All adult members of a Hmong clan help in selecting their leaders a leader must be deemed honest, respectful, and capable of making wise decisions. Grandmothers may or may not actually be present during healthcare visits, but they typically make key decisions about managing illness in the family.Ĭlan Leader: Each clan has a leader. The elderly remain with the family throughout their life. They help discipline the younger children. Role of Elderly Hmong: The elderly get the most respect of all members of the family and are consulted when important decisions need to be made. It is often women who will converse with healthcare providers, but men usually will make decisions related to healthcare. Succeeding generations are giving Hmong women increased respect outside the domestic realm. Role of Mother: Traditionally, Hmong mothers nurture and take care of the children. When healthcare professionals encounter a more acculturated Hmong family in the U.S., they will likely see more balance of power between mother and father. Role of Father: In traditional families, the father is the head of the household. According to one Hmong proverb, “One stick cannot cook a meal or build a fence.” Clearly, collective identity is central to the Hmong way of life. Mutual assistance is expected between clan members. Hmong families tend to be large and extended the entire clan is “family.” A Hmong man stays in his clan for life, but a woman marries into the clan of her husband’s family. If families practice the same ceremonies, then they probably belong to the same ancestor. Clans are determined by ancestral lineage (great, great grandfather) and which traditional ceremonies they practice. Older Hmong may tend to use metaphor when expressing themselves, and this can make it difficult for healthcare professionals in the US to understand them without a capable interpreter.Ĭlans: The central unit of political and social organization in Hmong communities is the clan. The Hmong language has few medical terms. Hmong language was not a written language until the late 1960s when Christian missionaries came up with a writing system that allowed translation of the Bible. (The green is sometimes called blue.) These dialects are different in the way, for example, that British and American English are different.
However, most Hmong speak either white or green Hmong, referencing the colors in their traditional clothing. Language & Dialects: The Hmong have their own language, called Hmoob (Hmong in English). Religion: Though an estimated 70% still practice traditional Hmong religion, a significant number are Christians. Though a relatively small and close knit ethnic minority in the U.S., there is considerable diversity within Hmong communities in the US. The average Hmong household size was 6 persons compared to the average overall US population household size of 2.5.
were under 18 years of age compared to 25% for the overall US population. Similarly, census data showed 56% of Hmong in the U.S. 3Ģ000 census data showed the median age of the Hmong population being 16, while the average for the overall US population was 35.
Colorado was sixth on the list with an estimated 3,859 Hmong. There are an estimated 6,000,000 in China, 787,000 in Vietnam, 315,000 in Laos, and between 200,000 and 250,000 in the US.2Īs of the last census, California, Minnesota and Wisconsin had the largest Hmong populations. Today, the US has the fourth largest population of Hmong. The United States finally gave the Hmong preferential refugee status in the early 1980s.1) (An Important History Note: Due to their support of the CIA’s efforts in Laos during the Vietnam War, the Hmong had to flee retribution when the communists gained power in that country after the US military pulled out. Indeed, history has taught them to mistrust outsiders and large impersonal institutions, i.e. Their history as a marginalized people fleeing persecution as war refugees has made them an insular people. As a people, their adaptation to our western model of healthcare delivery is often slow, hindered by particularly strong traditional beliefs, culturally-based patterns of communication, limited English proficiency, and a deep distrust of governments. Due to their unique cultural beliefs and indigenous practices, Hmong refugees settled in the United States often present a unique set of challenges to healthcare professionals. Who Are the Hmong People in America? The Hmong (pronounced hmung with a very soft h) in the United States are a relatively small southeast Asian minority group who began living here at the close of the Vietnam war.
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