T he place where Hmong teens can speak and be heard.

T he place where Hmong teens can speak and be heard.

The place where Hmong teens can speak and be heard.
HmoobTeen
This publication is made possible through Hmong American Partnership (HAP). HAP provides culturally appropriate social services to Hmong families in Minnesota, such as: employment services and English language classes for adults, after school programs for children and youth, and counseling and support
programs for families. For more information please visit www.hmong.org.
Hmong American Partnership
Contents
Attn: HmoobTeen
1075 Arcade Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55106
(651) 495-9160
hmoobtm@hmong.org
www.hmong.org
Winter 2008 - Melting Pot
Throw Your Hands Up for the Far*East Movement, Page 25
Regulars
Editor Bios
Editors’ Note
Letter to the Editors
Introducing the New HmoobTeen Editors
Knowing Your Hmong: The Qeej
Check Nws Out!: The Power of Dancing
Adult Role Model: Choua Her
Adult Role Model: Tou Saiko Lee
Review: 3 To Watch
Theme: Melting Pot
Feature: I Am Not Hmong, I Am . . . .
Dressing Like Americans
In Thailand I Like the Food
Karen Life
Loss of Culture
Respect
Losing the Culture of My Country
Stitch and Stamp
Interracial Dating: Joua’s Story
A Matter of Perspective
Love, Not Race
Page 2, 27
Page 4
Page 4
Page 5
Page 7
Page 8-9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 24
Page 14 -16
Page 13
Page 13
Page 13
Page 13
Page 13
Page 13
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 19
Reads
Is It Because of My Black Hair and Brown Eyes?
Page 6
Ask Yolei!
Page 6
Finding a Job Just Got Easier
Page 21
SLG: What About Bullying?
Page 22 - 23
Throw Your Hands Up for the Far*East Movement
Page 25
HmoobTeen’s 4th Photoshoot
Page 28
Poems
Maybe
Pernicious Prophecy
Page 19
Page 20
Comics
Mai-Mai
Hmong Village
Page 26
Page 26
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 3
HmoobTeen
Spring 2009 theme is
Crime & Punishment
Tell us:
Editor’s Note:
As the year rolls to a close, we end our last issue of the year with the theme Melting Pot.
We are not talking about the literal meaning itself, but instead the integrating and mixing
of cultures in this place we all live in today. It’s not just a single culture or ethnic group living together anymore but a variety of cultures and we would like to embrace and capture
everyone’s views on that.
Along with this winter issue, we would like everyone to welcome abroad our three newest
editors: Nhia Lee, Matthew Saykao Thao and Vanessa Xiong! It is a great excitement to
have them join the team. Look forward to their contributions and inspiring work in the many
upcoming issues.
Major highlights this issue are Choua Her, coordinator of Hmong Women Circle, Tou Saiko
Lee, and the hip-hop group: Far*East Movement. They’ve all been great role models in our
communities and we’re proud to have them featured in this issue. Included in this issue are
some dish about life in South Korea from contributing editor, Yolei Yang, who is studying
abroad there. She’s answering questions anyone who is interest in her experience or South
Korea, so send in your questions to Hmoobtm@hmong.org!
Letter to the Editors:
You folks are doing such a wonderful job with this magazine. My friend is in
a correctional insitution and he has enjoyed all of your issues. Thanks to your
folks for making him know what’s going on with our Hmong teens and just
general things. Thanks for making us understand the value of our culture, life,
family, and friends! Thanks for the great stories, poems, and comic strips. I love
every bit of it! Well done and good luck! - Der Yang, North Carolina
Der, thank you for your kind words and support. We are proud and exicted
to have your encouragement and strength. It is because people like you that
makes our magazine stronger and better. - Sai Vang, Editor-in-Chief
Send your work in!
Email: Hmoobtm@hmong.org or by mail
to: HmoobTeen, 1075 Aracde Street,
Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55106
Summer 2009 theme is
Sexism
Tell us:
If sexism exist in the Hmong community?
How boys and girls are treated differently?
How life would be different if you were a
boy or a girl for a day?
Deadline:
June 6, 2009
HmoobTeen Editors
Bao Xiong, Blia Vue, Blong Vang, Sherri Xiong, Ka Zoua Vang,
Kia Lor, Lee Yolei Yang, Meng Yang, Mysee Chang, Nhia
“Monie” Lee, Panhia Lee, Pa Yong Xiong, Ricki Vang, Matthew
Saykao Thao, Vannessa Xiong, Nhia Lee
Editor In Chief
Sai Vang
SEND IT IN!
Reflecting back, Hmoobteen is proud for all the hard work and success we
were able to achieve this past year, despite all the changes to the magazine. We would like to thank all of our readers for their continuous support
throughout the year. Many of our major achievements would have not been
accomplished without your voices. We appreciate and greatly encourage everyone to continue sending in their artworks and writings. In the meantime,
we’re diligently working towards ways to ameliorate our magazine and only
continue to bring inspiration to all teens nationwide.
- The Editors
What acts of injustice have you or people
you know done ?
What laws do you believe are unfair?
Which rules in the Hmong culture are
unfair?
What was your worst punishment?
Deadline:
February 6, 2009
Layout & Design
Kia Lor, Ricki Vang, Panhia Lee, Sherri Xiong, Blong Vang, Bao
Xiong, Matthew Saykao Thao, Sai Vang
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS and ARTISTS
Toua Lee, Casey Cheng, Mohamud Haji, Ger Xiong, Laydia Say,
Roda Yusuf, Ge Xiong, Julio Sandchez-Rodriguez, Mee Vang,
Pheng Her, David Vang, Bee Moua, FueyDesigns
We pay for work we publish.
Articles/Photo Essays/Comics: up to $25
Drawings: up to $20
Poems: up to $15
You must include your name, age, city, state, telephone number and
email where we can reach you--even if you wish to remain anonymous.
All submissions are subject to revision. We may contact authors to work
with authors on revisions.
Submission Requirements:
Art-Must be on unlined paper and MUST NOT be folded.
Writing-Type in MS Word and attach document to your email.
HmoobTeen holds all the rights of works once published. Submissions sent to HmoobTeen becomes HmoobTeen property, it is done at the risk of the sender and will not be
returned. Email your work if you can.
(ISSN 1935-1542) is published 4 times a year: Spring, Summer, Winter and
Winter by Hmong American Partnership. Currently we reach over 20,000 readers per issue.
Our next issue, is the spring 2009 issue, with the theme Crime and Punishment.
HmoobTeen
Subscriptions/Back Issues: (651) 495-1526 or hmoobtm@hmong.org
The views expressed in this publication are of the authors and do not represent opinions
or the views of Hmong American Partnership (HAP) or HmoobTeen, their staff, volunteers,
funders or partners.
1-866-379-6363
4 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
HmoobTeen tries its best to screen websites listed in the magazine. However, the content,
views and opinions displayed and expressed by the websites and/or their respective organizations may, or may not reflect those of HmoobTeen and HAP.
HmoobTeen is
made possible, in part, by funds provided by the MN Department of Health
and by funds provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MN Foundation and United Way.
Introducing. . .
Nhia Lee
Vanessa Xiong
Matthew
Saykao Thao
the new HmoobTeen editors!
I’m 17 years old and attend Johnson High
School. I’m just your average Hmoob guy;
working part time, minor volunteering, extracurricular activities and trying to become a
somebody one day. My hobbies are writing,
reading, playing volleyball, singing (keep it on
the down low), spending time with my family and everything else an average teenager
loves to do: hanging out.
I can honestly say that becoming an editor for
HmoobTeen was the greatest feeling ever.
Even now, I still can’t believe this is happening
(it’s so surreal). Starting from the beginning, I
knew that I wasn’t going to be the best writer
and hopefully, they can help me become a
better writer. My mind is always open to tips
and advices from my peers and co-workers;
anything to help me enhance my writing skills.
Also, I’m excited about getting to share my
opinions in discussions, meeting new people,
creating new friendships and helping my community. Of course, each of these factors has
their own significance. Most importantly, I get
to WRITE a lot!
Guess what readers? I’m the second Nhia Lee
in HmoobTeen. It’s going to be awkward,
considering I’ve never been in a setting with a
person that has the same first and last name
as me. The other Nhia is a genius; I guess it’s
not too bad. I hope you guys can read some
of my articles in the very near future. I can’t
believe this is true. I use to sit in my room, read
some HmoobTeen magazines and wish that
it was me in those pages, with the pictures and
everything, and now, it has finally happened.
Wish me luck! Thanks!
I’m cryptically known as “Saykao” the
wondering kid who finds himself lost in
translation, waking up and stepping out of
his small midwestern town.
Being a new editor gives me the chance
to represent the voices of the teenage
Hmong community, letting myself and others be heard. I’m excited to be here, to
help and learn about ourselves as we all
grow stronger everyday, how we deal with
life and how life affects us.
I enjoy traveling the highway nights, making runs to late-night fast food trips and
enjoying my life that I receive with others.
I grew up with my hometown Texas cousins to playing around the Asian Market in
Fresno, to raising chickens in Washington
State and bargaining on the streets of
Lop Buri, Thailand. These days, I’m a high
school senior in Minnesota planning my life
out for the world.
I find the most simplest things precious; the
envelopes I recieve at birthdays, putting
on sandles during the cold, and eating a
humble bowl of pho (all taken with a snap
of a picture). Other than that, I’m a big fan
of indie artists and people that break the
law of normality.
I’m a young adolescent at the age of 14
and attending Roseville Area High School
as a freshman! I spend most of my time
photographing and editing pictures, or as
most of you know it, photoshopping. I enjoy learning new things and making new
friends. I am, most of the time, a people
person so if you see me around, say hello!
I’m most excited about reading
HmoobTeen entries and comparing and contrasting them to other
Hmong teens around the nation. I want
to know how other Hmong teens are
feeling and if they’re truly by themselves or if there are other Hmong teens
out there like them (or possibly me).
Some of my interests are photography,
music and games. I love photographing
trash, dirt and anything that shows pollution and poverty. I like those kind of
pictures because it not only shows how
much everyday citizens litter but in those
pictures every trash has a story behind it
and every ripped up shoe or dirty child
has a story behind it. Another one of my
interests is music. Without my guitar and
my piano, I would be DEAD bored! Writing songs is one of my smaller interests
but I don’t like to sing. Playing guitar and
piano sets me free from stress and frustration. It’s nice to just sit back, relax and
play. One more interests of mine is Call
of Duty 4. I don’t like any other games
but that game. No questions asked.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 5
I am a Hmong-American studying and living abroad in South Korea. Just about everyone
has black hair and dark-brown eyes here as do I. It’s no wonder I am often mistaken for being Korean. During these situations, I would clearly state myself as a “Migugin” (American)
though they probably still think I am Korean or maybe Korean-American. I have prepared
myself for people’s reactions and my experience thus far has been a challenge as I am
gaining a new perspective of my own identity, how Koreans perceives America, and the
Korean lifestyle.
Surprisingly, I met a Korean person who knows about the existence of the Hmong people.
He studied abroad and became friends with a Hmong person from Thailand. I thought that
people here wouldn’t know about us, but one person who knows brings plenty of excitementone out of the four million Koreans living in the city of Busan.
Is it because of
my black hair &
brown eyes?
By Yolei Yang, Hmoobteen Contributing Editor,
19, Busan, South Korea
When I introduce myself, people usually ask me, “Are you Korean? If so, do you speak Korean?” or “Are you Chinese?” I answer, “I am neither. I am Hmong.” They reply “Mongolian?”
“No,” I respond and tell them the Hmong history. I feel as they don’t listen and they repeat
the question, “Are you Chinese or Mongolian?” I sigh, “No, I’m Hmong. Hmong. Not Chinese
or Mongolian.” I expected this conversation before I left the United States. I feel insane
sometimes because I am tired of explaining who I am. Almost everyone back home in Minnesota assumed if you have Asian features, you are Hmong.
I graduated from a high school dominated by Hmong students. I decided to show Koreans
my yearbook. I winced when my host cousin’s friend exclaimed, “There are no yellow hair
people!” Not only her but many others, like my classmates. They were expecting me to be
tall, blonde with blue eyes when they first heard about me. I guess this is a stereotype that
many people outside of the United States still think of Americans. I wanted to explain that
America is a free country. America welcomes immigrants who want a better home and life,
and that is why we have different ethnicities. Every American is unique because we all have
different backgrounds. That’s what makes America beautiful, exactly like the Korean word
for the United States: miguk, meaning “beautiful country.” However, due to language barriers, I can never fully explain this to them.
I currently attend a Korean high school because of my participation in a high school study
abroad program. In my Japanese class, my teacher wrote two Chinese characters on the
board and I understood what they meant because I took Japanese classes for four years
in high school. My teacher asked me to read them out loud in Chinese. I stared at him not
knowing how to handle the situation and finally a student told him I wasn’t Chinese.
One of the most frustrating moments of being mistaken thus far was when I came to school
with a new hair-cut. On that day I wore my school uniform for the first time and some of
the teachers forgot that I was an exchange student. At this point I felt that the teachers need to focus on me better because I am here to study.
They should not allow me to blend in and ignore me when there are assignments, tests, and exams. I am the only exchange student in the school
and how could they be confused? I found this situation offensive because it could just be my appearance and their ignorance.
ask yolei!
Hmoobteen Editor, Yolei, is studing abroad in South
Korea. Send in your questions for Yolei to answer about
life in another country at hmoobtm@hmong.org!
Studying abroad and being surrounded by Koreans does not change my identity. Everyday I add up the number of strangers who have mistaken
me for being Korean. I lost count and it does not matter. There are things that are more valuable like my experience here that has opened my
eyes to a new setting, and being able to have a better understanding of the cultural differences between the United States and South Korea. By
studying abroad, there are new insights to everything I see, eat, touch, smell, and hear. Only people who have been selected to study or teach
abroad would come to appreciate many things that are usually taken for granted. Now that I am more than half-way around the world from home
and away from a diversity community and Hmong people; I am really disgusted of people who are ignorant of their identity and heritage. Speak
your first language fluently and learn as much as there is. Be proud of your roots, especially if you are a minority.
6 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
How can I study in South Korea like you? --Sai Vang
You can easily find study abroad programs online and some schools participate in some study
abroad programs. I am in the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program.
How different is life in Korea, in terms of lifestyle? Like in USA we get up, go to schoo or work,
come home, etc.? --Mysee Chang
Over here, it is important to go to the best high school in order for someone to go to a good
college. Studying is a serious matter. Every child studies all his/her life. There isn’t a lot of
schoolwork but many parents send their children to institutes/cram schools to study and do more
work. Don’t be surprise to find high school students coming home by 10pm!
Tried Sannjiki, getting tired of Kimchi, too much Korean TV Dramas? --Matthew Saykao
I haven’t tried sannjiki. I don’t eat kimchi nowadays - I only eat the cabbage kimchi once in a while
and I love pickle kimchi. There are different kinds of kimchi ~ it’s almost like Papaya Salad! It
depends on who makes the kimchi and how it tastes like.
Knowing
I suppose you’ve heard of the
music played through a bamboo qeej; the beautiful, long
bamboo pipes that bring messages and words through its
melody. You’ve must have seen
it being played at the new years
or at funerals. Nowadays,
many youth just often go past
it, glaring at it for awhile;
never really understanding
the language it spoke. Behind
what we see and what we
think we know about the qeej,
it is one of Hmong’s most valuable instruments. It is capable
of expressing the story of life,
myths, legends and folktales,
the hopes and dreams, loss,
separation and displacement
from one’s homeland and the
commonly, religious rituals.
How did it come about to this?
Like all Hmong values and tradition, there is a folktale
attached to this magnificent piece of instrument.
Your
Hmong
The Qeej
The Folk Story of Origin
By Ka Zoua Vang, Hmoobteen Editor, 17, St. Paul MN
Long ago, there was a man by the name of Sinsay. He was a great
and talented warrior. He was always eager to engage in combat
and prove his skills and strength. Surely enough he’d always win and
his reputation as a champion spread throughout the towns.
When Sinsay fought and won a battle, he was given a prize which
was to marry one of the beautiful young women from that kingdom.
There would be a brief honeymoon then he would be off again; continuing on his way to conquer another kingdom. As time passed by, he
was able to conquer seven kingdoms, thus he married seven brides.
Soon after his seventh marriage, the God-King decided to hold a
grand festival. He invited everyone with advance preparations for
it. Everyone was excited to attend, especially the seven wives who
eagerly waited for Sinsay’s return. They knew he was going to be at
the festival so they each made their own plans to go and find him.
Sinsay had heard of the festival too and he looked forward to attending it. He wanted to go and claim his champion status as well as
to meet all of his wives who he knew would be there.
During the opening day of the festival, thousands of people gathered together in festivities. Since it had been long since Sinsay and
his wives had seen one another, they searched the fairgrounds high
and low but were not able to find each other. They were not able to
recognize one from the other after so many long years.
They were disappointed but were not ready to give up the search.
So each wife began to sing her own lug txaj, which were love songs
about their lives together that only a husband and wife would know.
One by one, Sinsay was able to find all seven of his wives because
of the lug txaj they sung. He responded back in lug txaj to them,
acknowledging them as his wives.
Although he was able to bring together all seven of his wives, they
were enraged when they found out he had married seven times. Each
one wanted him for her and they would yell back at one another,
“He’s mine!” The situation got worst to the point where the God-King
had step in.
When the God-King asked what the problem was, all the wives
shouted out, “He’s my husband!” To solve their problem, the God-King
told the women, “If all seven of you say that you are his wife, you
must go and create something that would include all of you and with
each part containing words coming through it. If you all were meant
to be his wife, then you will be able to accomplish this task. If not then
your statements are not true.”
So off the seven wives went.
The first wife made a pipe we call taub qeej.
The second wife made a pipe we call ntiv lauv.
The third wife made a pipe we call ntiv tw.
The fourth wife made a pipe we call ntiv npug.
The fifth wife made a pipe we call ntiv txug.
The sixth wife made a pipe we call cej ntiv npug.
The seventh wife made a pipe we call cej ntiv txug.
Lastly, when all the women came back together again, all seven pipes
were put together into one instrument which we now call the qeej and
when it was blown out, it made words. The God-King finally declared
that all the women were truly Sinsay’s wives.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 7
Check Nws Out!
The Power of Dancing
By Blia Vue, HmongTeen Editor, 17, St. Paul, MN
“Dancing is a passion, a dream, which can make one become even a better
person - keep on fighting, even if it means you are fighting alone.”
8 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
- Mintshi and Josie Vang
“We want to make a difference in every
girl’s life; we want every girl to follow and
accomplish their dreams passionately by using their heart to successfully fight all obstacles that might stand in their ways!” Is this
something that can be said easily? Saying
such a powerful and influential phrase can’t
just be easily said out because you feel like
it; you had to have the ability and potential to do so. Josie Vang, 20, and Mintshi
Vang, 17, had both abilities and potentials
to do so. Josie and Mintsis are the 3rd place
winner of hip-hop dance group, So Close,
during the River Centre New Year of 20072008. As sisters they share a strong family bond but as passionate individuals, they
care about making the lives of young women stronger and better through dancing.
become a stronger woman. They want to
make a difference in every girl’s life, especially if they have the passion to dance.
When asked what their favorite dance to
teach, Josie immediately answered, “Hiphop dancing isn’t just what we can do; we
can do all kinds of dances, such as India,
Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and even Korean
dances. But we just love to Hip-Hop best;
I just love the fast-beat moves. But we do
have a lot of fun when doing the other
dances.” Mintshi then added in, “Whenever
I don’t feel good even for the smallest thing,
I have to Hip-Hop dance to ease away the
bad feelings.” I was surprise at Mintshi’s answer because I had never thought about the
idea that dancing can ease away emotions!
Guess I do now!
I arrived at Hmong American Partnership,
where they were teaching a hip-hop class
on a pleasant Monday afternoon. The first
thing I noticed was how friendly they are by
the way they dressed and the big smiles on
their faces. I felt lucky to have the chance to
interview them.
I also asked the girls about what inspired
them to dance and what motivates them to
teach others, Josie’s answer left me speechless. “We started dancing at a very young
age with our families supporting us, especially our dad who’s always there by our
side encouraging us through the good and
bad times. He supports and believes that we
can become good people even by dancing,
which is the idea that many of our Hmong
parents doesn’t agree with. We didn’t have
any difficulties in following our dreams, but
there are many girls out there like us who
has a passion to dance, but weren’t given
So what do these two implausible girls do
for their community? Both Josie and Mintshi
teach varieties of different dances to students at the White Bear Lake district schools
in Minnesota, starting from kindergarten to
high school students their own ages. Their
main focal point was to focus on the Hmong
women youth so that every girl can
the chance because their parents are
against the idea of dancing. Many of these
parents thinks that dancing is all about booty-shaking and being bad kids. This makes
me and Mintshi wants to dance and teach
others on how to dance even more, we want
to prove them wrong, we wants to prove to
these parents that dancing isn’t all about
booty-shaking and being bad kids. But it’s
a passion, a dream, which can make one
become even a better person.” Josie’s answer to this question is a true reflection on
the Hmong community is today, especially
our elders, because dancing in their perception is valueless. What they don’t know
is that, dancing brings people together, it
builds character and teamwork. Dancing
also encourages competitive creativeness
that is needed in jobs today. It is one of
the most important dreams to some of us today but that doesn’t stop Mintshi and Josie
from teaching others even if parents disapprove.
Aren’t Josie and Mintshi just implausible as
I had stated earlier? Besides being experts
on dancing, they are just like you and me.
They both enjoy playing soccer, participating in school academic activities, listening to
music, and spending time with friends and
families. A good friend of their (who wishes
to remain anonymous) describes them to be
wise beyond their years. But more importantly, Mintshi and Josie are normal average girls who just like to make differences
in their communities and people’s life.
“Follow your dreams and heart.
Don’t let anyone put yourself down;
it doesn’t matter whether you are
different in size, skin-color, shape,
or anything, what matters the most
is how far you can go to achieve
your dreams and goals, even if you
are fighting alone, standing alone,
prove them wrong, prove to them
that you can do it.”
Making differences can really change a
person’s world; it’s like lighting a flame in
the darkest night and giving others hopes
to live on. If Josie and Mintshi can make a
difference, wouldn’t you also?
Mintshi, far left, and Josie Vang during the interview with Blia, right.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 9
Adult Role Model
Choua
Her
Dream big! We Live in a big world.
By Kia Lor, HmoobTeen Editor, 17, St. Paul, MN
In the world there are two types of people:
the ones who watch things happen and the
ones who make things happen. Choua Her is
the type who makes things happen and that
made all the difference in her life.
Choua Her has accomplished a lot already
in life at the age of twenty-eight and is continuously seeking more ways to grow.
Choua is the Community Specialist at the
Girl Scouts Council of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. Her role is to work with
young Hmong girls in the Twin Cities. She is
also the coordinator of the Hmong Women
Circle (HWC) program which was established in 1998 by KaShia Moua.
“Dream big; never think it’s impossible; the
world is so big so take advantage of all the
opportunities.”
I’ve known Choua for three years and personally Choua is my role model. On the day
of our interview, Choua picked me up from
my house and took me out to eat. She even
paid for my meal! Choua is very down to
earth and honest with every question I asked
her. There were some things I already knew
about Choua, like I knew she was a hard
worker and was always busy, but there
were some surprises, too, like learning how
passionate she was about her dreams.
Choua is one of the most independent person I know and through her independence
she had been able to achieve her goals.
Choua grew up in Milwaukee and Madison,
Wisconsin in a family of eight (including
Choua). In 1997, her family moved to St.
Paul, Minnesota. In fact her family moved a
lot during her teenage years which helped
Choua discover who she was. She was challenged to ride the city bus to places since she
couldn’t drive and through that experience
she had learned to be courageous. Choua
stated, “When I started riding the city bus,
it was one of my first steps towards being
able to do things on my own rather than depending on others. Even though I didn’t know
how to drive at the time because I couldn’t
get my license (I was too young) and then
after I got my license I couldn’t drive all the
time (because I didn’t have my own car). I
was still able to do things including working part-time, participating in after-school
clubs and activities, and explore the city.”
Choua considers taking a group of seven
girls to French Guiana her biggest accomplishments yet. The seven girls, Choua and
10 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
Vilai Tchaa, the other chaperone, went to
French Guiana in July of 2007 with the
goal of learning about the Hmong people
in French Guiana. It was a cultural exchange
experience for the teenage Hmong girls in
the U.S.A and French Guiana. They went
down there with four service projects which
are: Stay Tobacco-Free, Self-Esteem, Food
Exchange and Language Exchange. Choua
says this was her biggest accomplishment
because she learned so much from the trip.
Choua said, “One important thing I have
learned from the whole French Guiana
experience is how important it is to really
use all the different resources out there to
help you reach a goal.” Little did Choua nor
any of the girls foresee the obstacles they
would have to overcome in order to get to
French Guiana. Behind the scenes, Choua
was working with politicians to resolve traveling issues of expediting travel documents;
visas and green cards for the two girls who
were not citizens that were going on the
trip. The girls didn’t know how much work
Choua was doing because they were busy
fundraising for the trip which cost $2,050
per person. Choua never gave up on the
girls and gave them support when they
were in doubt. Choua also had to coordinate with people continents away for information about insurance, itineraries, plane
flights, and transportation schedules. Luckily
she had the knowledge of the law in her
background and she knew where to start.
Choua was so passionate and optimistic, all
seven girls made it to French Guiana and
back home safely.
Her words of wisdom to teenagers out there
are to “dream big. Go out and explore, experience different things and see the bigger picture. Get to know all sorts of people
and make friends with them; don’t just stick
to one crowd because you’ll never know
who can open doors for you.” Choua also
encourages teens to “tell people who can
support you in your dreams. There are no
limitations to whom and where you can be.
Live your life to your fullest potential.”
In the world there are two types of people:
the ones who watch things happen or the
ones who make things happen. Choua is the
type who makes things happen and that
made all the difference her world. That is
why she is my role model.
Tou SaiKo Lee
By Panhia Lee, HmoobTeen Editor, 17, St. Paul, MN
As busy as the President of the U.S., Tou
Saiko still finds multiple ways to give back
to the community. Until recently, he helped
campaigned for the elections by doing
benefit concerts. After each performance,
he would give information on voting and
persuade the audience that the election is
worth voting for.
On November 5, 2008, just minutes before
performing to CHAT’s Art Saves Us Creative
writing class, Tou paces back and forth, running through the lyrics in his mind. As he approached the group, a little mysterious smile
made its way to the surface.
Silence. Anticipation.
Giving back to the community is one of Tou
Saiko’s prerogatives. He does everything
from walking to houses to getting out the
vote, to busting out his rhymes about Hmong
history in local high school classes.
Tou Saiko grew up as the shy and quiet kid.
Even though Tou Saiko was shy, he always
felt that he was a writer ever since he was
young. That was his way of communicating
with others and showing how he really felt.
Even though he had little to say, it did not
mean that he had little to show. If you think
otherwise, you have to see his stage presence because he gives off lots of energy
and enthusiasm.
While Tou Saiko was growing up, there
weren’t as many teen programs to support
and guide him as we have today, so he often
got into trouble. He was constantly trying to
find the balance between himself and his
community. Although there were times when
the community was really rough, he was
able to write as a therapeutic way to deal
with all of his emotions. “I want to give back
to the community because I do not want to
watch the youth growing up now, not have
the support that wasn’t given to me.”
Another way he gives back to the community is working with the Center for Hmong
Arts and Talents (CHAT). He is the Director
of Creative Development for CHAT. Each
month, he organizes an Innovative Community Elevation (I.C.E.) open-mic event at the
Metropolitan State University. I.C.E. openmic, as it has now come to be known, gives
people an opportunity to show off their talents and an audience that will appreciate
up and coming stars. Tou Saiko is also the
co-founder of The H Project, an art for social change music compilation CD inspired
by the need to be awareness of the human
rights violation of Hmong people in the jungles of Laos.
When Tou Saiko is not working, he is spitting rhymes in a number of groups. The first
is with this brother Vong, in their hip-hop
group, Delicious Venom. One of their most
famous songs is “30 years secret” which
can be found on the H Project CD. The song
is about the Hmong suffrage through the
Vietnam War. This song is popular due to
its passionate lyrics and fresh new spin on
the war.
He is also in a band called Post Nomadic
Syndrome where he is the lead emcee. At
times when he is not so busy with everything
else, he likes to collaborate with his grandmother Youa Chang. Their group is name
Fresh Tradition. The name blends in hip-hop
Adult Role Model
and traditional Hmong kwv thxiaj together.
Tou Saiko wanted this collaboration with his
grandmother because he wanted to keep
close to his roots, to make sure to keep it
alive and to spread it. “Don’t ever forget
where you came from. Yuav tsum nco qab
txog koj haiv neeg Hmoob.”
Tou Saiko’s newest project is called Travel
in Spirals. His main focus will be on how he
can fuse the past with the present so it will
educate the young more. Tou Saiko will be
leaving in December to Thailand for this
project and returning in January. What he
will be learning there is how to hais kwv
thxiaj thiab hais paj huam. “When I come
back”, he said. “I will perform to you all; my
conclusion of this project.”
At first, Tou Saiko had a long contemplation
because he wanted to choose his words of
wisdom carefully. After a couple of minutes
of thinking and laughing to himself, when he
got a hold of a thought, he came to his conclusion. “Go all out! It is important to stick
with your dreams and goals and follow
through them because it is worth achieving
it. Go all out and explore different styles,
taste, and just be unique. Always remember to give back to the community because
there will always be someone who will learn
from you.”
The classroom sits there; wondering if there
will be another form of art coming through
his mouth as he finished. As Tou left the
group, a smile of huge accomplishments appeared. He then dust off his shoulders and
walked with his chin up high while holding
the peace sign. This is why Tou Saiko Lee is
my role model. He can inspire people of all
ages through his music and passion to create social change in the world.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 11
12 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
Artwork by Casey Cheng, 18, St. Paul, MN
Melting Pot
Dressing like Americans
By Mohamud Haji, 16, St. Paul, MN
When I was a kid I used to put on a cloth call kamis and a hat call
kufe. When I came to the United States, I was still dressing the way
I used to as a kid. The first time I saw rappers on TV and they were
sagging their pants. Then one day I saw my older brother dressing
like the rappers on TV When he started dressing that way I liked it
and now I have lost my dressing roots. But I never lost my religion
and I am so happy that I did not too lose my religion. One day, I
will get my dressing root back.
In Thailand I Like the Food
By Ger Xiong, 12, St. Paul, MN
I got outside. I go up the tree to get the mangos and put in my bag.
I bring the bag with the mangos home. I eat the mangos. They are
good. I like to eat mangos so much because they are sour. My
friend said to me, “Can you get me a mango from the tree?” And I
see the mango. I see the Thai people who came to look at the tree
and I get down from the tree. My friend runs home. Thai people
don’t know me and my friend but I still got a mango. My friend was
happy because he can eat the mango.
Karen Life
By Laydia Say, 13, St. Paul, MN
Most Karen people live in villages and are farmers. They have
animals and they grow fruits, vegetables, and rice. Some Karen
people are very poor and some are not. Some live in beautiful villages with beautiful flowers, mountains, hills and many other
beautiful things. Some Karen people are Christian and some are
Buddhist. Now life for some Karen people has changed. Those who
live in a village or in Burma don’t have food to eat, a house to live,
and clothes to wear. They don’t have schools to go to because the
Burmese government is not doing the right things and Karen people
are becoming refugees. Some Karen people went to Thailand and
built schools, houses, churches, and other good things but they are
still called refugees in Thailand. Some Karen people are still in
Burma and some are still in the same places where they lived before. And now we have an opportunity to come to United States.
Karen people who live in Burma never have freedom. The always
have to run. Many Karen people are killed and the women are
raped by Burmese soldiers. The Burmese people took our Karen
land and we can’t have it back. They killed our people and burned
down our villages. Children run and cry. They run in the dark and
people carry their babies on their bags. Now the war is still going on in Burma, where the Karen people live. Karen people have
terrible lives. Some children watch their parents died in front of
them. They cry for help and their eye are full of tears. Burmese
soldiers are very cruel. They killed many Karen people and don’t
care. Karen people have sad stories about their lives. Burma are
praying for help and hope to get out of the mess very fast. This
is the Karen life, always running and hiding. Some Karen people
who came to the United States have good schools and have a lot of
opportunities to learn more.
Theme
Loss of Culture
By Roda Yusuf, 17, St. Paul, MN
Some people are losing the important parts of their culture, such as
their language and religion. For example, my friend is beginning to
lose her native language. She speaks English all the time and she is
uncomfortable speaking Somalian, her native language.
Also, people are losing their religion because they change what
they believed before. I see a lot of people who don’t know how to
practice their religion. For example, some people don’t know how
to read the Qur’an anymore because they don’t go to dugsi.
In conclusion, this loss of culture occurs because people move to
other countries. They don’t keep their culture because they are in
a new culture. They may not practice their religion or use their language anymore.
Respect
By Ge Xiong, 13, St. Paul, MN
In my culture, we respect the elderly. I respect my older sisters,
brothers and especially my parents. My parents respect my grandparents. My grandparents respect their bosses and government
authorities. Hmong people do that because the older they are the
more experienced and knowledgeable they are. They live on the
earth longer than us. At 50 years of age, they are wiser and more
knowledgeable about life. That’s why we are always taught to
respect the elderly. We don’t need to know who he/she is to show
respect to him/her as long as he/she is older. This is one of our
values in the Hmong culture that is always taught and passed on to
the younger generations.
As for myself, I do the same thing I respect every elderly. Some
people in my life that I respect the most are my parents and my
grandparents because they raised me up and took care of me,
especially because they gave life to me. Another thing is that they
were always there when I needed them. So that’s why I respect
them most.
Losing the Culture of My Country
By Julio Sanchez Rodriguez, 16, St. Paul, MN
I am from El Salvador. I remember when I started to lose my culture
since I got to the United States in 2005. When I got here, everything was different from my country because in El Salvador I used
to go to church, but now I don’t. That is one of the culture things that
I lost already.
In my country, if you want to get married, your parents have to
choose who they want you to marry. You also have to ask permission
from a girl or boy’s parents to get married. If they say no, then you
can’t get married. When I got here that was different from there
because you can choose who you want to marry with.
When you lose part of your culture, it is like you’re losing part of
your life. But at the same time, it is like getting a new one. If one
day I go back to El Salvador then I hope to get back all my culture
that I have lost.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 13
Theme Feature
I am not Hmong, I am . . . . . .
By Meng Yang, Hmoobteen Editor 17, Blaine, MN
I believe there are a lot of teens out there
that question their culture and or race.
That’s okay though. Everyone goes through
this phase where they don’t really know
who they are or where they stand. With
so many of us raised in the United States,
there are many things that can influence any
person to not necessarily accept their culture and identity, but also allows others to
adopt someone else’s culture and identity.
There are some Hmong people out there
that claim they are not Hmong; they don’t
speak Hmong, don’t follow the Hmong traditions, and reject the Hmong values. Then
there are some people out there that really
respect the Hmong culture who are not of
Hmong ethnicity. They live it, they learn from
it, and they may even speak a little of the
language. I sat down and asked two totally
different people who have opposite views.
Both of these individuals will give you all an
in-depth view on their choices in their lives.
Tammy Chang
in school, achieving a 4.0 grade point
average. Tammy writes in her school newspaper, is on a dance team and she works
part-time. She likes to read, write and is
highly addicted to the internet.
MY: How do you feel about the Hmong
culture?
TC: The tradition of this culture is so
patriarchal (ruled by men) and its values
are completely sexist. Honestly, I just hate
it. Quite frankly, a culture doesn’t define you, just as personality or character
wouldn’t. They’re just aspects of a person.
Sure, your roots and heritage or what not
along the ancestral line relates to culture,
but so does the present and the soon to
be future. Therefore, I don’t feel the need
to be all “rah rah I’m “Hmonger” about
being “Hmonger”. Growing up in certain
places most definitely allows someone to
take on a different persona, but that’s just
how someone’s raised. Don’t question it
and peace will actually have a chance to
overcome.
MY: What is a “Hmonger”?
TC: A Hmong person, with an er on the end.
MY: When was it when you decided not to
embrace being Hmong?
TC: No. With me, it was always my upbringing. I’ve just always grown up with
white kids. Hmongers never truly intrigued
me, whether I was or not. I simply didn’t
care.
MY: What specifically about the Hmong
culture and it’s value do you disagree with?
TC: Patron over matron. Upbringing of
children. Separation of sexes. Each sexes’
deeds - what they’re entitled to. How
they’re treated. The effects of a negative
outcome. The standards of living & doing
well in anything.
Tammy Chang is seventeen years old, a
senior in high school. She does very well
14 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
MY: What in your life has influenced you
to step outside of your culture?
TC: On a successful aspect, it’s the idea of
majority versus minority. As a “Hmonger“,
you’re automatically the minority because
you don’t have blue eyes and blonde hair
or something along the lines of. The majority get to the top and if you don’t, then
you’re nothing. If you start out nothing and
you don’t take the effort to do something
about it, you end up nothing. On the other
hand, pride itself isn’t visible. It’s the speak
of, the talk and the talk, but no walk of being “proud” to be “Hmonger.” Surely one
human being can stand up and exclaim of
their enthusiasm about being “Hmonger“,
but it’s never apparent. Nobody truly
knows what a “Hmonger” is, and personally, I don’t even think a “Hmonger” would
know what a “Hmonger” is supposed to be.
My upbringing plays a huge role in how I
perceive myself to be. I grew up with white
kids, learned how to interact with white
kids, and being around “Hmongers” was so
brief. I guess you can call it habit, not liking
“Hmongers” - but I have my own reasons
as to why I don’t like them.
MY: Do you consider yourself Hmong?
TC: At one point in my life when I didn’t
know any better, of course! But as I grew
up, I grew out of the phase.
MY: How come?
TC: I’ve had the negative experiences and
hearsay of how “Hmongers” interact with
each other. It’s not something to be proud
of and I suggest if anyone is, don’t start
getting too loud because someone will
put you in your place. Besides, I don’t feel
the need to always explain myself simply
because I’m “Hmonger”. It’s an unnecessary
detail. Personally, I’m just not “Hmonger“.
Assume or think what you’d like, but you
have no right to tell me otherwise.
MY: Do you speak or understand Hmong?
TC: I can speak a little “Hmonger” and I
can understand most of it. Speak slowly
and we’re totally good. The only person
whom I actually communicate with in
.
“Hmonger” is my Grandma.
MY: What do you feel when you are surrounded by a lot of Hmong people?
TC: I feel completely lost. It’s like I don’t
know where the heck I am and it’s disgusting. Being around these complete strangers
gets uncomfortable. I’m always stared at,
regardless of the reason why and it’s not
any welcoming presence.
MY: If you don’t consider yourself Hmong,
then what do you consider yourself to be?
TC: White-washed and pretty proud of it.
I’m not ashamed of being spoken about in
such a bad manner. I am what I am and I
love white kids. They know how to get their
things done and over with. But other than,
if I have the choice - I prefer not to answer
at all. It’s not an obligation to answer to a
stranger what my ethnicity is. If anyone’s
wondering, that’s their problem, not mine.
MY: What does your family say about this?
TC: My Grandma thinks I’m an absolute
disgrace. And my mother, thinks that I’m
a bad child. Add the part of - extended
family help to that list of disagreeing.
MY: Any last words for everyone out there?
TC: Not keeping in touch with your inner
roots isn’t exactly the most horrible thing in
the world. You remember who you are and
then you get over that. You do what you
need to do and make yourself satisfied. If
that includes refusing to claim such an ethnicity, then you do it. No one has the right to
tell you what you are. If you love embracing
your culture, you embrace as you please.
Make your way to the top and disregard
what everyone else has to say. No one will
like you simply because you’re “Hmonger”
nor will anyone hate you, but me.
Richard Castillo is of Dominican descent. He
is eighteen years old and he’s a freshmen
in college. He plans to become a computer
programmer. Richard is very outgoing and
extremely polite. He is very entertaining
and can always light up a room with his
jokes. Some of his hobbies are working out,
kick boxing, drawing, and reading.
MY: How do you feel about the Hmong culture?
RC: The Hmong culture is a part of my life,
it’s a part of me. I like it and I think its got
Richard Castillo with editor, Meng Yang
a lot of good traditions, but times are
changing so the culture has to change a
little bit, not entirely. Some people throw
it away completely and just adopt the
American way of life. Yeah I don’t agree
with some of the Hmong youth today when
they regard people who came here from
Thailand or Laos as “fresh off the boat” or
“HTT,” like it’s a bad thing or something. I
don’t think that’s how they should be thinking, because their parents were like that
at some point and maybe even they were.
It doesn’t really matter, that’s where your
parents came from, and you should make
that a part of your life because culture is
identity, and if you don’t have culture then
you’re lost. If you’re Hmong then you have
a culture already. Why would you want to
throw it away and go get another culture,
regardless on whether you like or don’t like
something about it, you don’t have to throw
the whole culture away.
MY: What in your life has influenced you to
step outside of your culture?
RC: Well, when I was a little kid, I lived in
Frogtown so I would always see different
cultures all around me, like kids my age, and
I would always want to play with them. But
back then it wasn’t culturally acceptable to
play with [people of] different races. Everyone kind of sticks with their own race. I
would see a few Hmong kids my age, and
I would ask them if I could play tag with
them, and they would be like “Uh, we have
to go home,” and just leave. But you know,
they don’t really have to go home, but you
know, its all good. It’s how they grew up.
So when I moved, I met my friends that I
have now, and I kind of got introduced to
the culture and I’d go over to their house
and I’ll ask “Hey man, why is your mom doing that?” And they’d tell me that it’s a part
of the culture and stuff. Over the years I
just picked up little things and I like it, I like
some of the stuff the Hmong culture does
and has.
MY: What does your family feel about your
close connection to the Hmong community?
RC: They support it. They think its cool that
I’ve embraced another culture.
MY: Do you not like your own culture and
values?
RC: I do like it, there’s nothing wrong with
my culture. I didn’t embrace the Hmong culture as a replacement for mine.
MY: What specifically about the Hmong culture do you like?
RC: The manners; the respect.
MY: Do you speak or understand Hmong?
RC: Umm, at first I never really tried to understand Hmong. I just figured I stay out
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 15
Theme Feature
of the conversation when they’re speaking
Hmong but then after awhile I started asking my friends, “hey, what does that mean?”
like little words, and yeah they would tell
me, and over the years I picked up some
words, some of the basics. But I can’t have a
conversation in Hmong, but if you try to diss
me or something, I’ll know.
MY: What do you feel when you are surrounded by a lot of Hmong people?
RC: Like at the Hmong New Year, at first
I feel really uncomfortable because everyone looks at you, they may not stare but
they’ll look at you once and they’ll realize I’m not Hmong and I don’t know what
they’re thinking, they might be like “Oh why
is he here?” Some people might be like,
“Oh that’s cool.” As time went by, I stopped
caring, because it doesn’t matter what they
think. It’s become more socially acceptable
to go to Hmong events because I see it being more diverse now. I kind of feel more at
ease now. But when I go to traditional par-
ties, I would not want to go inside because
there are so many of the older adults, and
I feel the most uncomfortable when I’m in
that situation.
they have some similarities as well (that I
wasn’t expecting). No matter how different two people are; aren’t we all just the
same at the end of the day? You can think
what you want about the two people I’ve
MY: What type of girl do you plan on mar- interviewed, but they won’t care what you
rying?
think. Some people accept people like RichRC: Well because I’ve been hanging out ard Castillo, who wants to learn and get inwith my Hmong friends so long, I hear them volved with the Hmong community, but some
talking about Hmong girls and stuff. After people just hate it. They think that Hmong
a while I started liking them, like a lot, and people should only date and talk to Hmong
now I only like them. It sounds messed up, people. In your mind, is that right? We live
but I really only date Hmong girls. I think in America, and in America we have the
it’s for that reason, the Hmong culture is so freedom to do whatever we want and get
engraved in me. So if I only date Hmong to know whoever we want. On the other
girls, what type of girl do you think I’m go- hand, we have people that will disagree
ing to marry? But you never know.
with Tammy Chang because she chooses not
to follow Hmong cultural values. Does this
MY: Any last words?
make her a bad person? Absolutely not. EvRC: I think that some Hmong culture stuff, eryone has their reason for doing what they
like the girl should be at home and cook do. It’s one’s choice and it’s one’s life. We all
and clean. That’s not cool, I think that should act like the world is a game of who is the
be shared, because times are changing. The better race or ethnicity. But when you look
guy can’t always be the bread maker. I
deep into this, aren’t we all just the same
think that’s why most girls race? No race is better than the next race.
are staying away from Either you want to be who you are, or you
the Hmong culture and choose who you want to become.
not going for Hmong
guys because they’re
afraid to be trapped
in the same thing their
mom’s are in. You should
accept your culture. You
don’t have to be like
your mom, you can still
embrace other peoples
culture, and still maintain your own. Or you
can just not follow what
you don’t like about the
culture and still take in
the good stuff.
We live in a world
where you can and will
meet anyone with various views on life. If you
think that type of person doesn’t exist, you
haven’t been looking
hard enough. From the
interviews of these two
people, I’ve found out
about their many differences. But what I found
interesting was that
16 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
Artwork by Mee Vang, 16, St. Paul, MN
By Sherri Xiong, HmoobTeen Editor, 17, Brooklyn Park MN
Back in Asia, where the Hmong live in the high mountain peaks
off of beautiful horizons, each day young ladies, mothers and
grandmas would work so hard to design a beautiful piece of
work for the upcoming New Year celebration. Hmong women
back then would use their time wisely to sew and stitch each
and every piece of the paj ntaub together until they get the
final master piece. Embroider with bright colors and beautiful
patterned designs.
It’s been asked, why is it that our fashion trends seems to get
simpler and simpler each year? Well the answer comes down
to changes in our lifestyles in the United States and how much
time we have on our hands. Since living in the United States,
most mothers are busy out working to bring in an income to
pay monthly bills. They just don’t have that kind of leisure
time to stitch up and embroider the outfits. These outfits are
very time consuming. And when people do come home from
work, they are often too tired to work on the outfits.
With the development of flea markets in the past few years,
it has made it more convenient to buy Hmong clothes. If you
come to the flea market you will luckily find the entire fashion
trends of Hmong clothes there. This is another reason why
mothers will not take the time to make an outfit. Why make it
when you’re too busy and can easily go to the flea market.
In addition, as time changes, we have developed technology
that takes on the responsibility of all the hard-long labor of
stitching one stitch at a time. So instead of making one pair
of outfit you can make like three within less time. Of course
it’s not the same beautiful hand made enriched stitched work
no more. Yet this time, it’s more of patterns colliding into one
outcome.
Even though the outfits of the Hmong community have changed
overtime, it doesn’t seem to be a matter for the younger teens
now and days. They would rather prefer simple clothes with
less heavy layers. This also makes it easy to go to the restroom too! As we can see this is mainly the reason for the
changes in our traditional Hmong clothes.
Yam ntuj thaum peb tsoom hmoob tseem nyob tim hav tsuas
siab puag sawm ib tas ntuj ua ntej thaum lub hnub tawm tuaj.
Txhua tus me ntxhais, niam tias, pog sawv daws los pib npaj
ib xyoo los xaus yuav rov txog lub caij mus ua si noj tsiab
peb caug. Lawv txhua tus ib pab xaws paj ntaub, tsam txog
caij ces me tub me ntxhais tsis tau ib cev tshiab hnav mus nrog
txais tos xyoo tshiab.
Tau ntau lub xyoo los no hmoob cov tsoo khaws caws tau pauv
los mus ntau heev lawm. Ib xyoo twg zoo li hmoob tus tes paj
ntaub pib ploj zus zus lawm xwb. Vim hais tias txij thaum
hmoob tuaj nyob rau lub teb chaw vam meej no tsis muaj leej
twg tiag yuav ms lub caij coj los xaws paj ntaub lawm, vim
muaj nuj qis ntau heev. Tsis tas li xwb tuaj txog teb chaws
me kas no lawm ces lawv muaj cov tshuab ua pab xaws tau
sai ces nws thiaj li ua rau peb hmoob tsis muaj siab rov mus
xaw nrog yus ob txais tes lawm. Nyob rau lub teb chaws no
hmoob mus tsim tau ib lub chaws tshaj puas ua muag tej paj
ntaub khaws caws, ces yog thaum yuav txog caij mus ua si tos
txais tshiab peb caug ces feem ntau cov niam tuaj mus xais
zam rau law cov me nyuam.
Lub caij lub nyoog dhau mus zus zus txiij thaum hmoob tau
tuaj nyob teb chaws mes kas no lawv tau tuaj si tej tshuab
xaws khaws caws ua pab ua txoj hauj lwm mus yoom yij.
Thaum tau txais txoj kev pab no lawm tsis tas yuav si sij hawm
ntev los twb ua tau ob peb cev khaws caws lawm. Ces khaws
caws yeej tseem zoo nkauj tab sis nws yuav tsis zoo cuag li
cev ua yus sij yus ob txais tes coj los ua.
Tsis tas li ntawm xwb cov hluas niam no lawv tsis nyiam yuav
hnav cov khaws caws lawv vim hai tias muaj ntau yam ua
yus yuav tau hnav thiaj li yuav zoo. Ces txawm tias tiam no
si me me lawm los cov hluas thiaj li yuav kam hnav. Tawm
cov khaws caws tshiab no pauv ntau lawm los nws tseem rws
hmoob lub npe thiab tus tes paj ntaub.
Tos li no peb thiaj li tau pom hmoob cov tsoom tsho pauv los
tau ntau xyoo no thiab txawm lawm.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 17
Interracial Dating: Joua’s Story
By Nhia “Monie” Lee, Hmoobteen Editor, 18, Minneapolis, MN
“
A lot of the
Hmong from the
older generation
are not accepting
of some people
simply because of
the color or culture
they are from and
that puts a lot of
strain on relationships.
”
Many young Hmong Americans have to deal with an intimate relationship towards a different nationality. Some have to hide or lie
to their parents about the situation. Reading this article might help
you deal with your situation.
Joua is a young woman. She was scared to approach her parents about her boyfriend at first because her boyfriend was not
Hmong. It took her about a couple months before she built up the
courage to bring him around her family. Joua said that her parents don’t mind her being friends with him but strongly suggested
that she hangs out with him less and avoid dating him. She resisted
her parents and by rebelling she actually told them that they are
dating. The hardest thing during their relationship was to deal
with her parents and relatives who do not approve dating outside
of the Hmong community. Joua stated, “A lot of the Hmong from
the older generation are not accepting of some people simply
because of the color, skin, or culture they form and that puts a lot
of strain on relationships.”
Her parents think that he is a very nice, polite, and helpful guy
and her dad is interested in his Salvadorian culture. However, they
do not approve of him as her boyfriend. Sometimes, Joua had
to argue with her parents about race. She tries to point out that
race does not define a person and that people shouldn’t judge
somebody based on stereotypes. Joua’s boyfriend knows that her
parents does not approve him but the only thing she can do is encourage her boyfriend to be himself so that someday her parents
will see that he is a genuinely great guy.
18 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
After going through this tough situation, he felt bad, but he understood the situation. On the other side, when his parents first met
Joua, she said they loved her. They called her chinita (which basically means Asian girl). It did not offend her though. They think
she’s beautiful and smart. “Honestly”, she said “I think his parents
are glad to see that their son has a girlfriend.” She says his parents are very open-minded and they accepted her automatically
because race is not an issue in their family. They have many family
and friends who are of different nationalities.
After going through this situation she said, “It’s not the color [of a
person’s skin] but the [person’s] identity that plays a big role for
Hmong parents.” Her dad says that the Hmong will soon lose their
language, heritage, and culture because we are marrying different races. Joua disagree with his thoughts because she believes
that culture does not depend on the man or woman you marry. It
depends on your dedication to keeping your culture alive. “When
it comes down to relationships, romance, and love- it’s your happiness you should worry about, not theirs,” she reinforced.
Joua’s advises to people in similar situation is to DO NOT argue
with your parents. It will only make things worse. Treat them with
respect and they’ll treat you the same way. Try to educate you
parents, grandparents, and relatives about race and maybe even
let them meet some of your non-Hmong friends. They’ll realize that
race really doesn’t define a person.
A Matter of Perspective
By Anonymous, 19, Anoka, MN
Interracial dating is a forbidden topic in the Hmong community. A topic never discussed enough and needs to be! This is a topic that is
always avoided because of what others may say or do. Those who believe in interracial dating are said to be a disgrace. Those who
believe in it fight the battle that should never even be fought; a battle that involves family and culture distress. Why does it matter? Love
is unconditional. As the saying goes, “Love is blind.” It’s a matter of perspective. Dating outside the Hmong race does not mean you are
insecure about yourself. It does not mean you hate yourself. And, it surely does not mean you hate the Hmong race!
Some may believe that individuals outside the Hmong race cannot be trusted or loved because they are different and not Hmong, however that is not true. They are human beings as well and should not be treated any different. Why treat them so different, I say. When
in reality they aren’t that different from us. Their hearts beat and only long for love and happiness as we do. Don’t be so ignorant that
when it comes to happiness and love, the thing that stops you is the color of someone else’s skin. Do not be so blind to criticize those who
are different from you and know that love takes you anywhere and with anyone. Think about it. It’s a matter of perspective that should
not be ignored, however accepted and appreciated.
Love, Not Race
Sent in Anonymously
When we’re together out in public, people don’t say anything to us. They usually just give us rude uncomfortable stares. We kind of ignore
and laugh at them. Even though people don’t say anything to us when we’re out in public, there are mean words and disrespectful comments exchanged on Myspace and Asiantown [pages].
They’ve tried to break us up many times but it never works.
Even though we don’t like the racial comments and slurs they
make and how they call him “kaydoo” instead of his name.
We’re going through it one step at a time. Some of my friends
and a couple members of my family are actually supportive
somewhat. Some help me through the really tough time at the
beginning of the relationship.
We know we’re young but if you know us well enough, then
you know who we are and we don’t throw the word “love”
around like it’s worthless. We have values we follow and
dreams we’re going to make come true. We don’t see each
other as some race, only, as the one we love.
Maybe
By Xue Lee, 17, Minneapolis, MN
Maybe she might be the one that will love me.
Maybe she might be my angel.
Maybe she might be the one that take me out of the dark.
Maybe she might be the one that God send in to save me.
Maybe she might be the one that will make me happy
and not lonely.
But all I know is a maybe only.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 19
Artwork by Pheng Her, Minneapolis, MN
My boyfriend’s family and friends think nothing of me being Asian. They see me as a nice girl. My family on the other hand is quite very
different- let me rephrase that about me and everything, I know my parents care about me. I understand that, but they trip about my
boyfriend being an African American. They would listen to our phone calls, take away all the house phones and hide them. Not to mention
my cell phone. My mom tells me that every guy just wants sex
and that they’ll break my heart. Right after that, she tells me to
get a Hmong boyfriend. This is kinda contradicting, right?
I converse with elders to interrogate for thirst
First, I ain’t neva misplaced my native language since birth
Never too Americanized
Vim kuv tseem txawj haas luj Moob
And twist around what they say cause America is my home
Poem
Pernicious
Prophecy
Artwork by David Vang, St. Paul, MN
Artwork by David Vang, St. Paul, MN
By Bao Xiong, HmoobTeen Editor, 16,
St. Paul, MN
20 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
Be aware that there ain’t neva be Hmong in ‘em history textbooks
And sadly I conceive that we’re losing our best roots
Who is gonna be next to flex thea two tongue consecutively in order to stay fresh
Test my mic, you ain’t never gon’ impress me yo best
Ignorant kids lacks knowledge of our origins
Ignorant lives cause each day there’s more who listen
Sons seize a drum
Daughters starts to strum
I hum to the melodious beat they sung
I wonder, “where’s the instruments we’ve brought?”
Hmong violin to the mouth organ, we have a whole plot
But some decides to practice others, cause they believe we can’t rock
We live in a society where it’s a melting pot
Fo’ my unborn children and fo’ myself
I feel I ain’t gonna have a rooster leadin’ my way to hell
Miscommunication leads us to distinct individuals
Ritual ceremonies ain’t gonna happen unless if my dream’s visual
My prophecy sees farther than a mob’s gun shot
And if it takes one
I’ll sacrifice just so we can reach the top
Don’t laugh at me cause I’m full of dignity
And if you hate what I say
It’s cause you ain’t feelin’ me
Finding a Job Just Got Easier
By Blia Vue, HmongTeen Editor, 17, St. Paul, MN
“Thanks for your interests in wanting to work with us, but as a matter of fact we don’t have a position
that is available for you now. You may apply again at a later time. Thank you.”
How many times have you heard or seen this message? During a
phone conversation, an interview, or was it written on a little card
inside an envelope? Don’t you just hate getting this message every
time you wants to try out something new and just was never given
the chance? Is finding a job easy? Of course not! Finding a job isn’t
easy at all, you shouldn’t expect to get any job just because you
filled out an application. That’s not how reality works, if you want
the job, you have to put efforts into getting one.
ers are looking to see if you can communicate well and contribute
to their business or mission. Interviews can also be very scary, especially when it’s your first time. Finding a job is indeed hard, but
interview are actually relatively easy. Just follow these steps below
here, for sure the next time that you go for an interview, you won’t
be disappointed!
10 Easy Tips During Your Job Interview:
So what kinds of jobs are actually available out there? Well, since
we all have school to go during the day, our options to finding the
job we are interest in is not that great. However, there are jobs
available everywhere, such as fast food restaurants (McDonald’s,
Burger Kings and etc.) mall stores, and baby-sitting. As a federal
law, anyone over the age of 16 can obtain a part-time job as long
as they return home before curfew. But for those who are 15 and
14 years old, finding a job is more difficult, but it is not hopeless.
You can find jobs during the summer and make easy money by doing chores around the house. But also remember that finding a job
is not just about money (part of it is the money) but the important
thing is the skills you will be learning. These skills, such as, customer
service, communication, teamwork, leadership, and management,
will be skills you need for your future professional job.
1. Show a positive attitude! Show that you are open-minded and
willing to learn. Smile, don’t make a faces, because first impressions
is most important, you won’t be given a second chance! So make it
the best you can.
2. Be willing to work independently, on a team, and with diverse
co-workers.
3. Be flexible about what kind of work hours that they required.
4. Speak confidently and try not to stutter a lot. Don’t look too nervous or too happy, just relax and be yourself.
5. When being asked a question, answer the question fully and
don’t just nod your head up and down or answer with a yes or no.
So you need a job and don’t know where to start? Here’s some tips
to help you get started!
8. When speaking, look straight into the person’s eyes and don’t
wander off or space-out too much.
Tips For Finding A Job:
9. Shake hands and always thank to the person whom you had the
interview with.
1. First figure out what you are good at and what interests you.
2. Create a resume on decent weight, non-white paper –
make sure to spell check and make sure that everything is true
with your updated contact information.
3. Tell your friends, teachers, neighbors, or relative that you
are looking for work, so that when they know of places that
are hiring, they will call you.
4. Look online, such as www.eac-mn.org/youthjobs.htm,
www.snagajob.com, and other online resources are always
a big help. They have everything!
5. Walk into a store you like and ask if they are hiring. You
never know if they are or not.
6. Baby-sit, mow lawn, shovel snow, or volunteer – we all
have to start somewhere.
10. Practice with a friend before going into an interview so you
know what to expect. Practice makes perfect!
If you follow these easy tips, there are possibilities that you will
get the job that you desire. But hey, if you didn’t, then don’t feel
too bad because there are still lots of opportunities out there waiting for you. Just feel good that you had given all your best. Don’t
stop searching just because you didn’t get the job that you wanted,
but keep on looking. You’ll find one somehow. Maybe that wasn’t
the right job for you. Most of the time employers are looking for
people that can also fit into the culture of the business. Maybe they
have too many talkative people on their staff and are looking for
a different person with different personalities. Also, don’t give up,
because all of your hard efforts of searching will pay off one day!
Like I said, think about the skills you will gain to use for your future
jobs. One day you will look back and see how easy this is. Working
should be fun so find the one that you will enjoy.
Once you’ve applied and received a phone call for an in-person
interview. You also have to be prepare. In the interview, employWinter 2008 HmoobTeen / 21
Public Health Issue
SLG: What ab
By Pa Yong Xiong, HmoobTeen editor, 17, St. Paul, MN and Amanda Moua
If you saw someone being pushed
around at school or ostracized, would
you do something about it? What
if this person was you? Would you
know that it is wrong? Who would
you tell? Would anyone be able to
help you?
Hmong American Partnership’s Service Learning Group (SLG) has been
meeting every Wednesday for the
past year to learn about bullying and find ways to help children
deal with the issue in school. Bullying is defined as taking power over
someone and making them feel vulnerable and it is a serious problem
that is often overlooked by parents
and teachers. Bullying should not be
seen as just a part of the growing up
experience but a problem that has a
detrimental effects on a child’s selfesteem and sense of security. Some
of the most extreme effects may
lead to suicide or social violence
such as school shootings.
From their research, the SLG discovered that bullying is most common
among middle school teens but also
prevalent in elementary schools.
There are many types of bullying
such as physical bullying, verbal bullying and psychological bullying.
Physical bullying is the most commonly known type of bullying amongst
youth and adults. Physical bullying
includes hitting, punching, pushing,
kicking and physically assault. Someone who bully hope to bring about
fear and intimidation to the person
they hope to take power over. The
reason physical bullying is so well
known is because it is often the easiest to observe and prevent. Most
22 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
schools have policies against hitting
other students on school grounds.
Physical bullying is also most common among males and is often seen
on playgrounds or play areas.
the problem immediately, you should
continue telling someone on site and
your parents. This way they can begin documenting the occurrence. If
the bullying continues and the school
has yet to do anything about it, conVerbal bullying consists mainly of tact a non-profit organization like
threats and verbal harassment. Hmong American Partnership whom
However, verbal bullying is often can advocate on your behalf and
accompanied by another form of bring your concerns to the school
bullying such as physical bullying or board to be addressed.
psychological bullying.
Even if you are not being bullied
Psychological bullying is common but see it being done to others, it is
among females. It includes inten- also important to tell a school staff
tionally excluding an individual from when you see it occurring. In a sura group, spreading rumors and/or vey conducted by the Service Learnostracizing. Psychological bullying ing Group, 59% of youths reported
is also the hardest type of bullying that they see other children being
to address because it is hard to de- bullied everyday. However, only
tect.
18% of those youths told a teacher
or school staff about what they had
Bullying is not only harmful to the observed. Sometimes, teachers and
victim but harmful for the bully as school staffs may also not grasp the
well. Bullying behavior if not ad- severity of bullying in their school bedressed and corrected earlier in life cause they are not the students. So
may lead to harassment or assault it is as important to tell them about
charges as an adult.
bullying so that they recognize how
often it occurs.
There is no way to actually avoid a
bully. It is never the fault of the vic- The Service Learning Group has also
tim if they are selected as a target to created an informational brochure
be bullied. However, there are ways for Hmong parents about bullying
in which you can handle the bullying and what they can do to help their
situation. First off, try not to inter- child if it is happening to them. From
act with the bully because that will interviews conducted by the Service
only antagonize them and it would Learning Group, the youth have
be exactly what they want. Instead, learned that the majority of Hmong
tell a trusted adult right away. This parents feel bullying can be avoidmaybe a teacher or even a school ed. However, we know that this is
counselor. When you get home, tell not the case. Therefore, SLG includyour mother and father. It is always ed steps in the brochure for parents
important for your parents to know to take that would assist their child
what is happening to you at school, through bullying situations. For exespecially if it is harmful. Though ample, one step includes acknowlthe school staff may not deal with edging that it is not your child’s
bout Bullying?
fault and that you are there to
support him and her.
The SLG also conducted a survey
earlier in June addressing how much
the Hmong community knew about
bullying. Over 200 people were
surveyed in the Dale/Como area
and the Phalen Lake area.
Currently, the SLG is working on a
bullying skit for their project, “Tough
Enough!” It will be acted out for elementary students and cover issues
such as being a Hmong youth new
to America and how it feels to be
teased for it.
If you are being bullied or know
someone who is being bullied and
would like help, please contact SLG
at (651) 495-1500. You may also
call that number to receive a the
informational parenting brochure
on bullying created by the Service
Learning Group.
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 23
24 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
THROW YOUR HANDS UP FOR THE
Far*East Movement
in basketball. Sometimes it’ll take him ten minutes just
to write his rhymes. And lastly, there’s Proh Gress who
The Far East Movement or FM as they are also known, graduated from law school and he uses his knowledge
are a combination of four gifted hip hop artists living to negotiate contracts and legal affairs. When asked
large and holding on to their dreams. FM began with what unites them to be able to perform and stay strong
three high school buddies free styling and making music Proh Gress stated, “In the end if one of us falls, all of us
for fun and soon led on to recording songs at a friend’s fall so we can’t let that happen and we‘ll fight for the
advice. They attended open-mics and coordinated their very end for that. We want to represent for our people,
own shows to expose them on to a higher level. Their we love what we do, and this is what we do.”
name was first formed as a song and was later kept as
their group name to let others know that they are Asian How has Hip Hop changed the Asian-American commuAmericans. Their music is based on emotions and is a nity? FM believes that Hip Hop has changed our comuniversal blend of all kinds of style ranging from coun- munity because it’s the type of music that is popular now;
try, trance, to swing.
it’s what we’ve adopt into our lives. FM believes that Hip
Hop is the sound of our generation and you don’t have
FM is made up of DJ Virman, Kev Nish, J-Spliff, and to be African American and or Latino to be a part of it.
Proh Gress. I had the chance to talk to Proh Gress and FM has performed in Asia where over there they see FM
he described each of the members to me. DJ Virman is as Americans. In contrast, people in America see them
one of the newest member of the group and is a world as just Chinese and when asked about their music, they
renown DJ on Los Angeles’ Power 106. He is also very think FM are dancers, DJs or assume they rap in Chinese.
popular in Japan. “He’s pretty much our mentor. When This is a prejudice in America where we see in the Asianit comes to our songs, if we don’t have him nodding American community that Hip Hop does exist for us. FM
his head for the first 20 seconds we know things are also hopes that maybe one day Asian-American artists
wrong,” said Proh Gress. Nish loves visual arts and is a will be able to sell million records. With the experiences
major workaholic. He entertains himself by getting on they’ve possessed, their goals is to help aspiring artists
myspace and talking to friends there. J-Spliff carries break into the music industry.
the name of Mr. Talented, who’s really funny and skilled
By Bao Xiong, HmoobTeen Editor, 16, St. Paul, MN
Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 25
Send in your comics! HmoobTeen will
pay up to $25 for each!
Comics
26 / HmoobTeeN Winter 2008
Artwork by Bee Moua, 12, St. Paul, MN
Summer 2008 HmoobTeen / 27