A Hmong American is a resident of the United States who is of ethnic Hmong descent. Hmong Americans are one group of Asian Americans. This article is about the U.S. state. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Largest metro area Greater Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42° 30′ N to 47° 05′ N  - Longitude 86° 46′ W to... |familycolor=Hmong-Mien |states=Sichuan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and USA. |speakers=over 4 million[1] |fam1=Hmong-Mien |iso2=hmn| |lc1=hmn|ld1=Hmong (generic)|ll1=none |lc2=mww|ld2=Hmong Daw (Laos, China)|ll2=none |lc3=hmv|ld3=Hmong Do (Vietnam)|ll3=none |lc4=hmf|ld4=Hmong Don (Vietnam... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Language(s) Hmong/Mong Religion(s) Shamanism, Buddhism, Christianity, others The terms Hmong (IPA:) and Mong () both refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southern China. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ...

Many Laotian Hmong war refugees resettled in America following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975. Beginning in December of that year, the first Hmong refugees arrived in the U.S., mainly from refugee camps in Thailand; however, only 3,466 were granted asylum at this time under the Refugee Assistance Act of 1975. For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Good-luck charms of Prince Phetxarāt, who many Lao believe possessed magical powers, are widely sold in Laos today Continued from History of Laos to 1945 Note: this article follows the system for transliterating Lao names used in Martin Stuart-Foxs History of Laos // The Kingdom of Laos...

Hmong immigration to U.S.

1976 and 1980

In May 1976, another 11,000 Hmong were allowed to enter the United States. By 1978 some 30,000 Hmong had immigrated to the U.S. This first wave was made up primarily of men directly associated with General Vang Pao's Secret Army, which had been aligned with U.S. war efforts during the Vietnam War. Vang Pao's Secret Army, which was subsidized by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, fought mostly along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, where his forces sought to disrupt North Vietnamese weapons supply efforts to the communist Viet Cong rebel forces in South Vietnam. General of the Army is historically the second most senior rank in the United States Army, equivalent to a Field Marshal in other militaries. ... Vang Pao in the early 1960s Vang Pao (born ca. ... “Secret War” redirects here. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... CIA redirects here. ... oooo lalala The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Viet Cong redirects here. ... Anthem Thanh niên Hành Khúc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last President¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War  - Regime change June 14, 1955  - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area  - 1973 173,809 km² 67,108...

Four years later, with the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, families of the Secret Army were also permitted to immigrate to the U.S., representing the second-wave of Hmong immigration to the U.S. The Refugee Act was a 1980 United States federal law that reformed United States immigration law and admitted refugees on systematic basis for humanitarian reasons. ...

1990s and 2000s

Following the 1980 immigration wave, a heated global political debate developed over how the remaining Hmong refugees in Thailand should be handled. Many had been held in squalid Thailand-based refugee camps and the United Nations and the Clinton administration sought to repatriate them to Laos. UN and U.N. redirect here. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Reports of human rights violations against the Hmong, including killings and imprisonments, led most Thailand-based Hmong to oppose returning to Laos, even as the conditions of the Thailand-based camps, lacking sufficient funding, worsened.

In one of the more prominent examples of apparent Laotian abuse of the Hmong, the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, seeking to reassure the Thai-based Hmong that their safety in Laos would be assured, they recruited a former Hmong soldier, Vue Mai to return to Laos under the repatriation program. However, Vue disappeared in Vientiane, and the U.S. Commission for Refugees later reported that he was arrested by Lao security forces and never again seen. Location within in Thailand Coordinates: , Country Settled Ayutthaya Period Founded as capital 21 April 1782 Government  - Type Special administrative area  - Governor Apirak Kosayothin Area  - City 1,568. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Especially following the Vue Mai incident, the Clinton and U.N. policy of returning the Hmong to Laos began to meet with strong political opposition by U.S. conservatives and some human rights advocates. Michael Johns, a former White House aide to President George H. W. Bush and a Heritage Foundation foreign policy analyst, along with other influential conservatives, led a campaign to grant the Thai-based Hmong immediate U.S. immigration rights. In an October 1995 National Review article, citing the Hmong's contributions to U.S. war efforts during the Vietnam War, Johns labeled Clinton's support for returning the Thai-based Hmong refugees to Laos a "betrayal" and urged Congressional Republicans to step up opposition to the repatriation.^[1]. Opposition to the repatriation grew in Congress and among Hmong families in the U.S., and Congressional Republicans responded by introducing and passing legislation to appropriate sufficient funds to resettle all remaining Hmong in Thailand in the United States. Clinton, however, vowed to veto the legislation. Conservatism in the United States comprises a constellation of political ideologies including fiscal conservatism, free market or economic liberalism, social conservatism,[1] bioconservatism and religious conservatism,[2][3] as well as support for a strong military,[4] small government and promotion of states rights. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Michael Johns (born September 8, 1964 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American health care executive, former federal government of the United States official and conservative policy analyst and writer. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... The Heritage Foundation is one of the most prominent conservative think tanks in the United States. ... National Review (NR) is a biweekly magazine of political opinion, founded by author William F. Buckley, Jr. ... GOP redirects here. ...

In addition to opposition to the repatriation by U.S. conservatives, the government of Laos also ultimately expressed reservations about the repatriation, stating that the Hmong remaining in Thailand were heavily involved in heroin and opium traficking. In a significant and unforeseen political victory for the Hmong and their U.S Republican advocates, tens of thousands of Thai-based Hmong refugees were ultimately granted U.S. immigration rights, with the majority being resettled in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The defeat of the repatriation initiative also led to highly emotional reunifications of long separated Hmong families in the U.S. For other uses, see Heroin (disambiguation). ... This article is about the drug. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Largest metro area Greater Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42° 30′ N to 47° 05′ N  - Longitude 86° 46′ W to...

While some Hmong remain in Thailand, since the September 11, 2001 attacks and the tightening of U.S. immigration laws, especially under the Patriot Act and the Real ID Act, the immigration of Hmong refugees to the U.S. has significantly slowed, in part because most Hmong refugees in Thailand had been engaged in documented armed conflict (even though under U.S. sponsorship) during and after the Vietnam War.^[2] A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... This article needs cleanup. ... The REAL ID Act of 2005 is Division B of an act of the United States Congress titled Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005. ...

U.S. Census statistics

Residents

The 2000 U.S. Census counted 169,440 persons of full Hmong ancestry, up from 90,082 in 1990. In addition, the 2000 Census counted another 16,882 persons of partial Hmong ancestry. Today, the number of ethnic Hmong living in the United States is likely between 200,000 and 250,000. States with the largest Hmong population include: California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, although Hmong communities can be found throughout the U.S.^[3] The metropolitan areas of Fresno and Minneapolis-St. Paul have especially large Hmong communities.^[4] The 22nd United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Largest metro area Greater Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42° 30′ N to 47° 05′ N  - Longitude 86° 46′ W to... Fresno redirects here. ... A map of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. ...

Education

The 2000 U.S. Census reveals that only 40% of all Hmong/Mong above 24 years of age have never graduated from high school, as many of them came to America as adults or young adults. About 7% of Hmong/Mong have a bachelor's degree or higher. The lack of formal education among Hmong/Mong immigrants is due^{[citation needed]} to the fact that many were once farmers in the hills of Laos and had little or no access to schools. In addition, almost 40% of Hmong/Mong families are under the poverty level. The U.S. Census is mandated by the United States Constitution. ... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Hmong-American children born in the United States usually have much better access to education and jobs than what their parents had, and thus have better economic opportunities than their parents would have had in Laos.

Culture

Even though most Hmong/Mong families speak a language other than English at home, many Hmong/Mong Americans are rapidly blending into mainstream American society, and many young people are losing aspects of their cultural identity at a fast pace. Because of this, the Hmong/Mong community has set up associations and media that encourage people to maintain language and culture. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

These associations and media include the Hmong National Development and the Hmong Times newspaper. The Hmong National Development (HND) is a national, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization. The goal of HND is to build capacity, develop leadership, and to empower the Hmong American community. HND works along side with local and national organizations, public and private entities, and individuals to encourage educational opportunities, to increase community capacity, and to develop resources for the well-being, growth, and full participation of Hmong in society. There is an annual HND conference which usually takes part during the month of April and is held in a different state each year.

The Hmong Times publishes communications products for the Hmong community. These products are designed to provide important information to the Hmong community, as well as tools to promote unity in the Hmong community. The Hmong Times also informs the general community about the Hmong community. Having a newspaper like the Hmong Times creates a source for businesses, organizations, and schools to connect with the Hmong community.

As with other immigrant groups, some cultural conflicts arose when the Hmong arrived in the U.S. after the Vietnam War. One of the better documented conflicts is in medicine. In Anne Fadiman's nonfiction book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down one such conflict regarding a young Hmong girl's health is documented. The girl's parents saw her seizures as a divine gift, whereas Western medicine views them as a dangerous medical condition. The conflict was exacerbated by communication issues and cultural reliance on alternative medicine. Due to an extreme language barrier as well as what they interpreted to be condescension and racism on the part of the doctors, the parents believed the Californian doctors did not have their daughter's best interests in mind, and on several occasions believed the medicines being administered were making their daughter's epilepsy worse. The American doctors, in the meantime, remarked that the Hmong were obstinate and were unable or unwilling to follow instructions in medicating their daughter. There is controversy over whether there was true informed consent from the illiterate parents who signed forms for procedures often without an interpreter. The book is often used in studying cross-cultural medicine, although there are reservations about its contents.^[5] For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a 1997 book by Anne Fadiman which chronicles the struggles of a Hmong refugee family and their interactions with the health care system in California. ... This article is about epileptic seizures. ... For this articles equivalent regarding the East, see Eastern culture. ... Alternative medicine has been described as any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula taught in the United States and Britain.[1] Alternative medicine practices are often based in belief systems not derived from modern science. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

In 2002, Mee Moua became the first Hmong American legislator when she was elected to fill the Minnesota State Senate seat vacated by Randy Kelly when he was elected mayor of St. Paul. She is currently a majority whip. Mee Moua (born June 30, 1969) is a Hmong American politician and member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. ... The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota State Legislature. ... Randy C. Kelly (born August 2, 1950 in North Dakota) is an American politician. ... State capitol building in Saint Paul Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ...

Hmong Americans are fully integrated into the surrounding culture in most areas.^[6] Many Hmong Americans now serve in the U.S. Military.^[7] At least two Hmong have been elected to public office: Cy Thao, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and Mee Moua, a Minnesota State Senator. Cy Thao is a Laotioan-born Hmong American state representative (DFL) in Minnesota. ... The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. ... Mee Moua (born June 30, 1969) is a Hmong American politician and member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. ... The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. ...

In many of the large cities where Hmong/Mong Americans live and work, tensions have risen up between them and neighboring ethnic groups. Hmong/Mong people have often been targets of discrimination, mainly because of job competition and stereotyping of them as welfare dependents. Many of their persecutors justified their actions by claiming that they unnecessarily took jobs, welfare money, and other services away from long-time residents.^[8] This article is about financial assistance paid by government organizations. ...

2007 arrests in California

Main article: 2007 Laotian coup d'état attempt

On June 4, 2007, following a lengthy federal investigation labeled "Operation Flawed Eagle," warrants were issued by a California-based U.S. federal court for the arrest of General Vang Pao, eight other Hmong people, and one non-Hmong person for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government of Laos in violation of the federal Neutrality Acts and various U.S. weapons laws.^[9] The 2007 Laotian coup détat attempt was an alleged conspiracy that attempted to overthrow the government of Laos. ... Vang Pao in the early 1960s Vang Pao (born ca. ... The Neutrality Acts were a series of laws passed in the United States in the 1930s, in response to the growing turmoil in Europe and Asia that was to lead to World War II. They were spurred by the growth in isolationism in the US following its costly involvement in...

The federal charges allege that members of the group inspected weapons, including AK-47s, smoke grenades, and Stinger missles, with the intent of purchasing them and smuggling them into Thailand in June 2007 for use in Hmong guerrilla war efforts against the Laotian government. The one non-Hmong person of the nine arrested, Harrison Jack, a 1968 West Point graduate and retired Army infantry officer, allegedly attempted to recruit Special Operations veterans to act as mercenaries. Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 g. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... It has been suggested that Guided missile be merged into this article or section. ... Special forces or special operations forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for reconnaissance, unconventional warfare and special operations. ...

On June 15, the defendants were indicted by a grand jury and a warrant was also issued for the arrest of an 11th man, allegedly involved in the plot. The defendants face possible life prison terms for violation.

Vang Pao and other defendants were ultimately granted bail, following the posting of $1.5 million in property. Since the arrests, many Vang Pao supporters have called on President George W. Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to pardon the defendants, though no response has yet been issued to these requests. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation IPA: ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-born American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ...

See also

• Asian Americans
• Hmong people
• Laotian American
• List of Hmong Americans

An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... Language(s) Hmong/Mong Religion(s) Shamanism, Buddhism, Christianity, others The terms Hmong (IPA:) and Mong () both refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southern China. ... A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who is of ethnic Laotian descent and also one group of Asian Americans. ... This is a list of famous Hmong Americans. ...

References

1. ^ Johns, Michael. "Acts of betrayal - persecution of Hmong", National Review, 1995-10-23. Retrieved on 2007-07-27. 
2. ^ http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/16736791.htm?source=rss&channel=inquirer_nation
3. ^ http://www.mla.org/map_data_states&lang_id=722&mode=lang_tops
4. ^ "Top 50 Metropolitan Areas by Hmong Population." The Hmong Culture Center. Data compiled by Mark Pfeifer. accessed 29 January 2006
5. ^ http://www.hmongnet.org/publications/spirit_review.html
6. ^ Teresa Moua-Her brief bio on TV-13 website. Accessed 29 January 2006.
7. ^ http://www.startribune.com/10242/story/1543865.html
8. ^ http://www.jefflindsay.com/Hmong/Mong_tragedy.html
9. ^ Walsh, Denny, "Ten Accused of Conspiring to Oust Government of Laos," The Sacramento Bee, June 5, 2007 http://www.sacbee.com/292/story/206120.html (accessed June 5, 2007).

Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• LearnAboutHmong.com. Hmong Cultural Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
• Hmong Studies Internet Resource Center.
• Hmong Studies Journal.
• WWW Hmongnet.org.
• Hmong-American Partnership.
• Lao Family Community..
• Hmong Times, Minnesota-based Hmong newspaper.
• Hmong Today, United States nationally-based Hmong newspaper.
• "Acts of Betrayal", by Michael Johns, National Review, October 23, 1995 (national magazine article on Hmong immigration struggles, written from a generally pro-Hmong perspective).

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