hmong movement 05 spring 2003

SPRING 2003 HSIC QUARTERLY PUBLICATION VOLUME II: ISSUE 5

Hmong Movement

Awakening to Issues

Editorial StaffEditor in Chief:Seng A. Vang, UC San DiegoHeadlines Editor: Mary Xiong, St Mary’s College Features Editor:Xia Lee, UC BerkeleyPerspectives Editor:Jennifer Her, UC Los AngelesAdvertisement Editor:Mala Vang, Cal Poly San Luis ObispoLayout & Cover Editor:True Xiong, UC San Diego

Writers/Contributors:Pha Lor (Photos)Mee Vanessa Vang (Photos)Kathy Xiong (Photos)May MouaSrida MouaTou Saiko LeePang Dao ThaoChris T. Vang, Ed. D.Mai VangYang XiongNkauj Iab Yang

HSIC Officers 2002-2003President Amorette Yang, UC [email protected] PresidentXiong Moua, UC [email protected] Vanessa Vang, UC [email protected] Lee, UC Los [email protected]

Hmong Movement is published quarterlyby the Hmong Students Inter-CollegiateCoalition. (c) Copyright 2003. All rightsreserved. No contents may be reproducedwithout expressed written permission fromthe Editor. Unsolicited material will not bereturned. Letters sent to HmongMovement become the property of thepublication. Every precaution will be takento ensure the accuracy of informationincluded at press time, neither thePublisher or Editor shall be liable for dam-ages arising out of errors or omissions.The opinions expressed herein are thoseof the authors and not necessarily those ofHmong Movement or HSIC. Visit us onlineat http://hm.hsiconline.org.

From the EditorWelcome to the Spring edition of Hmong

Movement. Over the past year and a half a number ofreaders have repeatedly asked the question, what doesHmong Movement mean? Why Hmong Movement? Theanswer to such a question is complicated to explain.The original title for this magazine was HmongAmerican Perspectives, but Publication Committeemembers and HSIC representatives voted to rename themagazine to Hmong Movement. In addition, some pre-HSIC discussions of a proposed youth leadership initia-tive entitled, Project HMONG (Hmong Movement

Organizing the Next Generation) was also suggested. Partly derived from theseideas, Hmong Movement became the framework of this magazine. In a historicalcontext, the history of our people is marked by various "movements," ourmovement from Southern China to the mountains of Southeast Asia, after theSecret War of Laos, our movement (diaspora) from Southeast Asia to westernnations such the United States, France, Australia, and many others and to thepresent social, economical, educational and political movements. HmongMovement fits because it encompasses the current waves Hmong students,community organizers, activists, and supporters who are working collectively toimprove the community.

In this issue, you find a number of articles detailing important issues such asAssembly Bill 78 (AB 78), a California legislation to include the role of Hmong andSoutheast Asians during the Vietnam War in social science 7th to 12th grade cur-riculum. Another article discusses the injustice of forced repatriation (deporta-tion) of Southeast Asians non-citizens. As a result of the recent changes in immi-grant laws after 9-11 and over the past few years, we need to take proactivemeasures and educate our communities because this is an issue that will immi-nently affect hundreds of Hmong American families. We also have an article fromDr. Chris Vang discussing civic participation and an article detailing the annualHmong National Conference held in Washington DC this past March. In the "Circleof Silence," one of our readers submitted a very personal yet powerful articleabout her experience. Further as always you will find more creative Perspectivesarticles.

On the horizon, the next issue of Hmong Movement will include a new featurewhich will be a bibliographical and literature reviews section for past and currentbooks, articles or relevant discourse on Hmong Americans. Numerous requestfrom many readers frequently asks for research sources or books on Hmong, thissection will aim to facilitate and provide more scholarly information to thoseinterested. In addition, as one of a handful of Hmong graduate students at one ofthe University of California, frequently I am contacted by fellow students seekingto learn more about community activism and graduate school. In response tomany of these questions from readers and peers, I will write a narrative describ-ing many of my experiences in an exclusive article, "The Spirit of Activism" on theHmong Movement website. Particularity in my many experiences, I bear evidenceto how activism transforms leadership development. However this is a complexprocess of processes that evolves over a period of time, "leadership is not born,but practiced" and I would add leadership needs to be collective to be effective incommunity mobilizing for social change. Further during my first year of graduateschool thus far, the biggest transition I had to learn to adjust to is from being aconsumer of knowledge to becoming producer of knowledge.

In closing HSIC will have numerous upcoming activities this summer includ-ing statewide meetings for the election of the new officers and regional represen-tatives, as well as a board retreat to pass the torch to the new leadership thissummer. I hope you will enjoy this issue. Thank you for your support and do nothesitate to let the editorial staff know what you think.

In solidarity,

Seng A. VangHM Editor in Chief

ContentsHeadlines8th Hmong National Conference 3

Southeast Asia American Deportation 3

Chico Hmong Community Plants Seedsof Partnership with Local Public Officials

5

Amerasian Week Celebrating AsianCultures 6

Absolutely Beneficial 78 7

FeaturesLet's Talk About Civic Participation 8

PerspectivesThe Circle of Silence within the HmongCommunity: a Victim's Cry for Change

11

Generation after Generation 11

First Day of School 14

AnnouncementsHmong National Development 16

Website Recruitment 16

For more information about the HmongStudent Inter-Collegiate Coalition visit theHSIC Website http://www.hsiconline.org

Hmong Movement is available online.Need back issues? Download them forfree at the Hmong Movement Websitehttp://hm.hsiconline.org

The editorial staff looks forward to receiv-ing any comments or questions fromreaders. Please let us know what youthink? Email: [email protected]

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:Spring time always blooms multiple events,

motivation, friendships, and uniquely this year --mobilization -- in the Hmong community. Withthe end of a culturally-filled winter at the annualHmong New Years celebration, the Spring of 2003nurtures the time for a Hmong movement. It'sbeen exciting to witness the dedication andcourage that the community has put into empow-ering and bettering the community. Beginninglast fall, the Hmong community was able toorganize leaders into political offices, pioneeringpaths of hope and pride for future generations tofollow. Win or loss, HSIC and Hmong community

members all got a taste of the bonding and excitement that took placealong the road of a campaign.

With seeds of leadership planted in political offices, community empow-erment has followed with the proposal of Assembly Bill 78 which encour-ages the inclusion of Hmong American history in 7-12th grade social sci-ences curriculum throughout the state of California. The threat of depor-tation for non-citizens also receives attention and preparation as fellowcommunity members help to push for re-evaluation of Cambodian depor-tation, with the possibility of Laotian (ethnic Lao, Hmong and Mien) depor-tation imminent. Even at a national level, the annual Hmong NationalDevelopment conference took place in Washington, D.C., this past March,where participants had the opportunity to go lobby to their local represen-tatives regarding their issues and concerns.

I am truly excited to be a part of this "Hmong movement" generation,to witness Hmong American history unraveling before my eyes. In addi-tion, it is also thrilling to be a part of the Hmong Student Inter-collegiateCoalition, as it continues to grow with new faces, new chapters, and newideas for community empowerment. Y.E.A.R. O.N.E. nears the transition ofthis term to the next, yet there is much to reflect on from this year andplenty to prepare for in the future. At the last statewide meeting at FresnoState on March 22, 2003, it brought together creative minds, lots of ener-gy, and even a taste of traditional shamanism. Coming soon will be thelast statewide meet of the year and elections for "YEAR TWO" will take placethis summer among many other exciting events.

As Spring showers us with myriad events hosted by various chapters,regions, and the coalition, I wish the best of luck to all as the academic yearcomes to an end. Congratulations and good luck to graduating seniorswith the closing of a door and the knocking opportunity of another dooropening. It is this milestone in our lives that we have all been preparingfor since our careless Kindergarten days. We are truly proud of you all! Uatsaug ntau and thank you!

In solidarity,

Amorette Yang Executive President Y.E.A.R. O.N.E.

2 Hmong Movement SPRING 2003

Headlines

This year the annual Hmong NationalConference was held in the nation's cap-ital, Washington DC from March 29 toMarch 31. Hmong NationalDevelopment, Inc. (HND) a nationalnon-profit organization developingcapacity to ensure the full participationof Hmong in society has hosted thisnational conference. This year's confer-ence theme was "Speak Now, Act Now:Mobilizing for Change" to suggest nowis the time to speak and act. The objec-tives of the conference are to bringtogether the community to share expe-riences, learn about relevant and currentinformation and resources; to network,and to celebrate the community'sachievements. The location of theConference changes annually, as HNDstrives to reach its entire constituencyacross the country.

For many of the more than 500 con-ference participants this was their firsttime in Washington DC. What is strikingdifferent about this year's conferencewas the well organization of variousworkshops into specific tracks through-out the three day Conference. Thesetracks included OrganizationalDevelopment, ProfessionalDevelopment, Youth Development,Advocacy & Civic Participation,Education, Resource, and Research.

In addition to the focus tracks, theConference included two plenary ses-sions with remarkable and inspiring

speeches. Thefirst keynotepanel onSaturday was"Making aD i f f e r e n c eT h r o u g hParticipation inthe PoliticalProcess" withspeeches byRepresentativeCy Thao,M i n n e s o t aS t a t eLegis latureand Paul Lo,Esq., MercedSchool Board

Member and University of CaliforniaMerced Board of Trustees to discussabout their experiences in politics.

On Sunday, the second plenary ses-sion focusing on relevant issues con-cerning the Hmong American commu-nity, entitled "Speak Now: In Our OwnVoices" included four speakers: KouVang, shared about his experience inbusiness and finance; Maykao Hang,discuss about social services accessibil-ity and challenges; Caroline Vang spokeabout her family's experience in the"Keep Vang Here Campaign.;" and PeterVang shared a personal experience ofyouth suicide, the account was an emo-tional and inspiring narrative of thismajor issue affecting the Hmong com-munity in Fresno, CA. In the past threeyears half of the 16 youth suicides inFresno County have been Hmong teens.This is a complex issue that communityleaders, parents, children, and schooldistricts must work collectively to devel-op prevention and intervention methodsto address.

The highlight of the conference formany participants was Monday, "HmongDay on Capitol Hill" where participantstraveled to meet with their senators andrepresentatives as well as staff membersof these elected officials to bring forthimportant critical local, regional andnational issues concerning the HmongAmerican community. The conferenceconcluded with a networking lunch ses-sion with more than a dozen

Federal agencies.For a first time attendee, Kathy Xiong,

a student from the University ofMinnesota, states that the most impor-tant reason for attending the conferenceis "getting to know other motivatedindividuals in the community who aredoing something positive for the com-munity." This brief narrative can onlyoffer a small glimpse of the threeengaging and exciting days of theHmong National Conference. Lastly, theConference will be held in NorthCarolina in 2004.

Brief History of Past Conference Themesand Locations:

1st Hmong National Conference (1993)Minneapolis, MN2nd Hmong National Conference (1996)Sacramento, CA

-"After 20 Years-Sharing a Vision for theFuture"3rd Hmong National Conference (1997) EauClaire, WI

-"Reflecting the Past, Living the Present,and Preparing for Future Challenges"4th Hmong National Conference (1998) -Denver, CO -"Living the Dream"

5th Hmong National Conference (1999) -Minneapolis, MN

-"From the Mekong to the Millennium:Hmong in the 21st Century"6th Hmong National Conference (2001)Sacramento, CA-"Today's Action is Tomorrow's Success"

7th Hmong National Conference (2002)Milwaukee, WI-"Meeting the Challenges: The Complexity

of the Hmong Identity"

Unjust Deportation ofSoutheast Asian AmericansBy Nkauj Iab Yang

Imagine yourself coming home froma long day at work. You're driving inyour Toyota Camry, constantly thinkingabout the chicken stir-fry and rice thatare sitting on your kitchen counter, andthe sweet boiled yam that is just waitingto quench your thirst. As you step footinto your home, you see your lovedones (your family) staring at you withconfusion and the Immigration


Successful 8th Hmong National ConferenceBy Seng A. Vang

HSIC members with other students in D.C’s Chinatown

NaturalizationService (INS)officers walktowards you.Suddenly, youb lank-out .When you gainconscience,you wake upto a room andyou ared e t a i n e dbehind bars.The officerwalks in andsays, "You will be DEPORTED!" You don'thave the opportunity to say good-bye toyour family, relatives, and friends. Youare not able to wish your children, sib-lings, parents, and friends a good life inthe United States. Now, you have toworry about where you're going to live inthis new country that the United Statessay is your homeland.You have to find a newjob and live life with-out your loved ones.

Many of you areprobably wondering ifthis should botheryou. What does thishave to do with me,you may ask yourself.What does this have todo with the HmongCommunity?

Listen up everyone,the SOUTHEAST ASIANDEPORTATION that is currently affectingthe Cambodian Community can soonaffect our Hmong Community.

In 1996, the United States passed thereactionary Immigration and WelfareReform Act which directly states, allnon-citizen immigrants will be subjectto mandatory deportation if convicted ofan "aggravated felony;" including DUIs,shoplifting, check fraud, and other mis-demeanors. On March 2002, the UnitedStates conducted secret negotiationswith Cambodia and obtained aMemorandum of Understanding (MOU),allowing Cambodian refugees to beforcibly deported. Laos and Vietnam arebeing targeted to negotiate aMemorandum with the United States toallow Laotian and Vietnamese refugeesto be deported as well.

Today, hundreds of Southeast Asianswho only know America are being tar-

geted deportation back into their"homeland" or are being detained indef-initely, particularly Cambodian. They arebeing deported because of two mainreasons: committing "aggravated"felonies and are NOT AMERICAN CITI-ZENS. However, consider that theseindividuals have already been trial andserved their time for their prior convic-

tions.In a historical

context, it is a directresult of the decadesof secret militaryoperations, bomb-ings, warfare andeconomic sanctionsin Cambodia, Laos,and Vietnam thatcreated the condi-tions for total socialdisruption, massdisplacement, eco-

nomic instability, and refugee exodus.The role of the U.S. military and politicalincursions into Southeast Asian suc-ceeded in destroying each country'seconomy, and setting up the conditionsfor social breakdown, allowing forgenocide such as the "Killing Fields" inCambodia to occur.

Right at this moment, there are 9,000potential Vietnamese and Laotiandeportees, in which an estimated 2,500are Hmong. We are fortunate that theHmong community has not been hitwidely, but we all should make the effortto get our citizenship, if we have notalready attained one. Encourage ourparents and elders to obtain theirs aswell. It may only be a matter of timebefore this issue hits the Hmong com-munity; thus, Hmong families will befacing financial problems, having to losea father, mother, brother, sister, relative

or a friend. Individuals who are depor-tees will enter a country foreign to themand not have a family to support them,have no home or no job. Basically, theywill be starting their journeys all overagain as if they first arrived here to theUnited States after the Vietnam War.

The immigration policies in the UnitedStates have changed and will continue tochange. Since the 1996 Act, deportationhas gone into effect. Moreover, after theSeptember 11 event, the United Statesheavily pressured Cambodia to sign theMOU. Agreements with Laos andVietnam are likely to follow; therefore,we can expect Congress to pass newand more severe laws that will affect usall.

In a comparative perspective, it isimportant to understand that the issueof forcible deportation of Cambodiarefugees illustrates the intersection ofthe continuing attacks against immi-grant communities and families, thecriminalization of poor and immigrant

youth, and violations of human and legalrights that created the refugee situationin the first place, this is intricately con-nected with the current "war on terror-ism." There is a connection to what ishappening to the Southeast AsianAmerican community and the presentsituation with Americans of MiddleEastern or South Asian descent. Educateyourself further about this issue andencourage your peers and family toobtain citizenship.

For more information please visithttp:www.searac.com or http:www.api-force.com. For More informationregarding citizenship, visithttp://www.us-immigration.comor http:www.immigration.gov.

student rally against deportation at UC Davis

...the SOUTHEAST ASIANDEPORTATION that iscurrently affecting theCambodian Communitycan soon affect ourH m o n gCommunity.”

“a student speaks out!


Chief Hagerty's words capturedthe essence of a historic event,organized primarily by the ChicoHmong Advisory Council (CHAC)and Hmong Student Association(HSA) of California State University,Chico. The conference took placeat CSU Chico on March 15, 2003.For the first time, officials of theCity of Chico, Mayor Maureen Kirk,Police Chief Bruce Hagerty, andMinnesota State Senator Mee Mouaaddressed the Hmong communityon hate crimes, communityactivism, and community building.Other speakers included Paul Lo, amember of the Merced UnifiedSchool Board of Trustees and GailMcGowan, Associate Director ofMigrant Education - Area IV, bothof whom discussed about how par-ents can help their children suc-ceed in school by providing thenecessary study space, resources,and environment. Other officialsand department heads from ButteCounty who also attended the con-ference included Dr. Scott Brown,Superintendent of Chico UnifiedSchool District and a representativefrom Assemblyman Rick Keene'soffice. An estimate of more than600 Hmong, majority of thembeing youths and professionalsattended the event.

According to Yia Lor, VicePresident of CHAC and Chair of theevent, "many Hmong have fallenprey to hate crimes and racial dis-crimination because the majority ofthem are isolated in rural commu-nities in smaller numbers.Furthermore, many lack the under-standing of their rights and do nothave access to local governmentsand their agencies, such as thepolice department and other serv-ice providers." Lor pointed out that,for example, a Hmong strawberrystand was burned down in May2002 and three Hmong men werebeaten by a Caucasian male simplybecause they were Asian, yet theperpetrator was initially arrestedonly for public drunkenness whenit should have been a hate crime.

The event began with a 30 min-utes press conference in which thepurpose of the event was laid out,and Lue Xiong, elected leader ofthe Xiong clan in Chico, shared histraumatic experience of havingbeen mistreated by the HousingAuthority of Butte County to illus-trated the frustrations and strug-gles that the Hmong communitycontinues to face with public agen-cies and institutions. As the eventunfolded, Senator Moua sent themessage to the Butte County offi-cials and department heads in the

a u d i e n c ethat theH m o n gwere patri -o t i cAmer i canseven beforethey cameto theU n i t e dStates byvirtue of thes a c r i f i c e sthey have

made ins a v i n gt h o u -sands ofAmericanl i v e sd u r i n gt h eVietnamW a r( S e c r e tWar ofL a o s ) .Here int h eU n i t e dS t a t e s ,t h eH m o n go n l ywanted the things Chief Hagertyhad laid out.

Following Senator Moua'skeynote speech, Mayor Kirk andChief Hagerty acknowledged theHmong's sacrifices and continualstruggle for recognition and equal-ity and pledged to work in partner-ship with the Hmong community tohelp improve communication,increase access to public services,and uphold fair treatment of allpeople. They encouraged theHmong community to becomepolitically active and the Hmongyouth to continue to learn and letnothing be in their way as SenatorMoua has done. The mayor andchief concluded by opening theirdoors for the long-overdueprocess of collaborative workbetween the Hmong communityand public officials and agencies.This concluded the first half of theevent.

After the break, a couple ofHmong dance groups and a groupof young Hmong actors entertainedthe audience. Then the speechesstarted again with Paul Lo talkingabout how parents can help theirchildren succeed in school by thetype of environment that they cre-ate at home. Among the manythings mentioned, Lo talked aboutcreating a study space and envi-ronment that is conducive to learn-ing by ensuring that children havethe necessary resources, such as

see CHICO HMONG, Page 17

"Although we may look different, we are different sizes, different heights, dif-ferent colors; our eyes are shaped different; what it all boils down to is we allare the same. We all want the same things. We all want a quality of life. Wewant peace. We want to be respected. We want to be loved."

Chief Bruce Hagerty, Chico Police Department

Chico Hmong Community Plants Seeds of Partnership withLocal Public OfficialsBy Yang Xiong

MN’s State Sen. Mee Moua speaks about civicparticipation, hate crimes and discrimination.

Mayor Kirk andChief Hagerty...pledged to

work in partner-ship with the

Hmong commu-nity to help

improve commu-nication, increase

access to publicservices, and

uphold fair treat-ment of all peo-

“


Amerasian Week CelebratingAsian CulturesBy May Moua

Reprinted with permission from "Asian PacificReview," The Collegian, California State University,Fresno, Feb 26, 2003 Vol 11, 3.

Amerasian Week is an annual weeklong cultural celebration organized by theAmerasian Club of California StateUniversity, Fresno. This year AmerasianWeek was able to bring out a crowd over2,000 people for the week and 800 peo-ple alone for the festival night. AmerasianWeek was place in the Student SatelliteUnion every yearduring the first weekof March.

Amerasian Weekgives cultural clubs agreat opportunity tocome forth and dis-play to the commu-nity the diverse Asiancultures and tradi-tions. AmerasianWeek is intended tohelp educate thecommunity as wellas the university campus itself. This yearthe Japanese Student Association kickedoff the week by putting on a panel dis-cussion of Japan through the eyes ofnon-Japanese. The panel was followed byperformances of traditional songs, afashion show and ended with a tradition-al drumming Taiko group. Tuesday was"Movie Night," showing a drama ChineseEnglish-subtitle movie called NeedingYou that starred Andy Lau and SammyCheng. It was a comedy and dramamovie, the story line was about a boss(Lau) falling in love with a co-worker(Cheng). As the movie starts to endCheng was forced to marry a man herparents had arranged for her, and Lauwas left to make up a choice if he felt orloved Cheng as well. It was a great dramafilm, highly recommended for all agesand guaranteed to make you laugh.

Wednesday was close off for campususe so there were no events scheduled,but the week started back up withHmong Night on Thursday that proved tobe a success. There was a large turn outand the Hmong Student Association did agreat job with the performances as wellas the many educational cultural displays.The night started out with a touching anddramatic power point "We are Hmong,"

a reflection of Hmong history and por-traying the tragic times during whichthey migrated into Thailand from Laos(after the Secret War of Laos). The nightshowcased many traditional dances andsongs. The night concluded with ahumorous skit "Sib Hlub Tsis Sib Tau"displaying Hmong courtship and tradi-tional wedding.

The Cambodian Night continued the Amerasian Week on Friday. They openedthe night with a "Wishing Dance" to blessthe evening with great performancesand good health to the audience. Thiswas followed by a fashion show "A

Glimpse Inside thePalace Walls", showcas-ing various palaceclothing worn duringthe 1800's in the"Kingdom ofCambodia". The clubalso performed a"Fishing Dance", a tradi-tional Cambodian folk-lore dance that por-trayed the lifestyle ofmany Cambodian peo-ple. The night ended

with a skit, "Boy Meets Girl," a skit por-traying how Cambodian youths areraised in America with traditional valuesand being able to make the transitioninto the modern society.

The GRAND Festival Night had many cultural clubs and communityinvolvement in both the audience andperformances. The National Anthemwas sung by a very talented Hmongyouth "PURL", followed by John Cho'sperformance of a Lion dance. TheGumyo Taiko group opened the nightwith a drum performance. TheCambodian club performed the "FishingDance" and the Japanese club per-formed a Rock Soran (Soran Bushi)Dance with colorful dazzling fans. TheLao Students Association had the audi-ence going wild and crazy over theirgorgeous modern clothing line. The Hmong Student Association had amarvelous dance group "Nkauj HmoobXeev Qhuam" performing a modernChinese dance. The Malaysian Clubhad the audience geared into a "Whowants to be a Millionaire" game withquestions regarding to Malaysia. Thenight concluded with other shows fromVillari's School of Self-Defense, Hmong

Youth Band and the JapaneseStudent Association.

The Lao Students Association ended the week on Sunday with amodern fashion show reflecting onthe artistic ways of using the Lao tra-ditional fabric. Traditional songs anddances were performed by talentedindividual performers. Classicalmusic played with Laotian instru-ments was utilized to show the audi-ence its cultural differences of instru-ments. A skit called "Kwarm SongJum/Memories" a story about fami-lies who lived in the refugee campsthen were later reunited in the UnitedStates.

Amerasian Week held various andmany traditional performances thathad enriched the community formany years and will continue to doso. Those who attend are inspiredand enlightened by some of the cul-

tural performances. The AmerasianClub's purpose is to promote diversi-ty, unity, and awareness to the com-munity. All evenings were filled withlearning tools of diversity to under-stand Asia's cultural similarities anddifferences. The event has been andwill continue to be a positive learningexperience for the campus.

Biography

May Moua is majoring in Liberal Studies atCSU Fresno. She enjoys being involvedwith school and community activities. Herplan in the near future is to teach in mul-tiple subjects.

Amerasian Week isintended to help

educate the com-munity as well as

the university cam-pus itself.”


“All evenings werefilled with learning

tools of diversi-ty to understand

Asia's culturalsimilarities and

differences.”

“

Absolutely Beneficial 78 By Srida MouaHmong American Issues Director

"Hmong [hesitation]… is thatshort for Mongolian?" [silent pause]and I say, "Not quite" followed byan explanation of little chunks ofknowledge about the history of theHmong, that is, a "nomadic/tribal"group of people said to have orig-inated from China; little bits ofinformation that you pick up alongthe way. Little did I realize that myanswer, at the spur of the moment,neglected to educate those withoutthe resources to familiarize them-selves with the word, the idea, theculture and traditions, and the his-tory of the Hmong, especially ofthe roles that many Hmong vil-lagers took part in during the"Secret War" in Laos. As we, theyounger generations, furtherassimilate into the "American"

society, what we do not realize isthat we are basically adapting to itsideologies, such as the conceptthat hard work and dedication,along with a good education, willmove us a tier higher in the "ladderof success" and no one can forgetthe legendary "American Dream."Our history and our past hasbecome shadows that wander inthe subconscious of our minds,continuing to confine us to as wellas to redefine and reassert who we

are, that is, first and foremost, Hmoob, then Hmong-Americans,Americans, and finally Humans.What do our history and our pasthave to do, if anything at all, withour generation? And I will reply,"Everything." Decisions that weremade in the past and the eventsthat have occurred in history havegreatly shaped who and what eachand every one of us - as individu-als, as a group, and as a people - have become today, along with our dreams, our goals, our achieve-ments, our mistakes, and our fail-ures.

Just last year, three days beforethe festive Hmong New Yearopened its gates in Fresno,Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes ofthe 31st Assembly District,stretching from Cutler to SouthDos Palos - including areas such asFresno, Sanger, and San Joaquin -introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 78.AB 78 states that if the bill ispassed, the role of the Hmong andother Southeast Asians during theVietnam War, including the "SecretWar" in Laos, a component of theVietnam War, will be incorporatedinto the social sciences curriculumof grades 7 through 12. AB 78 alsostates that it is through "a compo-nent drawn from personal testimo-ny… in the form of oral or videohistory of Hmong and otherSoutheast Asians" will the curricu-lum be taught to junior high andhigh school students all acrossCalifornia. AB 78 does not requireany appropriations, meaning thatAB 78 should not "result in any newduties or programs being imposedon the school district." AB 78 hasalready undergone a hearing in the

Committee on Education on March19, 2003 and was passed. On April1st, 2003, the Assembly Floor readand debated (3rd reading) the bill.The results: 65 ayes and 6 noes (all"noes" happening to beRepublican). Now that AB 78 is outof the Assembly and onto theSenate floor, possibly beingreferred to the Senate onCommittee Education as we speak,we need to continue to show oursupport for AB 78 in order to get itthrough the Senate floor and to theGovernor.

"Education is the key to a suc-cessful future." That is what I havealways been taught and is what Icontinue to hold on to so dearly.But can one truly, absolutely, ben-efit by only educating oneself oneverything else except the historyof one's own people, especially ofthe role of our ancestors, of ourrelatives, and of our "unsung"heroes who sacrificed so much asthey fought against the communistin the "Secret War"? We are of theyounger generation, figh-ting and doing our best to keepalive our language and some of ourcustoms and traditions, but not alot of it can be recorded down onbooks the way we can follow thehistory of America. There are somany questions, yet so few specif-ic answers. Could AB 78 be thebeginning of a stronghold for ourchildren's future, a written piece ofhistory that they can look to whenthey begin to search for their own"lost identity?" For further infor-mation and updates, please visith t t p : / / w w w . h s i c o n l i n e . o r g .BiographySrida Moua is student at UC Berkeley.


What is Assembly Bill 78?:A California Assembly Bill to include 1). “curriculum for grades7-12 to include "instruction on the Vietnam War and the role ofthe Hmong people in that war."2). include a component drawn from personal testimony, in

form of oral or video history of Hmong people who wereinvolved in the Vietnam War and those [who] contributed to thewar effort on the home front." Purpose of oral history: "Viewsand comments regarding the reasons for Hmong participation

in the war and the aftermath of the war and the immigration of the Hmongpeople into the United States."

What do our history andour past have to do, if

anything at all, with ourgeneration? And I willreply, “Everything.”

“

“...can one truly, absolutely,benefit...except the his-tory of one's own peo-ple, especially...of our"unsung" heroes whosacrificed so much asthey fought against thecommunist in the"Secret War"?

FeaturesLet's Talk About Civic ParticipationBy Christopher T. Vang, Ed. D.Why should Americans-European, African, Asian, or Hmong Americans-get involved in the politics of their country? Is civicparticipation important for Americans, specifically for Hmong Americans?

Let's look at the current situation. Hmong Americans have been living in this country for at least 27 years, since the fall ofLaos in 1975. Migrating to America was a long and hard journey, and Hmong Americans living here still face great chal-lenges simply to survive. Many struggle with American ways of life, including American politics. Nevertheless, HmongAmericans have become part of the mainstream society. America is their homeland.


Why Get Involved in Politics?Because America is their new

homeland, America needs theirvoices. Despite being cast as aminority, the Hmong Americancommunity is a fast growing seg-ment of the American population.Hmong are patriotic citizens, proudof their past and the sacrifices theyand their parents made in fightingfor freedom and democracy. Theyhave much to contribute to thesocial and political fabric of theircountry.

As citizens, they have the dutiesto look after one another in thefamily circle, to get educated, to beequipped to care for and supportthemselves, to obey the law, to paytheir taxes, to rear their children,to become responsible members oftheir communities, and mostimportantly, to help decide andelect leaders, to govern their peo-ple, communities, and country.

And they have much to gain.America is the land of equal oppor-tunities, and Hmong Americansshould be thinking about sharingthe American "pie." They came hereto save themselves and to plan forthe future of their younger genera-tions. And they would like to bepart of the American dream and/orto become champions of theAmerican dream. In 1963, Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. told theworld, "I have a dream." His dreamwas deeply rooted and ingrained inthe American dream ever since.Similarly, Cesar E. Chavez once toldhis followers, "Dream what you canbecome and rejoice." Civic partici-pation will allow them rather thanothers to shape that future.

It is time for Hmong Americansto move from autocracy to democ-

racy. They can decide what theywould like to have from their gov-ernment and their leaders and whowill have authority over them.Getting involved in politics willpermit them to advocate for social-political platforms that serve publicinterests. As John W. Gardnerexplained, "The sharing of leader-ship tasks offers challengingopportunities to citizens, but citi-zens have another and sternerduty…they must hold leadersaccount."

Because life in America is com-plex and difficult for many HmongAmericans, the importance of theirrole in politics is obscured anduncertain. Some may shy awayfrom this responsibility becausepublic service demands self-sacri-fice and the results are oftenunpredictable. As Mao Tse Tongsaid, "Politics is war without blood-shed, while war is politics withbloodshed." But Hmong leadershipin government is essential in help-ing their people understand, pre-dict, and influence civic matters.

Why Are Hmong-Americans NotInvolved?

What keeps Hmong Americansout of the political arena? For onething, the political process is rela-tively new to most HmongAmericans. Western politics iscomplex and intricate; it is intimi-dating to many newcomers.Leveling the playing field of politicsis difficult for Hmong Americans.Because their communities arescattered throughout the UnitedStates, and because their politicalparticipation is still weak, HmongAmericans' presence in politicsseems small and ineffective. It may

take additional decades beforeHmong Americans feel includedand welcomed in the politicalarena. But they should not wait forothers to include them. Paving theroad to the future for their childrenis too important. HmongAmericans need to assert them-selves to learn and at least be visi-ble in the political process. Successin politics requires a life-longcommitment to public service. It isnot as difficult as it may seem.Woody Allen once said, "Success is20% timing and 80% just showingup." Hmong Americans need toshow up-just become involved inthe affairs of their government

One reason Hmong Americanstend to avoid politics is that it canbe very expensive. Every politicianknows that money is the milk ofpolitics. Office seekers spend mil-lions of dollars each year on politi-cal campaigns. Most HmongAmericans feel poor, powerless,oppressed, and perhaps hopelessin politics because of their lowsocioeconomic status. They maynot realize that other minoritygroups face the same challenge.They need to know that voters aremore valuable than money. If theywould stop procrastinating aboutmoney and just get their feet in,they may discover that they havegreater power than they thought.

One reason HmongAmericans tend to avoidpolitics is that it canbe very expensive.”

“

Power comes through leader-ship. Some bad experiences withcorrupt leaders have kept HmongAmericans out of politics for years.In the past, some political crooksled Hmong Americans on a pursuitof social-political justice, but theywere merely using the people forpersonal gain. These leaders were,as Paul Hersey explained,"Successful in the short term butineffective in the long term." Theyscarred many Hmong deeply, sour-ing them againstinvolvement inp o l i t i c s .Establishing trustin their leaderswill be an essen-tial and challeng-ing prerequisitefor HmongAmerican suc-cess in politics.

The internalturmoil amongHmong Americans can hinder theircivic actions, but it also deprivesthem of political clout. It gives theappearance of no leadership orsocial control in the community.The only solution is active engage-ment in the political process. AsJohn W. Gardner expressed, "Ofcentral importance in holdingpower accountable is the existenceof well-established modes of citi-zen participation…the primeinstrument of political accountabil-ity is the electoral process."

How to Become InvolvedThere are many ways that

Hmong can get involved inAmerican politics. To make their

voices heard, both individuals andthe community as a whole need tobe proactive, mobilizing to takeaction. Activism and civic partici-pation are basic political endeav-ors, and at the very least theseshould be established in the com-munity. Civic participation involvesorganizing the community, devel-oping leadership, and forming col-laborative coalitions. HmongAmericans need all these for par-ticipatory democracy.

A recent arti-cle, "All We WantIs Our Freedom,"written by AungSan Suu Kyi,illustrated herpolitical passionin fighting forfreedom for herpeople andcountry. As sheexplained herultimate tri -

umph, "It is not that we seedemocracy through a haze of opti-mism…we know that democracy isa jewel that must be polished con-stantly to maintain its luster…toprevent it from being damaged ofstolen, democracy must be guard-ed with unremitting vigilance."Hmong-Americans leaders need tohave a democratic passion andstrong political conviction to mobi-lize their people and communitiesto take actions to create responsi-ble and valiant citizens. And mostimportantly, leaders must be ableto provide citizens with a politicaltoolbox containing skills andknowledge needed for politicalprocess.

At the same time, intense edu-cation about civic participation andcivic governance is needed.Education is key for civic participa-tion. Once they are educated aboutthe political process, Hmong lead-ers, educators, parents and collegestudents can act proactively onbehalf of their communities andpeople to raise social-politicalconcern for education, economy,justice, foreign policy, and domes-tic tranquility. Educated people areready for action.

Some are already ready. There

are Hmong Americans who arepolitically oriented and havecharisma and integrity. Theyshould be encouraged to partici-pate in the political process. AsJohn W. Gardner once wrote, "It ismy impression that the mind-setthat turns many of our young peo-ple away from leadership is noteven a conscious objection…agreat many men and women withleadership potentialities simply donot recognize the possibilitieswithin themselves." Hopefully,some will be able to take charge inleading their communities andhelping others learn about andtake advantage of the power ofpolitics.

Although Hmong Americans arestill considered by many to beincipient citizens, not quite readyto successfully merge into main-stream politics, Hmong leadershave begun to become active play-ers in government. The emergenceof Hmong-American politicians is abreakthrough and marks thebeginning of a new political chal-lenge.

The first challenge is to enrollHmong voters. In American poli-tics, everyone is counted, and oneway they count is by voting.However, a great number ofHmong Americans stay away fromthe polls. Of the 250,000 Hmongliving in America, only severalthousand adults vote. Hundreds ofthousands of young Hmong overthe age of 18 are qualified to vote.But voter's registration drives areabsent in most Hmong-Americancommunities. If every qualifiedHmong voted, together, HmongAmericans would constitute a sig-nificant force in local politics, per-haps an essential bloc for main-stream politicians. As John W.Gardner asserted, "Our fondnessfor individualism draws us to thelone crusader, but most successfulcitizen action is group action."

Not only must Hmong voters beenrolled, but they must also beempowered. In order to vote effec-tively, voters must have access to election materials andinformation. Hmong Americans

“Successful in theshort term but inef-fective in thelong term.”-Paul Hersey


“Hmong-Americansleaders need to havea democratic passionand strong politicalconviction...to cre-ate responsibleand valiant citi-

zens.”


need to find ways to disseminateinformation to the people. If goingto the voting booths poses a chal-lenge for minority voters, commu-nity activists can advocate to havevoting booths installed in theircommunity. If younger HmongAmericans do not care about vot-ing, leaders and educators mustmake elections important commu-nity events and explain to youngpeople the privilege, responsibility,and power involved in casting theirballots.

And Hmong Americans must beencouraged to enter their ownnames on those ballots. Hmong areconservative and reserved; theyusually set high expectations fortheir leaders. They also have a longmemory and a strong oral traditionthat etches into their minds anytime a leader misleads or takesadvantage of them. This mindsetsometimes discourages intelligentHmong Americans from runningfor public office. Hmong Americansmust become more flexible,encouraging their members to par-ticipate in government without fearof community repercussions andsocial humiliation. They need topractice greater forgiveness andtolerate human imperfection if theyare to produce dedicated publicleaders. As Mahatma Gandhideclared the role of freedom,"Freedom is not worth of having ifit does not include the freedom ofmaking mistakes." Hmong-American leaders must learn toadapt to the new society if they areto serve the public interests.

On the other hand, when elect-ed politicians are corrupt, HmongAmericans must adamantlydenounce and condemn them.According to John W. Gardner, toensure leadership accountability,the most effective device to beused is the rule of the law, makingthe laws above the leaders. Theemerging Hmong-American politi-cians must be law-biding citizenswho can restore public trust andpositive image. Leadership is allabout character and influence. AsCharles Cooley explained, "Allleadership takes place through thecommunication of ideas to the

minds of others."Similarly, PaulHersey definedleadership as "thepatterns of behav-ior, words andactions, of theleader as perceivedby others." It isimperative thatcapable HmongAmericans learn tolead well so theycan, as HenryKissinger said ofgreat leaders, "A great leader mustbe an educator, bridging the gapbetween the vision and the famil-iar…but he must also be willing towalk alone to enable his society tofollow the path he selected."

Now the question is: Are HmongAmericans ready to play politics?

We're Making ProgressRecent events have demonstrat-

ed that Hmong Americans areready to exercise their politicalresponsibility. With little back-ground in politics, HmongAmericans are making goodprogress in America. Several havebeen elected to political office: Dr.Tony Vang (Fresno, California), Mr.Paul Lo (Merced, California), Mr. CyThao (St. Paul, Minnesota), Mrs.Mee Moua (St. Paul, Minnesota), Mr.Lamong Lo (Omaha, Nebraska),and others elsewhere. These areHmong American heroes and polit-ical role models. Yet more areneeded. As John C. Maxwellobserved, "leadership is developed,not discovered…the truly bornleader will always emerge, but, tostay on top, natural leadershipcharacteristics must be developed."Though almost everything risesand falls on leadership, HmongAmericans must acquire qualityleadership to become great lead-ers.

Moreover, many financially successful Hmong Americans havecontributed their time, energy, andmoney to support their politicalcomrades in the political process.This is a welcome exercise of civic

responsibility,and one thatmust continue.In 1961President JohnF. Kennedy oncetold Americans,"Ask not whatyour country todo for you, askwhat you can dofor your coun-try." Again, ascitizens, HmongAmericans mustlearn to under-stand freedom

and obligation. Because withoutcommitment, freedom is impossi-ble; without duty, liberty is endan-gered; without civic obligation,both peace and equality would notbe secured and/or preserved.

Civic participation is takingaction today to ensure successtomorrow. Alexander Hamiltononce said, "The first duty of socie-ty is justice." Hmong Americanscannot afford to wait anotherdecade before getting involved.They cannot wait until they are richor better educated. They must getready for action now. As AbrahamLincoln once said, "I will get readyand then perhaps my chance willcome." Twenty-seven years is along time for Hmong Americans toprepare for politics. The politicallandscape today is favorable forpeople of all backgrounds. Minoritycandidates are in public office incities and states throughout thecountry. It is high time for HmongAmericans to join their ranks.America needs their voice.

BiographyChristopher Thao Vang is AssistantProfessor in the Teacher EducationDepartment at California StateUniversity, Stanislaus. He is one of threeactive advisors for the Hmong StudentsAssociation at CSU Stanislaus.

“A great leadermust be an edu-

cator, bridgingthe gap

between thevision and

the familiar...”

The Circle of Silence within the Hmong Community: a Victim's Cry for ChangeBy Mai Vang

Perspectives


"Seeking answers to heal this place of emptiness, Loneliness I feel inside.

No one knows this pain, misery I endure,Nor can they begin to understand.

Waking up to total blackness, darkness, lost hopes,Nightmares, hurt, despair.

Suicide, Death,Tempting numbness.

Casting away tears, memories, misery, pain.Captivating possibilities.

Security, identity, hopes crushed.Innocence, dreams, promises eradicated.

Nothing left in whole, Broken, shattered."

"He hurt me, took advantage of me.He held me down,

Made me feel more helpless, dirtier.I asked him to stop,

Pleaded, cried, though he didn't listen.With one motion, one word,

He took the one thing that made me a girl.It wasn't my life, or my identity,

It was my innocence.I wish to be normal, that innocent girl I once was.But, I know it is impossible, because of him.”

Imagine living in a society in whichviolence is swept under the rug,where everyone turns his/her headunwilling to acknowledge its pres-ence out of shame, fear, and dis-grace. Imagine living in a society inwhich you are ridiculed to a merepiece of meat, a worthless being.Imagine being consumed by anoverwhelming immensity of pain,frustration, and vulnerability know-ing change is improbable. I neednot imagine for I live in such a soci-ety; personally experiencing atranslucent circle of silence thatencompasses more than one couldever possibly begin to conjure. On the outside, I appear to be anormal Hmong girl--full of life,glee, and tranquility. However, it is

only a mask, a facade to a darkinner world of brutality, violence,and misery that lives within me--within the Hmong community. Foras long as I could remember I wassuch an innocent, vivacious girl whodreamt of soaring to the heavenslike the birds, of reaching for thestars, for my dreams. Then, all asudden, in a split second, life as Iknew it to be was forever changed.No longer was I that innocent girl. Ino longer dreamt of reaching thestars, my dreams, but instead yearnfor total numbness--death. In ret-rospect, it seemed like a lifetimeago when I was that innocent girl inwhich life and its innocence wasreflected in my eyes.

Generation afterGenerationBy Tou SaiKo Lee

Generation after generationwe've been warned by the elders.Lost in what is, who we are,You see, the ignorant youth deniesthe truth of their identity,how freecan you be?, the thrusting trees collapse aroundyou,impacts shatter your pathways, earthquakes of racism destroy theworth of what's left on what youstand on, balancing on these here vibrations, generation after generation. Some of our people stay on, somefall off. I barely held on to the ledge with ignorance repeatedly steppingon my fingers. Temptations for self-destructionand corruption erupt tremendoustremors that break us away fromour bloodline. Crumbling from existence, casualties cause cracks in our cul-ture, like deep wounds that won'tstop bleeding. A healing process that's oppressedand keeps us from succeeding, leaving visible scars in abstractshapes that shape us into what weare. We shouldn't be forced into know-ing our culture, We should be encouraged, but firstof all we have to recognize, realize,and identify.

Once I realized what I was it waslike an explosion of emotions.The blood of my ancestors' burststhrough my veins, tidal waves of sublime blood flush-ing out the deep rooted pollutionthat is my ignorance, was my igno-rance.

I can't express how much pride thatI have inside, Warriors united side by side.We collide with creativity, the artistic purity of details intri-cately interwoven colors and designs that define unique identity

into our, traditional clothing.

Divine dimensions of eternal stories gripping thepiecing thorns throughout our times, letting it drip down our fingers and splatter toartistic puddles of endless emotions on a cloth wecall: paj ntaub.

The poetic motion rising and collapsing cruising steady and overlapping, flowing like waves of an ocean filled with rice wine.Drunk off the vision, thirsting for our attention to an effervescent extensionof the beautiful hypnotizing, traditional dances.

What I call old school spoken word, in terms of relating to our own culture, the poetic chants that echo the deepest of devotion, desperation, despair, depression, death and love. The melodic symbolic words vibrate through us internally,Verbally crushing our emotional senses bursting to multiple tears, felt from our own life years.We call it: kwv txiaj.

the food and celebrations, never had our own country, no place to call home,we come together for New Years and soccer tournaments to create our own nation,the passion we have for our families, how we unite at times of devastation,

Respect your bloodline.It's sacred, you see the sacrifices that were made sowe could have a chance to make it, so we could even exist, the perseverance of our people through history has to be a mystery. Been through slicing blades from invasions, been through fatal storms lightning striking ournewborns, been through the pain that's ingrained in our brains, been through hot steel penetrating our souls, walked miles and miles on bare feet,

cold suffering flesh scorched by the sun, diminished life force,

all we have are our sons… our daughters, our family pride.

For those who don't know it's a dying culture thatwe're facing generation after generation.

I'll admit that my second tongue has been eclipsing myfirst since birth or since first grade,

And I've been slowly struggling to replenish it.Look closely into your own mental reflections

and maybe you'll find cracks of lost pride and identity,

but this broken mirror can extend beyond seven years, these cracks could eliminate our culture forever.

The spiritual essence of our people is what gives me life.

The spiritual essence of our people is what makes us free.

The spiritual essence of our people is the reason we have survived.

Clashing cultures divide us, religious pathways guide us to these

gateways of confusion,disillusioned and recruited

causing traditional conflicts, and separation of spirituality.

What we believe in should not strangle our culture from breathing,

even though the bruises around some of my people's throats are so visible.

don't let our heritage burn, burn your heritage into your memories.

learn your history, future families that bleed white, zigzag and green.

The fate of our culture depends on our future. Educating our youth to embrace and

acknowledge their roots.Support the cause,

the struggle, the shining life force.

Our culture is immortal. Sacred souls of ancestors preserved in salvation

generation after generation.

BiographyTou SaiKo Lee is a student at Metro State University in Minneapolis, MN.


Generation after Generation continues

The Circle of Silence continues"Every 13 seconds a woman is being beaten by her spouse, every year two million womenare battered, every day four women are killed by their batterer, every six minutes arape is being reported." .When I was 15 years old I was rape by a family friend and yes, I concealed it well. I never once told my par-ents, family, friends, nor did I acknowledge that it even occurred. I never spoke of it, until this written pieceyou are reading. I knew of the consequences if I were to have reported it, I would have been forced to marrymy rapist because I would have been deemed "soiled." Somehow, I knew I had to be silent about such anissue because it was just unheard of, a taboo, especially in the Hmong community, of accusing someone ofrape. I had an internal instinct that blame would have been placed upon my shoulders. Thus, naturally I


kept quiet. Two years went by andall the while I suffered in hell. Irecall constantly washing myself,scrubbing my skin red, trying des-perately to rid myself of his scent,his touch. Trying desperately towash myself clean, trying to ridmyself of those appalling memo-ries. I suffered from nightmares,depression. I flinched at theslightest touch, feared for my ownsafety and soon found myself con-stantly contemplating suicide; andyes I tried to no avail.

For two years, I blamedmyself for what happened becauseI could not place blame elsewhere.I was angry with myself for notbeing strong enough to fight thathorrible night and allowing it tooccur. I was angry at a society inwhich such acts of violence andbetrayal is allowed, deemedappropriate, and accepted. I feltbetrayed by a world I once saw assplendid. I felt betrayed by mycommunity for not speakingagainst such acts. However, mostof all, I felt betrayed by myselfbecause, slowly, I was allowing himthe satisfaction of knowing he hadcontrol over my life.

In many ways, even today I amstill in denial. I have suppressedthose horrible memories in orderto live my life; however, I am notliving. I am just a mere mortalwalking alone with a world ofnumbness and pain. I wish not tosee the morning sun but insteadyearn to end this pain by taking mylife with my own hands. Some daysare worse than others, some daysthe pain is more intense. Yet, Icannot find enough courage to endmy life. Perhaps this is my destiny,my fate.

I think of my greatest fear.Will I be whole and happy again?The hurt, the pain never ends.

I am my worst enemy.I have to learn to love just me.For if and when I love myself,The pain, the sorrow, and the

contention,The emptiness that I feel inside

will be forever filled.

It has been five years since I wasraped and yet, today, I see nochange within the Hmong commu-nity or within myself. Personally,there are still inner demons that Istill have to face and perhaps Ialways will. Demons such asdepression, suicidal tendencies,nightmares, and etc. Moreover, Ihave read many incidents of gangrape involving the Hmong commu-nity and I cry for their victims. Forthe pain and betrayal they are suf-fering from the hands of theirrapists, their family, and their ownHmong community. I have readcountlessaccounts of blame beingcast upon these victims, of count-less slurs and backlash. Wordssuch as "sluts, whores, easy, etc."and I am offended. Are we whores,are we sluts, are we easy as manyclaim us to be simply because wewere held down, beaten up, andraped as we cried for our mothers,pleaded for them to stop?

Are we what the Hmong com-munity claims us to be, "spoiled,shameful, a disgrace, etc." becausesome individual thought it was inhis right to ripe away from us oursense of security, our innocence,simply for his games, his ego, hispride?

As a victim, I know and haveexperienced the fear, pain, and

An ocean of tears I've cried.Tears of sorrow, pain, and con-

tention.I've search deep within my soul,Not liking what I find there

though, an emptiness I cannot fill.To love myself, I never will.

misery first hand. When I was a lit-tle girl I was taught that the oneplace one could turn to for safety,understanding, and unconditionallove was one's family, home, andcommunity. However, from experi-ence, this is not the case. It isundeniable that there is a circle ofsilence within the Hmong commu-nity dealing with issues concerningdomestic violence and rape. Whatwould it take for the Hmong com-munity to acknowledge that this isa key predicament in which wemust address and change? Howlong are we willing to sit back, turnour heads, and act as if there isnothing wrong? When will we final-ly as Hmong individuals have thecourage to stand up and finally sayenough is enough?

Slowly, the Hmong community isprogressing and making greatstrides to attain success and pros-perity. However, there are still keyissues that we, as Hmong, arereluctant to address and change.Until these issues are addressedand changed, it pains me to saythat these issues are going to hin-der us from our pursuit of successand prosperity as a community, awhole. Change does not involve ahuge mass but simply one individ-ual. Like a common saying, "all ittakes to make a difference is oneindividual."

I pray that through this piece, Ican reach one individual and makehim/her understand the impor-tance of addressing and changingthese issues. I pray that this piecewill open the eyes of our communi-ty and perhaps individuals withinthe Hmong community will finallytake a stand and put an end to thiscircle of silence. This is my stand,my voice. I am finally voicing myobjection to the silence and taboosof discussing domestic violenceand rape within the Hmong com-munity because it is time. It hasbeen long enough and I am tired ofaccepting the blame, tired of beingashamed, tired of being just anoth-er statistic.

see CIRCLE OF SILENCE, page 17

It has been long enoughand I am tiredof...being ashamed,tired of being justanother statistic.

First Day of SchoolBy Pang Dao Thao

Hmong Movement is a forum for individuals to share and andexchange experiences through fictional or non-fictional writingand/or poetry, where socio-cultural, political, and educationalissues can be discussed. Hmong Movement will be publishedquarterly in January, April, July, and October of each year.

Submission Guidelines:z Headlines: Current events, reports and news.

z Perspectives: Creative writing, fictional and/or non-fictionalcompositions, poetry, and folklore literature.

z Features: Forum for professionals, educators, graduates andundergraduate students to contribute articles relevant to theirdisciplines or area of expertise on imperative issues concerningthe Hmong American community.

z Organization Spotlights: Information regarding a studentorganization and/or campus

z Student profile(s): To feature a collegiate student displayingexemplary leadership or outstanding academic excellence.

z Creative Corner: Showcase artwork and talents.

z Opinions: Your own words and thoughts.

Submissions may be in English or Hmong must be double-spaced and saved as word document.

You may send submissions via email as an attachment [email protected]

Your submission must include the following: Name:Address:School: Phone: Email:Organization: Male/Female:Age, Year of college or Profession:Photo: (Optional) Personal Description: (please limit to 250 words).

This information is necessary in contacting you if your submissionis chosen.

If you submission is chosen you will be notified by email and/orphone. For further information please contact Seng A. Vang [email protected]


Submission GuidelinesWhile being as thrilled as I have ever been, I

felt like I was ready to jump off of theHimalayan Mountains. I was really going tohave the opportunity to attend school and getan education like everyone else, and I felt sohappy. I kept smiling, but at the same time, Ifelt like crying. So, I questioned myself, "Isn'tthis the American Dream I have aspired to?"Shaking me out of my thoughts, Sai Cha, mybrother-in-law's cousin, suddenly said, "Yeah,here we are! This is your new school for thenext two and a half years." He pulled the whiteHonda behind the public school that appearedmore like a government building. I shivered atthe thought of attending school as we movedcloser to the building. Sai Cha, who stood a lit-tle taller than daddy, and was also younger,directed us toward a huge glass door into ahollow tile hall and straight to the main office.As I stood next to daddy, happy voices of chil-dren from nearby classrooms rang inside myears, but I couldn't comprehend them.

In front of me was a thin, blonde lady, inher mid-thirties, who handed a folder of papersto us after her conversation with Sai Cha. Shelooked so gorgeous; I could not help gazing ather, but daddy seized my arm and pulled metoward the library next to the main office. Thelady smiled, bowed her head, and then returnedto work.

After a few hours spent filling out formsabout my family, a chubby, short lady took uson a tour of the building. The school seemedso huge, and I felt like a diminutive ant thatwas anxious at its large appearance. I couldn'timagine being here on the first day on my ownand with strangers. In every hallway we passed,there were bizarre and outlandish artisticdesigns and paintings hung on the wall. Floorseemed to follow after floor; I felt as if thebuilding never came to an end. The buildinglooked like three schools connecting to eachother, and I was already lost in the school.

After the tour, we thanked the lady beforedeparting to our car. When we were near thedoor to the parking lot, I told daddy "I don't likethe idea of having school the entire day. I don'twant to be apart from my family, and I don'tknow anyone at school." Daddy tried not togive his pale smile, and I knew he was con-cerned about my new situation. "Don't worry.School provides breakfast and lunch so youwon't be hungry," replied Sai Cha, in a soft tonelike he was speaking with an anorexic kid whodoes not want to be fed. "True my girl," stateddaddy. "And Paj Ntaub, I am positive you will

First Day at School continues

make newfriends and getaround theplace fine.There are a fewHmong stu-dents in thisschool," addedSai Cha. "As amatter of fact,you will also have recess, sothis means it really isn't juststrictly schooling the wholeday like your old school inThailand" said Daddy, whoseemed more confidentafter Sai Cha's strongencouragement. After theconversation, there was along silence as we boardedthe car, and I thought that ifall this were true, maybeschool wouldn't be that ter-rifying. Happy about thenews, I waited patientlyevery day for the secondsemester of school tobegin.

"Rise and shine! Rise andshine!" said mother with thesoft tone that I always lovedto hear. It was January 4th1993, the first day of mynew school life, as I recalledhalf asleep. "Yes mother Iam getting up," I said asdragged myself out of bed.I quickly put on my blacksilk pants and a small redT-shirt. I ate Thai noodlesfor breakfast, and depart-ed, along with Mother, forthe pumpkin colored bus.The mid-winter wind blewat us as I pushed open theapartment door. The coldbreeze ran over my smooth,warm face that had neverbeen in such bizarre weath-er. Side by side, motherand I slowly strolled downthe steep hill to the side-walk and toward the busstop. "Behave yourself andlisten to your teacher,"commanded Mother. At thesame moment that I said

"yes" toher, SaiC h astoppedhis carin frontof us atthe buss t o p .Then he

spoke: "Come in. I'll giveyou a ride to schoolbecause you've missed thebus." I waved "bye-bye" tomother and hopped in theback seat of the car.

When I reached school,there was nothing andnobody outside except thehowling wind. It was myfirst day of school, and Ihad arrived late. I ambledthrough the hall with frus-tration as I passed class-rooms full of studentsworking. My head swungfrom one room to the next,and the office staff personnext to me paid no atten-tion to my nervousness. Ifollowed her to my fourthgrade class without sayinga single word. We stoppedat the end of the hall wherethere was a large window,showing a view of the backparking lot and the neigh-bors. The staff ladyknocked softly on thewooden brown door, and atall, handsome manapproached. "Oh, hellothere. Welcome to theclass," said the maleteacher. I smiled andwalked into the room whereI was introduced to myclassmates who all lookedolder and bigger than me."This is Pang Dao Thao. Sayhello to her everyone," saidmy teacher. As I glancedacross the room, I sawfriendly smiles and facesglaring at me as I stoodnear the doorway. I wishedI could vanish from those


Hmong Crossword Puzzle “I saw friendly smilesand faces glaring atme as I stood near

the doorway. Iwished I could

vanish.”

Across:1. State w/. largest Hmong American population 2. Country where first Hmong attained Ph.D.3. Anne Fadiman author of "The _________ Catches You andYou Fall Down"4. New anthology of Hmong American writings " _______Among the Oaks"5. UC Santa Barbara Hmong Student Union hosted this inter-collegiate conference "Planting the ______ of Tomorrow" 6. Hmong fought in the ____ of Laos7. In an early anthropological narrative of the Hmong theyare referred to as "Migrants of the __________"8. Hmong are organized into large family groups called 9. University of California with largest Hmong student popu-lation

Down & Up:1. California State University with first Hmong student org.2. Hmong language is divided into "Green" and "White"_____3. What do more than 700 Hmong farmers grow in California 4. Hmong traditional musical bamboo instrument 5. Hmong spiritual healer 6. Leader of Hmong rebellion against the French 7. City in California with first Hmong elected publicofficial 8. City with largest Hmong American population

First person to answer all questions correctlywill receive Prize, a 2002 HSIC shirt.

Send an email with complete answers [email protected].

Announcements


glaring eyes and pull downa dark black wall betweenthem and me, but, instead,the teacher said somethingquickly.

My teacher commandedme to do something but Ionly stood in the sameposition; I didn't move aninch of my feet.Goosebumps multipliedover my whole body as Iseen myself like a deaf childwho couldn't understandothers unless sign languagewas directed. The scatter-ing whispers of the studentsdied down for a seconduntil a blonde, hair girlnearby walked toward me.

S h elookedat myh a n d sa n dmade agesturefor meto handher thepenci l .S h esharp-e n e dt h ep e n c i lin theg r a yp e n c i lsharp-e n e rnext tot h ed o o r -w a yt h e ngave itback tom e .

Supposedly that was whatthe teacher wanted me todo. Everyone's attentionwas upon me but I onlyglared at the girl and nary aword poured out of mymouth.

I felt lost. It was my firstday, but I was completelyoverwhelmed for severalminutes after my introduc-

tion. I wished I could justgo back home, where I wassafe from everything. A Caucasian girl tapped myshoulder to follow her. Ilooked at her, and she wasmuch taller than I. When westood up straight together, Iwas only as high as hershoulder. She must befriendly, I thought. Shegrinned. We slowly walkeddown the stairs to the cor-ner of the first floor wherethere was a tiny room thatstood by itself, next to thegirl's bathroom. Sheknocked on the door andgave me the last gesture tosay, this was where I stay.We smiled at each other andshe was gone. I walkedinside and smiled. Therewere students like myselfand a few faces I recognizedfrom school in Thailand. Itwas the first time that daywhere I felt my blood pres-sure go down. Despite allthe frustrations, I finally feltsecure in the English as aSecond Language class-room.

Currently I am a sopho-more at the University ofWisconsin-Whitewater, andmy academic life has flour-ished since the first day Iwalked into the English as aSecond Language class-room. I look forward toearning a Bachelor ofScience in Elementary andMiddle School Education byMay 2006. I continuouslywork hard to maintain goodacademic standing andwork to develop leadershipskills to enhance my capa-bilities and competencies inthe educational profession.I plan to minor in bothEnglish as a SecondLanguage and the BilingualEducation. It is my goal tohelp language learnersreach their highest potentialliteracy in the English lan-guage.

“Goosebumps multipliedover mywhole bodyas I seenmyself like adeaf childw h ocou ldn ' tu n d e r -s t a n do t h e r su n l e s ssign lan-g u a g ew a sdirected.”

Hmong National DevelopmentHmong Naturalization Act expires May 26, 2003for Veterans and Their Spouses - May 26, 2003is the deadline for Hmong and Lao veterans andtheir spouses to apply for naturalization usingthe Hmong Naturalization Act. As May 2003approaches HND is concerned that applicationsthat may be received by the deadline but notprocessed by U.S. Bureau Citizenship andImmigration Service (formerly INS) will mean thatindividuals will be unable to use the HmongNaturalization Act. For this and other reasons,HND urged members of Congress to ask BCIS toensure that they will allow applications receivedby the sunset date of May 26, 2003 andNovember 1, 2003 to use the Act if the applica-tions are processed after those dates. This willmake certain that all qualified applicants canfully benefit from this law.

More information about HND visithttp://www.hndlink.org

Website Recruitmentby True XiongDo you draw? Take photos for fun? Know HTML,Javascript, CGI scripting or want to learn? Enjoy writ-ing? The HSIC Website team can probably use you. Bea part of this exciting team by sending an email [email protected]. For more information,visit http://www.hsiconline.org/websiteteam.htm.

Looking back at my life, the ESL program pro-vided me with a transition into the United Stateseducational system. I arrived at school as a non-English literate, speaking and writing in only mynative language. The program supplied theappropriate environment to build my reading andwriting skills in English. In addition, the programprovided me with a peer group for academic andsocial reinforcement. Overall, the ESL programgave me the background and encouragement thatI needed to become an undergraduate scholar. Infact, it served to help "leave no child behind"before the slogan became popular.

BiographyPang Dao Thao is a sophomore majoring in LiberalStudies and minor in English as a Second Language andBilingual Education at University of WisconsinWhitewater.

continued from page 5dictionaries, encyclopedias, pens,pencils, staplers, etc.. The televi-sion set must also be under con-trolled. Gail McGowan, the lastspeaker, also focused her com-ments on education. She talkedabout how it isimportant for theHmong studentsin the audienceto follow theexample ofSenator Mouaand to continueto listen to theadvice of theirparents to keepon going toschool.McGowan alsopointed out thatthis year'sMigrantEducation -Region II, Area IVhonor student isKham Vang, aHmong studentfrom Oroville.

In between the speeches oneducation by Lo and McGowan,Senator Moua spoke on her ingre-dients for securing a politicaloffice: people, political platform,personality, and principle. Bypeople, she talked about how acandidate needs to have peoplewho would support the candidateby voting or helping to turn outvotes. Family members can do alot to bring in more people bybeing organized and supportiveunconditionally. By political plat-form, she talked about the impor-tance of identifying with a politicalparty so the candidate can get thesupport of members of that politi-cal party. By personality, shetalked about the need to be well-rounded. For example, if an occa-sion calls for the candidate to beable to talk about football, thecandidate should be able to carrya conversation with the groupeasily on that subject. By princi-ple, she emphasized the impor-tance of being clear on what the

candidate stands for. It is princi-ple that will drive the candidate toher or his success and what setsher or him apart from others.

Out of 10 media outlets thatthe press release about this his-toric event was sent to, only one,the Chico Enterprise Record (ER),

came outto covertheevent.TheHmongcommu-nity wasglad atfirst thatat leastonemediaoutletwould becoveringtheevent.However,on March16,2003, tothe

Hmong community's disappoint-ment, the article published by theER was nothing more than a slapin the face. Besides the anecdotalstory of Lue Xiong, no substanceof the main event was mentionedanywhere in the article. SenatorMoua, Mayor Kirk, and ChiefHagerty each made some veryproactive and positive statementsthat would bring more communityawareness about the Hmong com-munity, yet none of the state-ments appear anywhere in thearticle. Even with Lue Xiong'sstory, the reporter grossly neg-lected to mention the HousingAuthority of Butte County as thehousing agency that traumatizedand discriminated against him.The ER had deliberately discrimi-nated and practiced irresponsiblejournalism against the Hmongcommunity.

On March 17, 2003, a letterfrom the CHAC, HSA, and mem-bers of the Hmong communitywas fax to David Little, ER's editor,as well as carbon copied to all the

public officials and departmentheads that were present at theevent. Later on that day, Little callYang Xiong, the Hmong communi-ty's designated contact person,and attempted to defend thewriter of the article. Nevertheless,the ER editor ended up agreeingto publish a 250 words or lessstatement, by the Hmong commu-nity, in the "Letter to the Editor"section of the ER as retribution forthe ER's irresponsible journalism.

On March 18, 2003, the state-ment that the Hmong communitywould have the ER published wasfax to Little. Two days later, thestatement was still not published.Another letter was, again, fax toLittle questioning whether heintended to not live up to hisagreement. This letter was, again,carbon copied to all the publicofficials and department headsthat were at the event. Later onthat day, Little called VamingXiong and said that the statementwill be published sometime in theupcoming weekend. Finally, it waspublished on March 23, 2003.

Biography Yang Xiong is currently a ServiceCoordinator with Alta CaliforniaRegional Center. He was formerlya youth counselor, communityorganizer, and program directorfor a couple of Asian PacificAmerican service agencies in theEast Bay of San Francisco. Heholds an MS in Public Policy andManagement from CarnegieMellon University and a BA inPsychology from University ofCalifornia at Berkeley.

CIRCLE OF SILENCE:continued from page 13

I am tired of the circle of silencewithin the Hmong community inwhich we have carefully concealedfor years. I am just tired of it all.It is now time to for us, as a com-munity, a whole, to finally put anend to this silence.

Out of 10 media outletsthat the press releaseabout this historicevent was sent to,only one, theChico EnterpriseRecord (ER), cameout to cover theevent.”

“

CHICO HMONG:


April 2003

Dear community supporter(s),

Hmong Movement needs your support. With your assistance, thefunding will enable publishing and distributing Hmong Movement to thecommunity. Hmong Movement is a free quarterly publication for individ -uals to share and exchange experiences through fictional or non-fiction-al writing and/or poetry, where socio-cultural, political, and educationalissues can be discussed. The publication promotes and engages studentsto compose literature relating to important civic and community issues.

The media often focuses on negative aspects such as youth gangs,domestic violence, murder suicides, and welfare dependency which shapenegative stereotypes of the community. Hmong Movement's objective isto serves as a positive media resource to develop, display, and recognizethe talents and creativity of the students and community. HmongMovement seek to accomplish a more objective media representation ofthe community and dismantle negative stereotypes.

During the past year, Hmong American college students throughoutCalifornia have diligently worked to establish the Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition (HSIC). As a strong networking system, HSIC hascome together to increase awareness of imperative issues concerning theHmong American community. These issues include acculturation experi-ences, generation gap, racial concerns, higher education, and the path ofHmong people in their new settlement as Hmong Americans.

HSIC is a statewide network consisting of student organizations, andincludes community members and professionals in an advisory capacity.All events such as meetings, outreach, workshops, trainings, or confer-ences are organized and executed by students. HSIC is an organizationfounded by college students and managed and run by college students. HSIC collectively promotes higher education, mentorship programs, civicparticipation, and community empowerment to achieve the fullest poten-tial of Hmong Americans. Currently, there are more than 25 campusesinvolved in HSIC and continuing to grow. Additionally, HSIC is in theprocess of incorporating as a non-profit organization.

Hmong American students sit at the forefront of our community'scritical issues and have the potential to overcome them by serving as acatalyst for social change and responsibility. We hope that you will con-tinue to help foster the goals and visions of the Hmong American com-munity as the next generation steps forward with a people that havelong-survived displacement and disempowerment. Thank you for yoursupport.

Sincerely, Editorial Staff

Hmong Movementc/o Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition (HSIC)Hmong Student Association of San Diego G-10University of California, San Diego9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA 92092-007

SupportersFiscal Sponsor

Attn: May Ying LyHmong Women HeritageAssociation 2251 Florin Road Suite 104Sacramento, CA 95822

Individual/ Organization Sponsors

Anne Frank, LibrarianSoutheast Asian Archives University of California IrvineP.O. Box 19557Irvine, CA 92623-9557

Civic Action Network Grantc/o Central Valley PartnershipJames Irvine Foundation

Land Use, Economic Development,Growth, Agriculture, andCommunity Investment (LEGACI) GrantGreat Valley Center911 11th StreetModesto, CA 95354

Coalition of Hmong StudentsCarleton College300 North College StreetNorthfield, MN 55057

ICommunity Sponsors

Bee Thao, Westminster, COGolee Lor, Chico, CAGrace Kim, San Diego, CAMaria Lor, Sacramento, CANkauj Iab Yang, Berkeley, CALynette Lor, Onalaska, WIShawn Her, Fresno, CAVang Family, Hughson, CAVicky Lor, Clovis, CAYang, Kou, Turlock, CAYang Vang, Davis, CA

The Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition wouldlike to thank you for yourpast and your continuingsupport.


Subscriptions

Name: _______________________________________________________________________Organization: ________________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________City: _________________________ State: _________ Zip Code: ______________________Phone: ________________ Fax: _________________ Email: __________________________

If you would like a subscription to Hmong Movement, please mark the option that you prefer.Subscribing to Hmong Movement is FREE. However, we do request a generous donation of theamount next to the subscription choices. Thank you for your support. Your generous contributionswill continue our commitment to distribute the publication to the public free of charge.

___ Annual Subscription 4 issue (Individual = $10 Donation)___ Organization Subscription 4 issues (10 copies of each issue = $75 Donation)

For a limited time back issues of Hmong Movement will be available for re-order. Each issue is $3.00 for Postage and Handling___ Winter 2002 Issue 1 ($3.00 each issue)___ Spring/Summer 2002 Issue 2 ($3.00 each issue)___ Fall 2002 Issue 3 ($3.00 each issue)___ Winter 2003 Issue 4 ($3.00 each issue)

Enclosed is an additional contribution to the: Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition (HSIC)*** HSIC is in the process of incorporation, donations will be tax-deductible.___$20 ___ $50____ $75____$100 ____ $150 ___ $250 Other: __________________

Hmong Movement c/o Hmong Student Inter-Collegiate Coalition (HSIC)Hmong Student Association of San Diego G-10University of California, San Diego9500 Gilman DriveLa Jolla, CA 92092-0077

Support Hmong MovementThere are two ways to support HM, you can either:

Submit Donations to HSIC. If you are interested as co-sponsors for the publication please contact us! We desperately need assistance from the public via donations or advertisements to distribute the publication to the public free of charge.orAdvertise in HM. Need to be seen? Have upcoming events? Place an ad in the next issue of HM. The publication is distributed quarterly January, April, July, and October across California to all HSIC member organizations. Contact us for advertisement rates!

All work will be voluntary; no staff will be paid. Funds will be used only for pub-lishing costs and other associated expenses ((postage). All expenditures will berecorded. If you are interested in contributing or know anyone who is interestedplease contact Seng A. Vang. Phone (209) 380-5971 or [email protected]

We all know “great achievements are rarely accomplished alone.” Thank you foryour support. Please make check or money order payable to: Hmong StudentInter-Collegiate Coalition (HSIC)

hmong movement 05 spring 2003

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