Shaping Identities for Hmong Americans: An Analysis of the Hmong New Year in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Abstract

Hmong Americans have resided in the United States for roughly 40 years after the Vietnam War. Shifting from their original way of life, Hmong Americans began to assimilate into the American lifestyle in order to survive in the new environment. The effect of assimilating Hmong Americans youth have shown some little interest in learning about the Hmong culture. For some others, the knowledge of Hmong culture is minimal knowing only the basic history of the Hmong. This has stimulated a fear amongst the older Hmong who worried that the Hmong culture will cease to exist. Thus, in order to teach the Hmong culture to Hmong American youths and non-Hmong, the older Hmong have relied on the Hmong New Year celebration as a method to maintain their ethnic identity and culture. The remnants of the Hmong culture: language, clothing, and activities are emphasized in the celebration as a way to keep the Hmong culture and history alive.