Hmong History

Hmong is a language spoken by about four million people around the world, most commonly in northern Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Burma/Myanmar, and parts of China. According to hmongculture.net, “About five percent of those speaking the Hmong Language actually reside within the United States speaking this and English fluently in certain cities around the country.” This statistic demonstrates the fact that the Hmong language is in danger of possibly becoming almost extinct. Learning about the Hmong language, its history, and the efforts that are put into preserving the language will help people to understand this unrecognized language more and more. The exact origination of the Hmong language is unknown since over time the language changed with
The main one is Chuanquindian. It extends into over twenty dialects with two well-known ones—Green Hmong and White Hmong. White Hmong is more widely used and is rendered in their writing language. Although speakers are descendants from common ancestors, they have great difficulty distinguishing among dialects that are not their own, although less so between Green and White Hmong. According to Jessica Lim, “Hmong in general has eight vowels, fifty-seven consonants, and seven tones. Four writing systems are used, but RPA, the romanized popular alphabet, is the most commonly used one. Tones are conveyed through the placement of certain letters placed at the ends of
This loss of culture slowly but surely forces the thriving generations of Hmong to slowly lose their mother tongue. The slow attrition allows the integration process to be easier with constant pressure to fit in with new American culture but at the price of native culture. Most often, first-generation Hmong who have migrated into the states learn minimal English to get by. Children, however, submerged in English at school, tend to lose Hmong through disuse. Families and relationships are the building blocks of the Hmong culture, seen in the formations of the clan and families, executed through principles of kindness and respect. Caring for parents after growing up is one example that demonstrates respect from children. However, American culture pressures the children to become independent and move out. According to Jessica Lim, “As it is difficult for extended families to live together, support for the elderly has diminished. Outside of the family, there is a loss of a communal feeling. In traditional Hmong culture, people farm for their own food. As a result, there is no great disparity in wealth. In contrast, there is much more wealth disparity in America, and thus weakens the sense of