefCreative DirectorHlee Xiong

Publishing DirectorVue Ci

Executive EditorBlia Xiong

Associate Editor Nikki Hang

Contributing WriterKao Lee Thao

Contributing PhotographersThai XiongMegan MillerTony Vue

InformationSubscribe online at WWW.18XEEM.COMor call: 586 216 8256

18XEEM is published four times a year.

Contact / Advertising18XEEMP.O. Box 404Cedarburg, WI 53012PH 586 216 8256

Special ThanksVaj Shua Xiong Der Vang XiongAkron New Year ParticipantsLansing New Year ParticipantsHmong National DevelopmentFact Finding CommissionFolklore StudioMichael Carian Yia Mua Vong Lee Tou Saiko LeeNida Xiong

18XEEM

Hello.nyob zooSomething exciting happens everyday. Today, you just happened to pick up the latest magazine. It just happens to be called 18XEEM. You ask yourself, 'What is it? What does it mean, who created it?' And I say, 'Finally, the work has almost paid off.' Until you decide to get the next issue in the future --the work is still in progress.

Today we are proud to celebrate the Hmong Culture. Today we are proud to be Hmong. Hmong-Americans. Whatever you want to call it. We all came from the same tree right? In the end, what matters is that we will remember who we are when the world has changed completely.

So incase you pick this up and you still don't know what it's about (because most likely you will have never even heard of the term: Hmong), today is your lucky day --and I, along with the thousands of others like myself, thank you, for asking.

Our first issue ever begins with a legendary story about the Hmong who conquered modern-day China, who failed, and tried again, only to be persecuted again and again, even today. But we've grown to be strong, with our culture, our art, our music, our education, our knowledge, and our children, through our hardships.

Find out why Delicious Venom is no ordinary rap group, like the ones that always seem to rap about sex and drugs. Read about a girl named Nida, who is extraor-dinary and down-to-earth like the sister or cousin you know. Feel the emotion and effort that Kao Lee put into her beautiful paintings, and hear the rhythm of the Qeej. See how Hmong clothing styles have changed through the years and learn the rules to wearing it. Read about the experiences of the Hmong, and how one poet transcribes it into a few graceful lines.

As you turn to each page, I encourage you to dive into the rich history and culture of the Hmong.

What is 18XEEM?The 18 Clans: Our Inspiration

Contents

LEGEND

INFO

04

The PrehistoricPeriod: Legendsfrom China06

Q&A withNida Xiong

FASHION

PROFILES

14

Traditional & Modern Stylesof Clothing22

Yia Mua“The Bull”40

Poetryby Mai Xiong

MEMOIRS

ART & POETRY

30

Photos of the Past:Submissions from our readers46

The Language of an Artistby Kao Lee34

MUSIC

Q&A with Knowstalgic of Delicious Venom1 6


4 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

04

INFO

What isYog dabtsis?

18XEEM


The unique element that binds the Hmong people together is in their tightly-knitted blood line. Of the hundreds of thousands of Hmong who live around the world, only a total of 18 clans exist. Every Hmong is bound to carry one of these clan names, regardless of how it is spelled or has been mispronounced through the centuries.

Even today, one of the most frequently asked questions among the Hmong and their new acquaintances is,'Koj yog xeem dabtsis?' --'What is your lastname?' Since the earliest time in their history, the Hmong people were known to be made up of only 18 clans, or 18 xeem.

The Hmong refer to the relationship existing between members of a clan as kwv tij, or in English, 'brothers'. Members of a clan are expected to provide mutual assistance to one another. Traditionally, a Hmong passing through a village may present himself at the house of any clansman, even a person completely unknown, and expect hospitality. Even today in America, this tradition is continued.

Clans also serves legal functions. Disputes between two different clans will typically be settled by clan leaders. Such matters as reconciling a quarreling couple, and ensuring that individuals fulfil ritual obligations are also responsibilities of the clan leaders.

This magazine about the history and culture of the Hmong, is a tribute to the 18 clans that still exist today.

1. Chang (Tsaab)2. Chue (Tswb)3. Cheng (Tsheej)4. Fang (Faj)5. Her (Hawj)6. Hang (Haam)7. Khang (Khaab)8. Kong (Koo)9. Kue (Kwm)

10. Lee (Lis)11. Lor (Lauj)12. Moua (Muas)13. Pha (Phab)14. Thao (Thoj)15. Vang (Vaj)16. Vue (Vwj)17. Xiong (Xyooj)18. Yang (Yaj)

These 'last names' or clan names with the Hmong spelling in parenthesis are as follows:


LEGEND

the prehistoricperiod

06

lub neeg thaum ub

18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

Legend has it that, between five and six thousand years ago, the Hmong people lived in the Hebei (modern-day) province. Back then, they were known as the Jiuli tribes, and were under one ruler: Chiyou. Northwest of the Jiuli Kingdom, lived the ancestors of the Han Chinese, ruled by leaders Huang Di and Yan Di. As their population grew, they expanded southward into Hmong territory. Battles broke out between the two sides on the northwestern part of modern-day Beijing. According to legends and folk songs, “the Hmong won nine battles but lost on the tenth.”

Approximately four thousand years ago, after being defeated by the Han, the Jiuli tribe began to move southward again, into the lower areas of the Yellow River where they began to establish a new kingdom: The San-Miao Kingdom, led by Tao Tie and Huan Tuo. Once again, the Han Chinese expanded into their territory and around 2200 B.C., the San-Miao Kingdom and its people were defeated again and ‘largely exterminated’ by Yu the Great. From then on, “the Hmong people could never be united again, and be strong as a nation.”


(Huang He) Yellow River

Hebei Province (Modern day China)The Hmong lived in

this region in 3000 B.C.

Hebei

Sichuan

Yunnan

Guizhou

Guanxi

Map of China(modern-day)

3000 B.C. The Hmong were believed to have first settled on the upper Yellow River, known as the Jiuli tribe, and ruled much of northeastern China under the leadership of King Chiyou in modern-day Hebei.

2700 B.C. The Hmong in China’s Hebei province, led by the first Hmong warrior king, Chiyou, won nine battles against the Chinese. They lost the 10th battle, and moved to the lower Yellow River.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS AS DISCUSSED IN THE ARTICLE

The Hmong have no written history of their origins and therefore rely heavily on oral tradition and through their art. Hmong women are especially skilled in sewing story clothes - Paj Ntaub. Some are elaborately complex in their storyline while others are simple. In this story cloth, the Hmong farmers are harvesting in the rice fields. The clothing of the Hmong isdictated by which part of the world they originated from. In this case, the Hmong in Laos, are wearing velvet black shirts; pants for men, and decorative skirts hand-stitched for women.

Story Cloths of the Hmong People: Paj Ntaub "Flower Cloth"

N


I f the Hmong found any kind of peace, it never lasted long.09

They became disintegrated and lived dispersedly in China’s south and southwest corners; continuing to migrate southward into what is known today as the Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces in China.

A fully preserved female corpse, named Xin Zhui, the wife of Li Cang, the Marquis of Dai, was discovered in 1972 in Changsa, Hunan. In remarkable condition, from skin to inner organs her tomb was believed to have been buried during the Chu Kingdom, and led many scholars, both Hmong and non-Hmong, to argue that the state of Chu was a Hmong kingdom and perhaps that “If it was not Hmong, it certainly was not Chinese.” Conrad Schirokauer, a published scholar of Chinese history, referred to the Chu state as a “semi-Chinese.” Researchers argued that the intact female corpse was Hmong because the drawings on her caskets and on the piece of silk covering her coffin are designs unique to the Hmong.

Buried with Xin Zhui were all the elegant trappings of her noble existence, perfectly preserved in a timber-lined tomb the size of a swimming pool and buried to make her stay in the afterlife a more pleasant one. Carved wooden figurines, painted and clothed in silk garments, include butlers, handmaidens, and an entire troupe of musicians to keep Xin Zhui entertained. A set of twelve pitch

pipes, bamboo flutes of various sizes, a 32-pipe mouth organ, and a large 25-stringed Zheng, or zither.

Among the 3,000 relics, ranging from the agricultural seeds, combs, mittens, stockings, shoes, gowns, wooden dolls, and instruments buried with her, laid a splendid and exquisite T-shaped painting on silk, found on top of the innermost coffin. The painting details a person’s three souls - one which remains to watch over the body, the second which goes in search of the ancestors and the third which just wanders. This belief in three separate souls and their duties upon death exist today. Having published a paper on this unique piece of painting, Professor Tong-jiang Yang, a 33 year-old Hmong-Chinese historian and author or co-author of more than 20 titles, believes this old pictorial lends even greater evidence to the claim that the corpse and the Chu Kingdom were Hmong. He argued that except for a few minor illustrations on the top left, the rest of the intricate illustrations coincided with legends and folk stories of the Hmong.

Throughout history, if the Hmong people found any kind of peace, it never lasted long. They had been forced to emigrate from northeastern China into the country’s southwestern corner. Attempts to separate the Hmong into groups and to destroy

It was believed that the Chinese brand the Jiuli “miao” or savages; the Jiuli called themselves “Hmong,” meaning “people who love freedom, justice and loyalty.”

A.D. 400-900 The Hmong began to rebuild their kingdom in southern China, near the border.

A.D. 500 Tang Dynasty armies killed the Hmong king and forced many Hmong into slavery; the Hmong broke into 18 clans and fled to the mountains of Guangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.


legend


Hmong culture were to some large degree, very effective. Eventually, Chinese generals, assigned to subdue the Hmong, split them into smaller groups to weaker them. The Hmong were also forced to wear identifying clothing--in a sense branding them. Hmong folk stories share these same explanations as to why they are categorized with different names even though they may share the same clan names: Green Hmong, White Hmong, Black Hmong, Flowery Hmong, and Striped Hmong and also have dialectic and sartorial differences. During the Qing Dynasty, several major battles pushed hundreds of thousands of Hmong further into Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Thailand. This separation of a people led them to become more vulnerable and less unified. Of these battles, three significantly large and brutal wars defined the future for the Hmong and their relocation and separation into other countries.

The first war against the Qing Dynasty was fought in 1735 in southeastern Guizhou province. Eight counties and 1,224 villages were believed to be involved in this war. According to Professor Xin-fu Wu, when the Hmong were finally suppressed three years later, a total of 17,670 Hmong had been killed in combat, 11,130 were captured, and executed; 13,600 were forced into slavery.

Sixty years later, after the start of the first war, the Hmong, led by Ba-yue Wu, Liu-deng Shi, San-bao Shi and Tian-ban Shi, tried to resist the Qing government from taking over more of their land. A second war (1795-1806) broke out in three provinces - southeast of Sichuan, east of Guizhou and west of Hunan,

As a result of the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing government demanded more taxes and labor from the Hmong. The Hmong, led by Xiu-mei Zhang and other leaders, revolted in southeastern Guizhou in 1854 and fought until 1873. An excess of one million people were involved in this third war, which spread to cover hundreds of cities and counties. According to Professor Wu, only 30 percent of the Hmong survived the war; the other 70 per-cent were either killed or ran away. Zhang, a native of Taijiang, Guizhou, was captured and taken to Changsa, Hunan where his life ended under cruel tortures.

There are 7,398,035 Hmong scattered in southwestern China.Tseem muaj Hmoob nyob rau hauv Suav teb


Legends, folk tales and folk songs are similar in many ways between the three groups. All of the groups regardless of which country they reside, have continued to practice qhuab ke a funeral song sung to the deceased in hopes of ‘showing the way’. Qhuab ke precisely guides the deceased individual’s soul from his or her present location to the original home-land of his or her ancestors, tracing backward the migration route from village-to-village, city-to-city northeast towards the Beijing area. Besides written materials, Hmong scholars have been using qhuab ke as a major source to help them relearn and interpret Hmong history.

This article is largely indebt to the research done by Yuepheng Xiong. A full and original text version can be found by logging on to the web at:http://www.hmongnet.org/hmong-au/chmong.htm

For more information regarding the history of the Hmong in China as well as Laos, Thailand and the current issues in America, log on to these sites:http://www.hmongabc.comhttp://www.yogtiag.comhttp://www.garyyialee.com

Although a major portion of the Hmong emigrated to Southeast Asia during periods of the last two wars, hundreds of thousands remained living in China. According to the 1990 Chinese census, there are still 7,398,035 Hmong scattered in China’s southwestern provinces - roughly 3,686,900 in Guizhou; 1,557,073 in Hunan; 896,712 in Yunnan, 535,923 in Sichuan, 425,137 in Guangxi, 200,702 in Hupei, 52,044 in Hainan Island, and 43,544 in other provinces.

Because of the many years of warfare and assimilation, the Hmong in China have been divided into five main branches: 1. Bai “White” Dawb 2. Qing “Green” Ntsuab 3. Hong “Red” Liab 4. Hei “Black” Dub 5. Hua “Flowery” Paj They have also been separated linguistically into three main dialects: Eastern, Central and Western. One group cannot understand the other two’s dialects. Fortunately, all three groups pay respect to the same ancestry, the legendary Chiyou.

Differences and similarities in and out of ChinaAlthough their culture and tradition are similar in many ways, a few major cultural practices are different between those in China and those outside China. Unlike the Hmong in and from Southeast Asia, those in China standardize how a person is called. In the Hmong-Chinese community, the Hmong traditionally call each other and oneself by the given name first, followed by the family or last name. Unless one is talking to Chinese people (who go by last name followed by first name), or putting down his name on official document, he would never go by the family name first. In short, inside the Hmong-Chinese community, one is always called by the given name first. On the contrary, a minority but growing percentage of Hmong from Southeast Asia prefer to be called by their last name first.

Additionally, the Hmong in China do not toss cloth balls during the largely cel-ebrated New Year’s Festival. According to Professor Wu and Yang, Hmong in and from Southeast Asia may have adopted this practice from the Zhuang or other nationalities in southwest China before entering Southeast Asian countries.

A one-year-old committee of Hmong scholars and leaders was organized and is in the process of trying to erect a statue of Chiyou in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou. If this happens, this single statue may become a symbol of national pride, identity, unity and commonality for the Hmong people, regardless of where we’re all living on the surface of this world.


Where were you born? Where were you raised? I was born in Ohio where I was raised in a small and peculiar city called Akron.

How did you get the name Vanida & what other names do you go by?When my parents moved to America, my father began working at a company where he met a few Caucasians. Not a lot of Hmong lived in the area back then, and most of them had never even heard of Hmong; so it was on rare occa-sions that my parents would interact with other races. My father eventually befriended a few people at his work place. One of his co-workers, in particular, was very friendly and so kind to my parents that when I was born, my father decided to name me after that woman, so that I'd be as friendly and kind as her. I also go by Nida which is the shortened version, and Blia, my Hmong name.

How many siblings do you have? I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. I’m the youngest girl and one of my brothers is younger than me.

How do you like living in a small town? The Hmong populace is quite small in Akron. Nothing in comparison to the cities filled with Hmong people like St. Paul, MN or Sheboygan, WI. Regardless, I'm fine with the fact that I live in a small town. The atmosphere here is home to me. I've grown to love Akron - it's never extremely busy and cluttered with lots of people. It's really relaxing and peaceful.

What was it like growing up? Like the majority, I've had my ups and downs. I had aspects that I had to overcome and blissful days that I've cherished 'til now. Everything that has happened in my life has shaped me to be the person I am now.

What do you do for fun? For fun, I engage myself in many activities. I doodle on paper, paint, write, access the internet to read current events or researches or update my website, play soccer, go jogging, fiddle on the keyboard, and if I get lucky --I'll pull off a game or two on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 on Xbox 360.

Nida XiongHometown Gir l

14


What's your favorite food? Rice --I can't live without it because it goes with almost anything! On the other hand, I'm also a great fan of ice cream.

What is your belief? Your Religion? My belief would have to lie on my own doings. It's as if I'm a seedling, ready to be watered to sprout and thrive. Anything I do now will affect tomorrow and definitely the future. If I water my seed benevolently well, then surely I become the blossom of a beautiful organism. If I water the seed malevolently, then the seed grows into something vicious and problematic. My religion may outcast me --I'm a Scientologist, but my family still practices Shamanism, although, I still fully and willingly support them.

Do you think you will ever get married?Some day I will; I'm determined to do so after I've obtained my BA in Media Arts and Effects --first, I'd like to know that I'm physically and emotionally stabilized to live a prosperous life here in America.

Do you feel a lot of pressure from the community to get married at a young age? Pressured? Not one bit. If the community be-lieves in marriage at a young age --then so be it. I've got many tasks to carry on and obstacles to learn to overcome before I get married.

What do you think about young Hmong girls who rush to get married at a young age? No offense, but it's not necessary at all and it shows that they may be naive. There are so many things to do, to accomplish and definitely a lot to learn before you become a daughter-in-law.

Where do you want to go to college?Right now I am thinking about Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA. They have nice selections of classes that I'm intensely passionate and very interested in studying.

What do you want to study? Media Arts and Effects, Literature, Psychology, and Creative Writing. There's just so much to learn!

Do you think you'd want to travel someday?Well, I would love to visit Laos where my parents were born and raised to see what it's like. Maybe someday.

Guess what?

We met Nida in Akron, at the Hmong New Year; she was the sweetest girl ever. She's also featured on our front cover wearing her very expensive and beautiful Hmong-Chinese outfit. Nida had no idea we photographed her because she was so busy ball-tossing with her boyfriend!


MUSIC

Knowstalgic of Del icious Venom

16


What is Delicious Venom?Delicious Venom --the cure for venom is venom, it kinda cancels out poison. Growing up in a venomous neighborhood, it’s like, now that we know what was going on; we know the right route, we're coming back as the positive venom to cancel out the bad venom. That's why we called ourselves --- my older brother Tou Saiko and me, Delicious Venom

Where were you born?I was born in providence Rhode Island, my brother was born in a refugee camp; we came here around 1979. I have another brother who was born a year before me, and my sister, who was born after me, in Syr-acuse. They are the total opposites of me and Tou. As far as personalities go, the things we are into, are different, but we get along pretty well.

Where did you grow up?We lived in New York for about 10 years, and then we moved here to St, Paul, MN. In New York, we lived in Syracuse, the forgotten city, all of these abandoned homes, no one cared about, it was just a crumbling city, lots of corruption, we didn't realize how bad it was when we were little, until now.

Why Hmong history & Hip Hop?For me, first of all, Hip Hop has such a huge influence on pretty much the whole globe, but a lot of people are misinformed as to what it is: Hip Hop is like a culture that started out in pretty much, the poorest neighborhoods, in

18XEEM caught up with Vong Lee, aka "Knowstalgic" from the duo group Delicious Venom, a young, emerging Hip-Hop rapper with strong ties to his history and culture. Delicious Venom is known for their unique lyrics about social and cultural issues in songs such as "30 Year Secret" and "Genocide in Laos".


New York City, where everyone was oppressed. The type of neighborhood we grew up in, that was pretty much the only type of music that hit home with me, you can listen to music about being mad or being sad, but Hip Hop, you know they talk about things that are happening currently, in the neighborhoods.

What's a typical day like for you?Pretty busy, tonight we have a show at Concordia University, afterwards it's straight to the Turf Club and then Saturday we'll be performing at the Lucy's Moonlight Sports Bar. In between all that I got all these other things goin' on like school, and trying to get this job [he's fumbling to find an important document].

What's your plan for the future?I really want to teach Hmong History and Hip Hop history one day, at first I wanted to do it inside of a school, but I don't know, I guess we'll see if there's any where else I can teach it.

Who were some of your friends growing up?In New York, the only Hmong people we knew were our cousins, mostly my dad's side. My mom's side lived in MN. Everyone else was just white, or black, Latino kids. Back then I didn't really know how to differentiate races, some of them were just my friends, I didn't really see them as black, white or significantly different from me, they were just my friends, it didn't matter. Now I'm more aware of the differences.

How did your family, particularly your parent's feel about you and your brother rapping?They weren't really supportive at first. They used to tease us a lot, like my dad would always imitate us, there is a song from the 80s called, Whip it. He would always say that line “It's not to late to whip it, whip it good” to us over and over every time he heard us rapping. It was pretty funny.

People came up to us and told us that they cried l istening to it .


Who wrote 30 Year Secret?My brother Tou, Doua, a guest rapper, and me. We each wrote our own verses. The inspiration was from a group from Minnesota called H3 (Hmong Hlub Hmong). At that time, they were going around doing rallies and informing the community about the situation in Laos, ongoing war with the communist Laos and the Hmong people living in the jungle, the genocides of some of the Hmong victims. They opened a lot of eyes, including ours. They were doing a candle light vigil where they showed video footages of what was going on in Laos. It inspired us to do something about it. If this is really happening, people need to know. This can't be just be pushed aside.

We were trying to think of a way as to how we could make other people see the problems going on, without hurting anyone or doing anything violent. What could we do with our abilities? We looked at each other and said, “Alright we're all musicians, artists, and there is a big Hmong artist community in the country.We're all disconnected from each other, but how about we do a collaboration of all Hmong artists out there, and let’s get together and write songs about the situation, raise awareness; get people to start talking about it.” So we worked with H3, and got them to donate DVD's so we could do a callout, to artists who wanted to help with the project, and anyone who was interested, we mailed them each a DVD of the presentation, a documentary of what was going on in Laos, to educate them, and hopefully inspire them. We did that, then in MN, we did a lot of promoting, telling people about it, pretty much, it came together a lot better than we ever imagined. This became known as the H Project.

What did you want people to take back from listening to your music?When I was writing, it was just mainly to spark up a conversation, move somebody, to make them angry, sad or just to feel somethin’ about it, you know... hopefully, it will lead them to something good.

What were some reactions? People really responded well to the song, some even came up to us and told us that they cried listening to it.

What kind of feeling does that give you?It makes me feel good because it lets me know that, we still do, there is still Hmong people out there who care about Hmong

people. It makes me realize how close we really are even though we are all far apart. It gives me a great feeling that there's still hope out there.

When was the first performance?In 1999, when I was 17 and Tou was 21. Our first performance was infront of a Hmong audience at a party in MN. It was kinda crazy. We were doing all these crazy things on stage and I think we kinda scared 'em. A lot of our songs, when we first started out we didn't have a studio, a mic or speakers, or anything, we started performing before we ever had any equipment. Our first song was just a performance song; we never recorded it.We always rapped on the mic live. We had a friend who did shows, and he liked our style, so he wanted us to go out there, and so the majority of our songs became performance songs. A lot of it is about social issues, reflecting our feelings, and the way we feel about life, and how we grew up.

Who usually comes to the shows?The majority is the younger generation, but we have a pretty good number of older generation that show up as well. We had a performance in WI and it was pretty much just senior citizens, and they really felt for our music, and praised us in the end. We don't have a limit to our audience because even if they don't like it, maybe they can respect or like it for what it is.

Do you write poetry?We started writing poetry before we started rapping, when I was in 4th or 5th grade, and my brother was in Junior High.

What influenced you?It was my brother, when he started getting into it, I was getting into it. Why did you pick Hip-Hop and Rapping over Country, Rock or Hmong music?Well, my brother and I are definitely working towards writing Hmong music. What happened during the Vietnam War, devastated our parents. Basically, they thought their lives were done, everything that had worked for was gone. So, when we came here to America and they had heard that this was the land of opportunity and you won’t make it if you don't know English, they taught us the basics of Hmong, just enough to understand people and communicate, and then rest was just English. Even in preschool, they had these books where they sat down with us, played tapes while we read along with the tapes.


So they got us on a good start with English.Even in our English classes, we were kinda ahead of the American kids, and so that's why our English is such a big part of our music. It's been a big part of us growing up.

How do you spend your weekends besides performing?I try to hang out with my friends but I barely ever see them, almost every time we have a date set to hang out, I always say I wanna go but usually something always comes up. It's more like catching up days, everything I pushed back during the week, I just catch up on it, like homework, but the majority of it has to do with music; organizing shows, there’s always so much stuff going on with our music. If we ever say we have nothing to do, we're lying. Because we have all these shows that are pending, a lot of things we still have to do as far as getting things done.

Where are these shows at usually?Everywhere. Clubs, community centers, bars, school, elementary, middle, high school, universities, everywhere you can think of. We don't have a specific audience that we target, we make our music, and if you want us to be there, we'll perform infront of any type of audience, any race, age. Basically, anyone who wants to listen.

Who else is a musician in your family?My older brother Sy and my Dad used to be in a band called Demix. They used to play at Hmong parties, weddings, New Years. They were a really popular band; a lot of people requested them. This was way before we started rapping. It was fun, but not something that really influenced us to be in the music scene. It wasn't our thing, but we liked it.

What do you think the future hold for you?You know, [sigh] every couple of days, I sit here and ask me that same question. I really don't have a def answer. I really want music to be a big part of my life. But there are so many other things I want to do in life, I do know that music will always be a part of it,

just figuring out how big of a part it will be in my life, is the hard thing. If we get signed with a huge deal then we'll def pursue music all the way, but until then, I want to keep workin’ on my other goals like learning as much as I can about the Hmong history, push as much as I can in every direction, until it takes off.

Do you want to travel somewhere?Traveling is def on our agenda, especially Laos and Thailand. We've discussed performing there. We'd love to do that. There really is no limit as to where we will perform.

Do you think you'll ever get married? Laughs. Well. [Pause] Well, I'm def not in a rush to get married, but if I find someone, like me, and our lives are compatible, and our personalities click, and, you know [pause] everything works out then, yeah. I'm not saying this isn't ever gonna happen.

Thirty years of warPersecuted and scornedBehind enemy linesA small child is bornWhat will he live forFighting for the rest of his lifeGunshots, chemical bombsOr sliced with a knifeShrapnel within fleshChildren poisoned to deathDefend the villagesSoldiers killed in combatA contract that's been crackedSplit up, attackedWith no tracksAnd they only fight backFor survival reasonsAnd they wish to the skyFor the will to keep breathingThe jungles are a prisonScarred into our visionsNow I want you to listenCause our people have risenStarving for any mealThey kept it concealed

As performed & written by Del icious Venom“30 Year Secret” ft. Ly Vangsoua:

Images like this one below, inspired artists like Delicious Venom to write songs about the Secret War in Laos and the current conflicts going on right now!

Download this song and other FREE tracks by Delicious Venom on their page:www.myspace.com/deliciousvenom

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACTFINDING.ORG

Their blood spillsAll over the rice fieldsFor realA tragic massacreOf tears and emotionsThat can floodThe Mekong RiverTo be an oceanOur people are sufferingAnd time is running out

I see my mother working late againFather hold paper tensDrama on the cornerWe ignore but we relate to themStay within the circleRepresenting every state we inPenetrate the systemNow the prison wants to take us inListen to my elder folksCousin loves to sell us smokeSisters in the kitchenCooking breakfast to the smell of smokeFlea market weekendSleeping sixty minutesTwo, two hoursBeen working overtimeAin't had no time to take a showerFamily business slowStill on the goBlow for blowWe slug it outAgainst the winter and snowEver since existenceWe have been survivors

NeglectedNever claim a countryJust want to live and let liveNow its been thirty yearsSince imprisonment in the jungleFor the HmongRemind your eldersAnd educate the youngLaotian government, genocideHuman rights and violationClock is running downTo total annihilationLift a finger nowStop procrastinatingSave a childSave a motherThrow your clockAnd watch awayThe time is nowStop searching for timeTime is running outStop searching for timeTime is running out

Chorus:

Don't let our people die, save our people,Save our people, Gooo,

Listen to their cries, Voices of Sorrow,Ohhh

Don't let our people die, save our people, Gooo, Gooo, Gooooooo


Fashion

tradit ional& modernstyle

22

khaub ncawsqub thiab tshiab


Dont be caught wearing this to a Hmong New Year.

Illustrations by Hlee Xiongwebsite portfolio: http://hleex.com

Is there a wrong way to wear clothing? Well, you’ve got your pants, to cover your lower body, and your shirt, to cover your upper body. You’ve got a hat for your head, if you're having a bad hair day, and shoes for your feet. So is there really a wrong way to wear clothes? If you are wearing Hmong clothes, then yes, some may say there is a wrong and a right.

As a culture that is continuously developing, there really is no wrong or right, but rather: a traditional and modern way. Of course, everyone knows not to wear your pants so that they drape over your shoulders and around your chest (that might not even be possible), but if you're a fashion guru then you might just come up with a clever way of doing that! However, to wear Hmong clothes the 'traditional way' there are certain rules you have to follow. If you're planning on attending a Hmong New Year or an event exclusively celebrating a Hmong occasion, then you better make sure your mom helps you dress, otherwise you might just be the laughing stock of the village!

The next few pages will highlight the basic pieces of clothing that the Hmong Dawb (White) people wear. There are a variety of styles and every year more styles emerge, but for the sake of keeping this short and sweet, we’ve condensed the garments to the bare essentials that make up an outfit.


Tradit ional Style for Males

Shoes are optionalBack in the old days in Laos and Thailand, the Hmong could not afford to wear shoes, therefore, many adapted to living without them, even treading as far as five miles to their farmlands.

Hats reminiscent of Chinese fashionNote that the hair is now tucked behind the ears and in the hat; this an important appearance factor for the Hmong who have little concern with extravagant hairstyles.

Let's start with the guys: as always, plain and simple define the look for males. Whether you're a child or an elderly male, the outfit is pretty much the same from head to toe. Unlike the ladies, guys do not have to wear a green sash --one hot pink one is enough.

The outfit shown to the left, has no jewelry or accessories, such as the silver piece neck-lace, accompanying it. The garment is entirely handmade and typically of velvet fabric. The blue trimming around the arms are optional and do not have to be sewn on the shirt but typically it is.


Modern Stylefor Males

Sashes made of silkSashes are always hot pink and worn in the front. Males do not have to wear a green one like females.

Western style shirts and tiesThe Hmong have adapted to wearing a tie and white collared shirts underneath. The black sleeve shirt (like the one on previous page), can also be worn in place of the vest.

Hats remain the sameThe hats for males has not changed, other than the patterns and colors that are sewn onto it. Most of the young and newer generation in America prefer not to wear the hat as they prefer western hats and caps --which can then look strange to the elderly.

This second look, though not very much different in the pants, is more of a modern style for males. The inside shirt and the tie are very western-style. The hat has remained much the same. The shirt is now adorned with beautifully hand-sewn patterns and French coins.

The hot pink sash is silk and adorns gold patterns. As long as the sash is hot pink and tied at the front, it doesn't matter if it has different types of prints on it. There are a variety of prints available in the silk fabric.


Fashion

Tradit ional Style 1 for FemalesAgain, as always, plain and simple define the traditional style. Whether you're a child or an elderly female, the outfit is pretty much the same from head to toe. Unlike guys, girls wear a green sash which is tied to the front.

A gold necklace, though very a rare and expensive piece of jewelry, especially in the older days, completes this look. Usually, the oldest daughter of the family will most likely wear it. Again, the garment is entirely hand-made and typically of velvet fabric.

Embellishments on the HatsWhen the Hmong lived in Laos before the 70s, only unmarried females wore the black and white strips on the purple cloth. This was in order for male suitors to distinguish an unmarried female from a married female. Now all women of different statuses wear it.

Sashes made of silkSashes are always neon green and worn in the front. Males do not have to wear a green one like females.


Tradit ional Style 2for FemalesThis second look, though not very much different from the pants, is more of a pretty style for females. The ‘sev’ --pronounced “shay” (harder to see in the first illustration since it is also made of the same fabric as the pants) now has a blue trimming.

There are always variations in pattern and color, depending on which village a person originated from, but for the most part the basic style is the same. The skirt shown here is for Hmong "Dawb" or White Hmong rather than "Chinese' Hmong, etc.

The hot pink sash is worn and tied to the back, while the green one is in the front. There are a variety of prints available in the silk fabric. Most of the fabric are dyed in these two very common and traditionally bright colors.

Hats remain the sameThe hats for females has not changed in style. The embellishments are adorned with beads which wrap around the entire hat. It used to bean art to be able to wrap the ‘turban’ like hat around the head, but now they are ready-made.

Delicate skirtsThe skirts are delicately hand-creased in and out evenly across the fabric and then sewn together to be stored. When the skirt is ready to be worn, the threads are pulled out individually so that the skirt flares.


Fashion

Modern Style 1for FemalesFemales usually wear four or five layers of garments and jewelry. As the year have progressed though, women have begun to wear less and less because of the heavy pieces which may become uncomfortable to wear over a long period of time. The clothing is also more tailored and form fitting.

The trimming around the arms are optional and do not have to be sewn on the shirt but typically it is worn with the shirt. The outfit shown here has no jewelry or accessories accompanying it. The garments are, again entirely handmade and typically of velvet and silk fabrics.

Colorful skirts that flareThe skirts are similuar to the white version only in that it is also folded in and out to flare. The patterns are always colorful and very intricate.

Colorful patterns and printsThe clothing style has remained similuar. The differences is in the patterns and colors. The trimmings are no longer just blue, but range in all bright shades of colors.


Modern Style 2for FemalesThis second look, though not very much different in the pants, is more of a modern style for females. The inside shirt and the tie are very western-style. The hat has remained much the same. The shirt is now adorned with beautifully hand-sewn floral patterns.

The pink sash is no longer visible or even worn. Although, the green sash is worn, it does not tied and fall at the front. Women have also begun to wear different colors in place of the traditional green sash.

Velvet PantsThe pants are no longer just black, but range in dark colors such as navy blue and forest green. They are also decorated with intricate patterns.

Western style shirts and tiesEven the females wear ties, or scarfs around their necks to protect the back from the heavy necklaces (not shown).Collar-shirts have been adapted as well.

Hats remain the sameThe hats are no longer wrapped around the head. Instead people have found ways to glue and sew them in place so that it goes on easily like other hats. The strip pattern can vary with color, beads; depending on the clothing colors and style.


Pieces ofPoetry

30

POETRY

Inspired by the Hmong l ife experience in Laos, Thai land, and America.Al l poems written by Mai Xiong, exclusively forpubl ication in 18XEEM.

Silent in the MountainsThe rain washed our bloodDown the slopes of the mountainInto the Mekong River.

We had been travelingBy foot all week longFrom north, to south after

Our village had been burned byThe enemies.

The only thing leftOf us were our rubberSandals boughtFrom the marketplace inTownOnly a week ago.

Our clothing tornBy the limbsOf the tree branches. Each ragRipping with every

Step.

Falling from ourFleshTo leave dirty clues forThe enemies

Who would hunt us and slaughterUs with theirSteel bladesUntil our everyOrgan was no longerHidden within us.Instead piled on topOf ourHallow stomachs.

For now though our rubberSandals hid usIn the silenceKeeping their promise To protect us from the sharpSurface of the land.

Family DinnerThe long grains of rice Drowned by the boiling waterLay steadily in the steamerWaiting to be eaten.My mother stands over it to lift the lid open,The steam releases itself into the kitchen,A plastic spoon in her right handShe quickly stirs the contents insideScooping it up, pressing it back down,Her small hands move in circular motionRepeating the steps until it is fluffy.The rising steam of the rice becomes fainter,Drowned by the sounds of my hungry brothersAnd sisters, who gather the chairs around the tableAn empty seat, an empty plate My mother patiently waits,The way my father did years ago Hiding in the silent jungle where no lights Could be dim enough and no wind cold enoughTo divert him from returning.

Send us your original poems and short stories with a short description to [email protected]. Poems chosen for publication deal with issues about the Hmong culture and the life experiences about the Hmong people.


Morning on the DockHe tossed the translucent line into the stillness of The lake.It was clear, all of a sudden

The water, the sky, the graceful bass flowing Beneath the long branches of the tree The relaxing weekend out In the forest, the pretty girl who sat By his side patiently waiting

Two gentle tugs and he slowly reeled the string back Into the mechanical Object held all together byA few metal nails hidden somewhere inside.

His golden banjo minnow sparkling below, sinking, slowlyTeasing the bass to follow closely behind

The reel winded smoothlyWith ease, a click and the line snappedBack into place.

He reeled it once more but This time it was heavy, slow, chuggingAs if the reel were rusty and aged fromToo much usage.

Steady, and careful to notBend the rodHe gave in to the pressure of the bass. ReleasingThe line from its reel.It swam in uncertaintyNorth, west, southNortheast and then deeperBelow the lilypads around each stem that floated in the fresh waterTearing each as it passed by, angryAnxious, andFrightened by the hook.

Ripples playfully expanded andDisappeared only toReappear as if to trackThe bass treading underThe lake.Where it was headedWhen it would leap andDive back under for as farAs the reel would allow it until itSnapped in place again.

Splashes appeared and sunk below its Surface, reappearing Again to interrupt the perfectly Calm and flat facade of the lakeCareful, as to not snap the line

He tugged tenderly with the bass below untilIt became clear that he was tired ofThe swimming in circles and finally gave In to the stillness of The lake.


POETRYThe Piece of WoodAn ancient barkA lucky charmThat guarded her soul

From the evil spirit.

Dangling Froma piece of yarnDecorated like a Christmas ornament Embellished with plastic beads, Orange and golden and silver.Encircled with floral and zig zag patterns. All woven of stringsThat traveled an ancient journey in the back of an old woman's bagJust to wrap around her

Rearview mirror.

Swinging

Back And forthBack And forth

Swinging so quietly and naturally like the wind that blowsShe forgets about the protector and goes on with her day.

The engine starts.An alert for the protector.Back on duty, it guards her from the evil spirit

Swinging

Back And forthBack And forth

The engine stops.A car door opens and shuts.The pacing of her feet becomes fainter.Until the next journey the piece of wood lays at rest.

The Fact Finding Commission (FFC) is a non-profit organization working to bring

the plight of Veterans of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to the attention of the U.S. Congress

and the American People.

The FFC serves as a public and worldwide news service to uncover selective information

regarding the current situation in Laos and the issues affecting the Veterans of the

U.S. Secret War in Laos worldwide.

Visit our website for the most current news and updates and

to learn more about how you can help us

bring hope to these people: http://www.factfinding.org



The language of an ArtistI find the human mind to be very fascinating. I spent half my life studying psychology dreaming to become a psychiatrist until one of my own bizarre dreams showed me truth. My dreams told me to quit psychology, and pursue my true passion in life, Art. Through the weapon of coffee, my superhero powers are heightened, allowing me to create unique yet stylistic surreal and dream-like landscapes. I'm always journeying to new places so when I move, my studio moves with me.

My inspirations come from my experiences and dreams. With every stroke, I leave behind a window into my soul, hoping to spark a fond memory or inspiration in others.

Artist speaking about "Way of Life" shown on the opposite page:

"Traditions are passed down hoping for the next generation to pass it on to the next. Unfortunately, some of us have lost the way of life that once was. I created this to remind us of our culture and traditions.If they are forgotten, what culture will we bring to the next generation?"

Kao LeeFolklore Studio

34

PajGouache on watercolor paper 10”x30”Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series by artist Kao Lee Thao of Folklore Studio. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com


Way of LifeGouache on watercolor paper 14”x22”Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series. Image shown was cropped for publication. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com


PajGouache on watercolor paper 10”x30”Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series by artist Kao Lee Thao of Folklore Studio. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com

Story WithinGouache on watercolor paper 14”x22”

“The Qeej plays an important role in the Hmong culture. The true beauty of the Qeej is revealed as each song unfolds a tale played by the storyteller.”


"Caught in the balance between supporting the fighting soldiers and hiding in the dense forest, Hmong women and children traveling to freedom put their lives on the line. This woman clenches her child keeping him safe from the dangers that lurk in every corner."Balance Oil on canvas 16”x20”

"Although styles may change, beneath the skin, our heritage remains. Upbeat urban life has shifted the look and speed of everything, but our Culture will continue far through the ages."Joua Acrylic on canvas 10”x”30”


YukaiGouache on watercolor paper 10”x30”Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series by artist Kao Lee Thao of Folklore Studio. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com


40

Where were you born?I was born in Laos on May 18th. Laos fell to Communism on May 15th. Basically, two days after I was born, we left Laos. I came to Thailandand we were over there for 6 months. In 1975, we came to the US. We were the first wave of Hmong immigrants to come over.

What have you been doing?I've been retired for about two years from fighting now. Currently, I'm in financial servic-es. I do real estate mortgage and financial planning.

How did you get into Muay Thai Kickboxing?It was kind of like a dare. Laughs. I've always been in martial art --since I was 9, when I started training. I had a childhood friend who was doing Chinese kick-boxing, eventually he ended up being my trainer. He started com-peting first though and I would watch him fight, and I liked it. Then when I was 18, I started fight-ing amateur. At 19, I turned professional.

What were your parent's reactions?They didn't want me to fight. To them, it wasn't

a good career; it wasn’t traditional like what they wanted: go to school, get a degree. I chose a different path. It was a challenge at first. They disagreed with me. They didn't show up for, probably, my first ten fights. I was deter-mined to prove them wrong. Not only that, but when I first started, there was this skepticism that Hmong people couldn't fight: we are tooshort, and we can't beat Caucasian people. For me I just thought, you know, it was a sport, I loved what I did, and I was doing great at it. I had a 15-fight winning spree when I first started. So, I loved it.

Was it luck or hard training?It was definitely really hard training. When I first started, I spent a lot of time training. At least 6 hours a day. Competitively, every morning from 7-10; normally, it would be a 5 mile run in the morning. And then, a few hours working on different techniques.

Was boxing your sole career or what else did you do besides fight?My first professional fight, I got about 100 bucks,

Yia Mua “The Bul l”A Hmong Legend speaks about h is l i fe in and out of the spot l ight .


Yia Mua doing strength training months before his fights in 2001.Yia Mua training with the Muay Thai in Fresno, California.

5'7" 170lbs

After my f ight f in ished in Thai land, the e lder Hmong people who lived there came up to me ; they were crying. Winning in Thai land was not just my victory, but to them it was revenge for the cruelty and oppression our people endured. there's not a lot of money in it. You really have

to have a passion for it. In terms of money, there really is no award. I worked part-time and trained part-time. My parents still wanted me to go to school, so I did that. I went professional in 1995. Then, I graduated with a Bachelor’s in E-commerce in 1999.

When you went pro did you celebrate?Not really, everything kind of happened as I went along in the sport. I didn't really know what pro was. When I was fighting, Muay Thai was pretty much unknown when I was fighting. The PKA rules were mostly karate; they wouldn't allow kicks to the face. When I was competing, a year or two later they started allowing it and also allowing the knee. I was in one of the first fights when they started allowing elbow. The only time you could of used it was in Nevada or Thailand. When I started, Muay Thai was very primitive, even at a lot of sanctions and athletic Commissions, they didn't allow or recognize it.

What was the best part about a fight?The best part was winning.

What if you didn't win?It was still good because every fight I take it as a learning step. After every fight, usually I become friends with the other guy. The most exciting part is always the beginning of the fight though, because you don't know how this guy is. Everything is pretty much a mystery. You've probably heard or seen the fighter fight, but you really don't know until you fight that person. The funny thing though is when you finally fight that person, within the first 30 secs., you know what type of technique he has.

What type of feeling would you get before going in to a fight?It was always confidence. I never doubted myself. Like the great Muhammad Ali says,

someone was up there representing us.” Now every time you hear that after a fight, from a kid, or from your Hmong people, it solidifies a reason as to why I stayed in the fights for so long for 10 years.

Did you hear it more from the younger or the older generation?It was pretty much equal. But I started hearing more, when I started fighting on ESPN and Pay-Per-View. Even from General Vang Pao, when I went to fight in Thailand representing the US, I was able to get his blessing.

How did you get in touch with him?Through one of his relatives, Jack Vang from Minnesota and his sons --I guess they follow fighting a lot. I had a fight in 1999 in MN, and that's when I met them. Then, I was going to go to Thailand for the first time to fight, and the General gave me a call. Two years later, I went to fight in Laos. There was an issue about the trade in Laos and the human rights violation, and so Laos decided to have a 'friendship' fight. He called and asked me to come to dinner; we did a ceremony and I had my hand tied (‘ki tej' --a ritual where someone ties a white string of yarn around your wrist for good luck and fortune). It was a big thing. But the funny thing is, you don't realize how much you affect people. Only when I retired, did I fully realize that. People still ask me if I'll fight again.

When did you go to Thailand?When I went to Thailand to fight, in 2001, I ended up in a small village south of Bangkok. It was a small Hmong village. I'm thinking, ‘OK, I'm out in the middle of nowhere, no one probably knows me’. But the first thing this older guy asked me, when he found out I was from the US was if I knew a guy named Yia Mua. I told him, oh yeah, I know him. They didn't even know it was me. [Laughs] I guess people had heard that this guy, Yia Mua, was like 6 feet tall and real big. It was funny. I didn't know I had that type of affect on people. That was the one time I realize that you know, what I do, I carry more of a big role than I do. Well I eventually told him who I was and I gave him some tickets to see me fight in Bangkok. That definitely made his day.

The other thing was, when I went to fight there, it was very emotional. To me, I just wanted to go there, fight, and win. I step into the ring, and you know, not a lot of Hmong fighters fight in big stadiums --it’s usually small fair venues. So it was very rare, especially in Thailand. When I fought there, I won in the third round. As I came down, a whole bunch of Hmong people came up to me, and they were crying. I had no idea why they were crying, I just never really thought about it, until afterwards. They were so proud and so happy that someone can get up in the ring, and beat up a Thai guy. To them, it was revenge


'Even if I was the underdog I always prepare myself for the big victory speech' before I went to fight. I always had the mentality that, I've been training so hard; I just want to go in there and get the job done then celebrate after. My whole theory about fighting, and life in general is, 'If you doubt yourself before you walk into the ring, you've already lost 80% of the fight.' Fighting is more will than skill. With your training and your opponent’s training, you both are at your peak, in terms of endurance and skills; the only thing left is will: to see who has a bigger heart.

Why did you take your will into the ring?At the beginning, it was more of a challenge. Everyone kept telling me I couldn't do it. As I kept on fighting, I realized that I’ve been hurt; of course, lots of bruises and broken bones. And as time progressed I would always say, OK that was a tough fight, this is going to be my last fight, but one time after a fight, these Hmong kids came up to me, and they gave me this whole speal about how proud they are. It was the most rewarding thing after every fight. So at that point, it was more like a duty of mine to the community. Gangs were so predominate in our community, especially at that time. There was so much negativity in the community.

When was the first time someone ever approached you about being proud?It was probably 1997, one of my first pro-fights in Fresno. Before then, it was usually out of Fresno, but the first one I fought in here, right after the fight, they were cleaning up the bleachers and as I walked out of the locker room, a young Hmong kid came up to me and told me that it was a really good fight, and “we're proud that

Yia Mua with one of his sons. Now retired, he is a full-time father and husband.

for the way they [the Hmong] had been and were still oppressed; how the Thai people treated them in that country. To me it was just a sport, I wanted to get in there and win. To other people it was more, like pride or dignity.

After that, I realized how much pride people had in what I was doing. It was so interesting. When I fought locally here in Fresno, I always had a few thousands of people come and watch me fight. If I fought in Las Vegas or some-where further, usually had a few hundred come watch me. I didn't realize that Hmong people had so much pride in it. They would always tell me: “Fight for our ancestors” or “Fight for our Hmong people, and make us proud.” It was an honor but at the same time, it was a lot of pressure too. I had to give it my best or else.

Were they disappointed if you lost? Yes. It was a lot of pressure; the first fight I ever lost, which was by half a point, it was the first time I realized, what my parents call, you have friends who are like 'meat and wine' friends, and true friends, and I realized the difference. I felt like, yeah, I did let people down, but I gave it my best --and that day just wasn't my day. I go home and look at what I did wrong and fix my mistake. I came back and beat another guy who was supposedly better than me. There was like a 'movie star' baggage that came with it. You have the people who like you, and who hate you. That was one of the reasons why I decided to retire. Although I love talking to kids and making sure they have their priorities set straight, it was hard just to be able to live a regular life; I went through a divorce right after I turned pro. I got married when I was about 19, and I thought I had found the right girl --at that time all your buddies are getting married and you think that

is the right thing to do. But as you progress in life, you realize you have different goals. I loved fighting, meeting new people, and traveling.

I didn't think I was going to turn pro and I didn't think it would affect me that much. I was young and had no idea what marriage was really about. Now that I talk to younger kids, I always tell them to put it off because there is just so much stuff to do. The things I've done, the majority of people probably wouldn't be able to in their lifetime, unless they take their time and do it. In the 10 years that I was fighting --every country I went through, I made sure I went somewhere; did something, whether it was hiking a mountain, or water rafting.

For someone who doesn't see fighting the way you do and instead, portrays it as violence, how do you explain that to them? Some people ask me why I was fighting; they didn't see the art in fighting. Because Muay Thai fighting is probably the most difficult thing; not many people can have the mentality and discipline to be a good fighter. They automati-cally associate it with gang fighting. They don't see the value in it. Fighting is a sport and you have to have a lot of dedication, and tough mentality to be able to compete as a fighter. In the Hmong community, because we are so traditional: go to school, get a degree; anything else, you know now I see a lot of Hmong doing different things; but when I was doing it, it was frowned upon by a lot of people. Lots of people did not want their kids to watch me fight or idolize me. They would say statements like, “You're just like a rooster” and “They're just cock-fighting you.”

How did that make you feel? The first time I heard it, I was kind of defensive, but as I was fighting more, I realize people are prejudice. People will judge you even if they don't have the education, inclination or under-standing and they are ignorant about what you do --they will judge you. It didn't bother me that much, when I was fighting, I had a mission and a vision, and I wanted to carry on with that.

Was someone there to help you deal with it?It was a lot of trail and error at first, but my parents helped me out a lot. They told me what to say, what not to say. I had a really good trainer too. They were like my family. They watched out for me. When I went to fight, they made sure I didn't party too much; they made sure I slept early. When I did promotions, they made sure I had bodyguards. Without my trainer, John Cho, I think I would have been in a lot of trouble or said a lot of wrong things.

What did you eat when you were training? When I was fighting, from about 21-27, I couldn't

"Education is great, but I think we oppress so much of our talent, there could be so many more kids out there who are talented in sports and art, and different types of venues; but most of them don't pursue it because, number one: they don't have the confidence; number two: it is just a belief that's not seen as prestigious or good in our community."


eat any fast food, things I loved to eat. I had to eat a lot of white meat, chicken breasts and fish. That was basically my diet. It became a lifestyle. I ate very different from my family. My mom would cook a really good meal, but I couldn't eat it. Right now, I pretty much have the same lifestyle, but I'm not fighting anymore so I don't have to watch my weight. I do splurge on pizza and fast food, once in a while.

Where do you keep all your trophies?I have five championship belts put in the gym that I used to train at. I requested a duplicate of my belt and I kept them in a little trophy case, with all my metals and trophies. Usually that whole section, I put my memorabilia, like articles from newspapers or magazines and posters. It's something that I want my kids to see, that that was something that I did. It's actually right in the hallway so we pass it every now and then.

Why did you spelled your last name 'Mua' instead of 'Moua'?It was a misspelling actually, [laughs] and every-one asks that. My dad's explanation is, --I don't know how true it is, but, in Laos we were part of the French-Indochina, and my father was educated in France. Mua is the French spelling, so we just carried it.

What was the biggest mistake you made that you learned from?Well, I've made a lot of mistakes, but I always tell everyone, ‘Mistakes in our past, is what creates us and gives us our character’. The biggest mistake I probably did was when I retired at 26 to go to school and I came back a year and a half later --that was the biggest mistake I made. I missed out on a lot of big fights, like in Japan. I learned that when you're doing things in your life, things you love to do, when you have the momentum, don't stop the momentum. Go with the flow, and it will bring you great things. There are a lot of talented people in the Midwest. I talk to university kids there all the time; I tell

them ‘If you guys have what it takes, don't be afraid of leaving the nest and going out to venture and being successful’. You won't be successful staying at home. Take risks, and if you have the momentum, go along with it because it will bring you success.

If I didn't take that time off fighting, I figured --when I went to Thailand, I spent some time with the Thai champions fighters there, and they didn't have any wealth. They were still living in a pretty much poverty type life; so when I got back, I told myself I didn't want to live like that. I went back to school and got my degree, so I had something to fall back on, which was great, but I also missed out on a lot of great opportunities with my fighting career.

When did you officially retire and what were some main reasons?I officially retired when I got married to my current wife. I just wanted to get out of that life of fighting. It was very difficult. Prior to that, I was in a relation-ship, and all the gossip and news surrounding me was just too much. I wanted to spend time with my wife and two kids, 1 and 12 years old.

Do you think they will follow in your path?I don't think they will. As long as they love what they do, I'll support them in every way. My oldest son is a big skating guru so maybe he'll go pro in that. But he watched me fight a lot growing up. Usually he stayed with my parents and watched from the front row. He's a small guy, though very strong, and he has a lot of pride.

I don't want to be the guy to tell my son, ‘No’ all the time, I want to be able to inspire him and inspire other people. There's nothing wrong with being a doctor or lawyer but I don't want to stand up there and tell him to study hard in school and get straight A's. I want to tell them that they can be anyone or anything in life. Just have a passion toward what they do. Don’t let money stop you from doing what you want.

“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” --Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. I've done great things and bad things. I make mistakes, and it makes you who you are.

How do you want people to remember you? You know, I want people to know that I'm just an average, normal Hmong guy who had a dream and went for it --something different.

Yia would like to thank his family and the Pacific Martial Arts Fight team for their support and sponsorship.

"After every fight, I would always say, 'OK, that was a tough fight, this is going to be my last fight,' but one time after a fight, these Hmong kids came up to me, and gave me this whole speal about how proud they are. That was the most rewarding thing from that point on."



Mom & Dad

My uncle & us

Life in Thaila nd

MEMoirs

Our Moments in History

46

This page is dedicated entirely to submissions from our readers! We know you got them stashed away somewhere. Send in your old photographs in Laos, Thailand or family photos from when you just arrived to America. We’ll never forget where we came from and we wouldn’t want you to either! Log on to WWW.18XEEM.COM to submit.

Life in Thaila nd

we were just kids back then

coming to america

ASK QUESTIONS. GET ANSWERS. OR JUST CHAT WITH OTHER READERS! LOG ON TO: WWW.18XEEM.COM/FORUM

WWW.BLUEKISSPHOTO.COM

VISIT US AT OUR 5GREAT LOCATIONS

Northland Center MallSouthfield, MI(248)423-8360

Grand Avenue MallMilwaukee, WI(414)223-1180

Four Seasons Town CentreGreensboro, NC(336)852-4122

Eastland MallCharlotte, NC(704)568-6588

Valley Hills MallHickory, NC(828)915-9915

Blue Kiss Photo provides a fun and fashionable picture taking experience at unbeatable prices. Blue Kiss Photo’s entertaining and fast style of studio photography has created a picture-taking trend for all ages.

Blue Kiss Photo conveniently provides both a full-service portrait studio and print lab. Portraits are ready within one hour of placing orders.

VISIT US ONLINE

WE’VEGOT YOU

COVERED

!

CALL TO ORDER: (586) 596-8528Includes special tracks:Tawg Teb Chaws (Lus Taum)Mus Ua Luag NyabLub Neej Tsis ZooNkauj Muam Nraug Nus Sib Ncaim

FREE SAMPLE TRACKS @ HTTP://TAJLAJHMONG.COM

CAFEPRESS.

COM/18XEEM

NOW

18XEEM is the premier magazine about the Hmong culture. The Hmong, who have become scattered throughout the world in countries such as China, Laos, Thailand, Australia, France, Canada and United States, continue to share similar facets of life, through their practices, beliefs, values, and most distinctively, their history, art, music and clothing. Editorial focus is aimed at the cultural developments, history, education and people that are shaping the Hmong; specifically the Hmong in America.

TAX TYME

Location: N68W6948 Cleveland St.

Cedarburg, WI 53012

Doing your taxes alone can mean less refund and more taxes to pay. This year, I want to

help you! Bring me all your tax questions,no matter how complicated your taxes are.

Zoo siab ua xyoo no kuv muaj lub sibhawm los pab koj ua koj cov income tax. Nqa koj cov ntaub ntawv tuaj kuv mam pab koj saib. Txawm koj noj nyiaj xwb los, kuv yuav pab koj raws li txoj cai. Tsis tas li ntawd, yog koj muaj menyuam kawm ntawv rau middle los high school, kuv yuav pab lawv ua lawv li income tax dawb. Yog nej muab dab tsi nog, txhob ua siab deb, hu tuaj rog kuv tham thaum twg los tau.

*MENTION OUR AD AND RECEIVE $5.00 OFF

Your Tax Professional:Kay X. Yang

PREPARATION FEE: $40

Sorry, no Corporations & Partnerships. Other fees may apply depending on additional services requested. All information deem

accurate, but may change without any notification or at anytime.

www.taxtyme.net

SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE & REACH THE AUDIENCE YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO.

CONTACT US NOW TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS OR PRODUCT HERE.

Email us at:[email protected]

Rates available online: http://18XEEM.com/advertise.html

18XEEM

PRINT WEB INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN

EMAIL: [email protected] PORTFOLIO: WWW.HLEEX.COM

18xeem july 2007 promotional issue

Documents