Fleeing Home

Diaspora may be a familiar concept for those who come from a cultural background different from that of the country they reside in and therefore do not have ties to the culture, traditions, or native environment. Or for those who are new to the concept, such as myself, diaspora is the definition for those who have had to leave their native country to flee an economic or global crisis. All cultures and ethnicities thought have most likely had a time in history where families and communities have faced this. Some examples would include the Jewish genocide during World War 2, Pakistani Independence during 1947 when Pakistan was partitioned by Britain, and the Korean War when Japan colonized Korea, causing many to flee to neighboring and foreign countries abroad. One diaspora that has been forgotten and is losing its touch in history is the Hmong diaspora. 

During the Vietnam War, the American CIA developed an inside project known as the Secret War which would plan to eliminate supply to the communists between Laos and Vietnam. This project was kept secret until a congressional hearing in the US until 1971, publicizing the situation to the American public. After this information was publicized, it was found that Laos had been bombed by the US with over 2 million tons of bombs, more than the bombs used during WW2 on Germany and Japan combined. During the time of this Secret War, American troops and secret agents used Hmong and Mien villagers as soldiers to help combat communists which unfortunately turned these groups into “traitors” in the eyes of the communist who then sought to eliminate all Hmong and Mien people who resided in Laos. This forced many to flee the country and seek refuge in Thailand in an attempt to seek freedom and safety. Not only did the mass genocide kill a large majority of the population but the bombings of the American troops also set these people up for failure when crossing paths. This caused the Hmong and Mien groups to rebel in hopes of winning the war and fleeing to America as promised for their acts of service. Unfortunately, these groups were abandoned by American forces as troops had fallen back and were forced to return home and give up the fight, making the Hmong and Mien groups now vulnerable to communist genocide. 

In 1975, when the Laotian/ Secret War had ended, the Hmong people who had made it out of Laos resided in refugee camps in Thailand. The most famous camp known as the Ban Vinai camp. The Ban Vinai camp held 45,000+ highland people, the majority being Hmong, for those who were involved in the Indo-China wars. Sometime after the war had ended, people were confused as to whether or not they should return to a peaceful life as farmers in a foreign land or seek out new opportunities. Some chose to settle down in Thailand and live as farmers or open up street shops to support families and make a living to survive in this new country. For others, some were given the opportunity to move to another country as long as they found sponsors. America was the first option since many were promised the safety and removal to live in the United States for serving in the war. This led to many families moving to Minnesota, building the largest Hmong community in the US in Saint Paul, MI. Some others settled in California or the East Coast, or other foreign countries such as France. Though this seemed to be  a great opportunity for people to seize, many had to say goodbye to families in order to build a new life and hopefully support remaining family members in Thailand. The Hmong people were left to essentially fend for themselves in the States, receiving little help from the government to settle despite the hardships gone through and empty promises made by the American CIA. 

What could have been turned into great successful opportunities for the Hmong people to flourish in the new country with the help of the US government, the Hmong people were left to make do with what they had. Impoverished living environments and sneers from strangers ignorant to history, forced the Hmong people to settle in poverty with no opportunities to climb up. For new parents and their young children, many had raised their children the way they knew best which is also the way they were raised. In comparison to the American children who were given a voice, chance, and privilege to succeed, many Hmong kids dealt with the comparison of why they couldn’t live a decent normal life as their peers and endured bullying for being different, both economically and ethnically. These unfortunate events took a toll on the young minds of the first-generation Hmong kids, leading them to join a life of violence and misery. Now faced with a life of violence introduced by home beatings and school bullying, Hmong kids who were the product of trauma were now forced to choose a life of violence or find a way out and seek guidance for a successful future. For many unfortunate Hmong kids, some took to joining gangs since it was all that was familiar to them and used it to release their frustrations and resentment. The frustration of not fitting into the crowd outside and not being in touch with the culture at home would cause an internal war with the first generations not being able to live a  “normal” life. For the parents and grandparents who made the difficult decision to move to the states would start to become homesick and fret over their children losing their touch with their culture. This would ultimately lead to a drift between the elders and newer generations misunderstanding each other, causing frustration and tension for what the future would hold for both sides. 

Fortunately, in recent years, the first generations that traveled across the seas with the OG’s have seemed to patch up misunderstandings and built a community all over social media to keep the culture, tradition, and history alive. From building local native Hmong markets, having yearly holiday events, and social media to share the culture, it is still able to thrive in the present and hopefully further into the future. With the culture and history that will continue to live on into the future, the next generations of Hmong children will understand the importance of their roots and culture.  Though the elders may miss their native homes and yearn to revisit their homes, they now have a second home in the foreign lands where their children have built a home for them as a place to rest peacefully to escape the idea of any other possible wars as thanks for giving the new generations a chance at life. One of the largest Hmong communities in the US resides in Saint. Paul, Minnesota where the Hmong people have built foundations to tell their stories and educate others about the history. Not only is it important for history to continue teaching about the Hmong and the “Indo-China War” so that it will live on to educate and serve as a placeholder in time as a reminder to give thanks to those who help in desperate times and return the favor instead of abandoning those who were willing to fight for peace. The upbringings of many Hmong people born in America may not have been great but it was given to us with a sense of hope and love, which will be used to produce a fruitful future for the next generations and as a thank-you for those who fought for the Hmong people and the parents who sacrificed everything they had for their children.