Overview

Theterminologyidentityisaverybroadandvagueconceptsenseofself.Identityrefers
towhooneisandtheuniquenessthatdistinguishesthem.Ourresearchfocusesonmanydifferent
aspectsthatmakeuponesidentitysoallofthesourcesareverydiverse.Byfocusingjuston
whatitmeanstobeHmongAmerican,weresearchedtopicssuchashighereducation,marriage,
agriculture,immigrationandhistory,andmodernmedicineandtraditionalHmongmedicine
(Shamanism).WethenfoundtheconnectionstowhatitmeanstobeHmongorHmong
Americanthroughthesetopics.

Connections:
HigherEducation
Highereducationtiestoidentityinmyopinionbecause,wearewhowearetoday
becauseofmanyfactorsthathadaffectedorareaffectingus.Suchaslanguagebarriers,family
supportorpressure,schoolpressureorsupportandfinancialaids.FormanyHmongstudents,
manyofthemclaimedtohavegraduatedbecauseofsupportsfromfamilies,schoolandalong
withthehelpoffinancialaids.Ontheotherhand,severalothersclaimedthatitsbecauseof
seeinghowpoortheirfamilyareandeventhoughsomeoftheirparentrestrictedthemtoever
achievinghighereducationwiththefactthatit'snotworthit,manystillstrivetowardhigher
educationforabetterfuture.Alsotobeabletobefinanciallystableandhelpouttheirfamily
fromeverfallingbelowthepovertyline.Havingtoadapttonewcultureandalsomaintaining
theirnativecultureishardwhenyou'retheonlyone.Butwiththehelpoffamiliessupportand
fellowpeoplewhounderstandthechangeyouaregoingthrough,youlleventuallysucceedeither
academicallyorsocially.That'showhighereducationistiedtoidentity.Youdefineyourselfby
yoursurroundingandfactorsthathadaffectedyouorareaffectingyou.

EducationtieswithintheHmongidentitybecausetheyhaveamuchmoredifficulttime
tolearn,especiallycomingfromabackgroundthatstruggleswithEnglishthatisnottheirfirst
language.Notonlythatbutalsolivinginpovertyandhavinglowincome.Sincetheelderswere
noteducated,itshardtoprovideabetterenvironmenttotheirchildren.


Marriage
Marriageislikeatraditionalevent,andaculturelife,andalongwithwhoyouare.
Marriagenotonlyrepresentyourstatusbutitalsoindicatehowyouchosetoliveyourlife.
Throughoutthearticlesitmentionsaboutearlymarriage,wheretheteenswouldgetmarriedat
theageof14or15.IntheHmongworld,identityinmarriagemeansalotbecauseitrepresents
thefamilyandhowothersviewthem,identityissimilartotheirreputation.Marriageistiedto
identityoftheHmongbecauseitshowsthevaluesoftheHmongpeople.Thefemalesgivesbirth
totheirdaughterandmarriesheroffintoanotherfamily,andthenthere'sthesonswherethey
marryagirltobecomehishousewife.Marriagerevealsthebelief,howtakingachickenand
runningitaroundthebrideandthegroom'sheadbeforeenteringthehouse,istoclearthesins
thathappenedandithelpsthemstartanewlife.Thenthereisthewelcomingherspiritintoanew
familythentheceremony.Becauseoftheseevents,ittiesbacktoidentity,itrevealsthevaluesof
theHmongcommunities.

Agriculture
Basedonmyresearchandunderstandingofagriculture,ittiestoidentitybecauseever
sincetheHmongpeopleexistintheworld,farminghavebeenoneoftheonlysourceofsurvival
forthem.TheHmongpeoplewasabletoliveuntilthesedaysbecauseoftheskillstheyhave
acquiredfromfarming.Sincetheydonthaveacountrylikeothers,norhavetheeducation,
farmingiswhattheydo.Althoughfarmingisnoteasy,theHmongpeoplehaveprideinitandit
havebecomeparttheirdailylife.
AgriculturetiesinwiththeHmongidentitybecausethatwasthewayofhowHmong
peopleusedtolive.Eveniftheycannotaffordeducation,theyliveanddependoneachotherto
workonthefieldsinordertosurviveandsupporttheirfamiliessuchasinbusinessorfeeding.
Notonlythatbutalso,agricultureisapartoftheHmongtraditionsuchasraisinganimalsand
plantinggreensforaspecificritualsuchasnewyear,funerals,huplig(spiritcalling),andua
neeb.

ImmigrationandHistory
Howmytopicaboutimmigrationtiesinwithwithmycoalitionstopic,ishowHmong
peoplecameheretotheUnitedStatesasimmigrantsandalso,theyhadtoassimilatehereinthe
UnitedState.HowthistiesinwiththeidentityasanAsianAmerican,isbyhowthey,Hmong
immigrants,hadtolearnwaystosurviveintheunitedstates.Likeforexample,thehistory,the
waytolive,andalsonewculturetheyneverexperiencebefore.
HistorytiesbackwithAsianAmericanidentity,wouldbe,thateventhoughwearein
America,doesntmeanthatwearejustAmerican,allwhiteandjustspeakallEnglish.History
makesus,us.HowhistoryisgoingtotieinwithourtopicaboutHmongAmericanwomen
findingtheiridentityinthepresentandthepast,andthestrugglesthathashappenedovertime.

ShamanismandModernMedicine
ShamanismisapartofHmongculture,ofourbeliefs,andhowweperceiveillnessand
health.Shamanismisessentiallygroundedinthebeliefthatthephysicalbodymustbein
harmonywiththesoul.NowthecounterpartofShamanismismodernmedicinebecausethereis
anotionthatimpliesanassimilationanddegradationofHmongculturebyusingmodern
medicine.ItcanbeseenasadegradationtoShamanismbecausepracticessuchassurgerygoes
upagainsttheHmongbeliefthatbyopeningawound,thesoulcanescapeout.Thereforethereis
aclashbetweenthetwo.ShamanismisasclosetoareligionwetheHmongcanbelieveinforit
justhascorerootsinanimism,thesupernatural,andspirituality.Religioncertainlyisanaspect
ofwhatitmeanstobeHmongbecausebeingHmongmeanshavingcertainbeliefsandvalues
thatappearinShamanismbutitisnotthecore.ShamanismdoesnotdictatewhoaHmong
personisforanybodycanconverttoShamanismsinceitisstillareligion.Andsobecauseofthis
reason,modernmedicineandpracticessuchassurgeryorgettingavaccinedoesnotinterfere
withtraditionalHmonghealing/medicine.Onecanpracticebothtechniquesofhealing.
Thereforethecorrelationbetweenreligion/medicineandHmongidentityisthatitisonlyasmall
part.Itdoesnotplayahugerolebecausethereareotheraspectslikeenvironment,socialcircles,
andmoralsthatmakeupwhooneis.