Resisting Assimilation

The Hmong had to confront exceptional challenges when they relocated to the United States. A distribution approach to resettlement was used with the Hmong in accordance with the The Immigration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975, 1980 assuring that no one region of the country was overburdened with new immigrants. This gave immigrant families no choice of where they were to settle. In Laos and Vietnam, they were mainly uneducated farmers that worked the land to exhaustion and moved on. Without the knowledge to perform, even the menial industrial task in the United States, the workplace, and economy was absolutely unfamiliar to them. However, as in Laos and Vietnam the Hmong people preserve their distinct identity by forming closed societies based on large extended family ties, exceptionally compelling cultural beliefs, and ethnic practices. These closed societies make it possible for the elder Hmong to live among their own without learning the English Language. In these closed societies the Hmong can go about their daily lives without having to intermingle with the majority of the public.

Generally the Hmong struggled with culture shock when they entered the United States finding it difficult to relate to Americans. According to Inui (1998) they not only complained of discrimination but also of the brutal weather in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Hmong are a patriarchal culture and after settling, the leaders of the clans chose cities for secondary migration within the United States. These cities were Fresno, California and St. Paul, Minnesota. The largest Hmong population in the United States today is St. Paul, Minnesota with a Hmong population of over 60,000. Hmong migrated to Minnesota for a variety of reasons from better employment opportunities to already having family in the area. They clustered in neighborhoods forming closed ethnic societies and obstructing acculturation.

Miyares writes that within the closed Hmong societies in the United States, families mimic many of the same actions that they did at home in Laos. Most of the community life takes place outdoors and in primarily Hmong apartment complexes families will meet each other in the courtyard to eat together. Food and basic necessities are also shared with extended family members. Window boxes usually filled with flowers are treated like small gardens. Peppers, beans and even corn stalks are planted for personal consumption. Only items that are used every day are unpacked, reflecting their nomadic heritage. Families sleep on bamboo mats, tables and chairs used and then put away. Boxes in the living room were still packed as if the family was ready for another move.

Even though the Hmong have created tight communities, their culture has been altered by life in the United States. Their New Year’s celebration is the most important celebration of the year and they had to make concessions. The Hmong in New York modified their calendar so that their New Year’s celebration coincides