T he place where Hmong teens can speak and be heard. - About Us
T he place where Hmong teens can speak and be heard. - About Us
T he place where Hmong teens can speak and be heard. - About Us
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HmoobTeenT<strong>he</strong> <strong>place</strong> w<strong>he</strong>re <strong>Hmong</strong> <strong>teens</strong> <strong>can</strong> <strong>speak</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong> <strong>he</strong>ard.
Introducing. . .Nhia LeeMatt<strong>he</strong>wSaykao ThaoVanessa Xiongt<strong>he</strong> new HmoobTeen editors!I’m 17 years old <strong>and</strong> attend Johnson HighSchool. I’m just your average Hmoob guy;working part time, minor volunteering, extracurricularactivities <strong>and</strong> trying to <strong>be</strong>come asomebody one day. My hobbies are writing,reading, playing volleyball, singing (keep it ont<strong>he</strong> down low), spending time with my family<strong>and</strong> everything else an average teenagerloves to do: hanging out.I <strong>can</strong> honestly say that <strong>be</strong>coming an editor forHmoobTeen was t<strong>he</strong> greatest feeling ever.Even now, I still <strong>can</strong>’t <strong>be</strong>lieve this is happening(it’s so surreal). Starting from t<strong>he</strong> <strong>be</strong>ginning, Iknew that I wasn’t going to <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong> <strong>be</strong>st writer<strong>and</strong> hopefully, t<strong>he</strong>y <strong>can</strong> <strong>he</strong>lp me <strong>be</strong>come a<strong>be</strong>tter writer. My mind is always open to tips<strong>and</strong> advices from my peers <strong>and</strong> co-workers;anything to <strong>he</strong>lp me enhance my writing skills.Also, I’m excited about getting to share myopinions in discussions, meeting new people,creating new friendships <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>lping my community.Of course, each of t<strong>he</strong>se factors hast<strong>he</strong>ir own signifi<strong>can</strong>ce. Most importantly, I getto WRITE a lot!Guess what readers? I’m t<strong>he</strong> second Nhia Leein HmoobTeen. It’s going to <strong>be</strong> awkward,considering I’ve never <strong>be</strong>en in a setting with aperson that has t<strong>he</strong> same first <strong>and</strong> last nameas me. T<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r Nhia is a genius; I guess it’snot too bad. I hope you guys <strong>can</strong> read someof my articles in t<strong>he</strong> very near future. I <strong>can</strong>’t<strong>be</strong>lieve this is true. I use to sit in my room, readsome HmoobTeen magazines <strong>and</strong> wish thatit was me in those pages, with t<strong>he</strong> pictures <strong>and</strong>everything, <strong>and</strong> now, it has finally happened.Wish me luck! Thanks!I’m cryptically known as “Saykao” t<strong>he</strong>wondering kid who finds himself lost intranslation, waking up <strong>and</strong> stepping out ofhis small midwestern town.Being a new editor gives me t<strong>he</strong> chanceto represent t<strong>he</strong> voices of t<strong>he</strong> teenage<strong>Hmong</strong> community, letting myself <strong>and</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>rs<strong>be</strong> <strong>he</strong>ard. I’m excited to <strong>be</strong> <strong>he</strong>re, to<strong>he</strong>lp <strong>and</strong> learn about ourselves as we allgrow stronger everyday, how we deal withlife <strong>and</strong> how life affects us.I enjoy traveling t<strong>he</strong> highway nights, makingruns to late-night fast food trips <strong>and</strong>enjoying my life that I receive with ot<strong>he</strong>rs.I grew up with my hometown Texas cousinsto playing around t<strong>he</strong> Asian Market inFresno, to raising chickens in WashingtonState <strong>and</strong> bargaining on t<strong>he</strong> streets ofLop Buri, Thail<strong>and</strong>. T<strong>he</strong>se days, I’m a highschool senior in Minnesota planning my lifeout for t<strong>he</strong> world.I find t<strong>he</strong> most simplest things precious; t<strong>he</strong>envelopes I recieve at birthdays, puttingon s<strong>and</strong>les during t<strong>he</strong> cold, <strong>and</strong> eating ahumble bowl of pho (all taken with a snapof a picture). Ot<strong>he</strong>r than that, I’m a big fanof indie artists <strong>and</strong> people that break t<strong>he</strong>law of normality.I’m a young adolescent at t<strong>he</strong> age of 14<strong>and</strong> attending Roseville Area High Schoolas a freshman! I spend most of my timephotographing <strong>and</strong> editing pictures, or asmost of you know it, photoshopping. I enjoylearning new things <strong>and</strong> making newfriends. I am, most of t<strong>he</strong> time, a peopleperson so if you see me around, say <strong>he</strong>llo!I’m most excited about readingHmoobTeen entries <strong>and</strong> comparing<strong>and</strong> contrasting t<strong>he</strong>m to ot<strong>he</strong>r<strong>Hmong</strong> <strong>teens</strong> around t<strong>he</strong> nation. I wantto know how ot<strong>he</strong>r <strong>Hmong</strong> <strong>teens</strong> arefeeling <strong>and</strong> if t<strong>he</strong>y’re truly by t<strong>he</strong>mselvesor if t<strong>he</strong>re are ot<strong>he</strong>r <strong>Hmong</strong> <strong>teens</strong>out t<strong>he</strong>re like t<strong>he</strong>m (or possibly me).Some of my interests are photography,music <strong>and</strong> games. I love photographingtrash, dirt <strong>and</strong> anything that shows pollution<strong>and</strong> poverty. I like those kind ofpictures <strong>be</strong>cause it not only shows howmuch everyday citizens litter but in thosepictures every trash has a story <strong>be</strong>hind it<strong>and</strong> every ripped up shoe or dirty childhas a story <strong>be</strong>hind it. Anot<strong>he</strong>r one of myinterests is music. Without my guitar <strong>and</strong>my piano, I would <strong>be</strong> DEAD bored! Writingsongs is one of my smaller interestsbut I don’t like to sing. Playing guitar <strong>and</strong>piano sets me free from stress <strong>and</strong> frustration.It’s nice to just sit back, relax <strong>and</strong>play. One more interests of mine is Callof Duty 4. I don’t like any ot<strong>he</strong>r gamesbut that game. No questions asked.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 5
Knowing Your <strong>Hmong</strong>I suppose you’ve <strong>he</strong>ard of t<strong>he</strong>music played through a bambooqeej; t<strong>he</strong> <strong>be</strong>autiful, longbamboo pipes that bring messages<strong>and</strong> words through itsmelody. You’ve must have seenit <strong>be</strong>ing played at t<strong>he</strong> new yearsor at funerals. Nowadays,many youth just often go pastit, glaring at it for awhile;never really underst<strong>and</strong>ingt<strong>he</strong> language it spoke. Behindwhat we see <strong>and</strong> what wethink we know about t<strong>he</strong> qeej,it is one of <strong>Hmong</strong>’s most valuableinstruments. It is capableof expressing t<strong>he</strong> story of life,myths, legends <strong>and</strong> folktales,t<strong>he</strong> hopes <strong>and</strong> dreams, loss,separation <strong>and</strong> dis<strong>place</strong>mentfrom one’s homel<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>commonly, religious rituals.How did it come about to this?Like all <strong>Hmong</strong> values <strong>and</strong> tradition,t<strong>he</strong>re is a folktaleattac<strong>he</strong>d to this magnificent piece of instrument.T<strong>he</strong> QeejT<strong>he</strong> Folk Story of OriginBy Ka Zoua Vang, Hmoobteen Editor, 17, St. Paul MNLong ago, t<strong>he</strong>re was a man by t<strong>he</strong> name of Sinsay. He was a great<strong>and</strong> talented warrior. He was always eager to engage in combat<strong>and</strong> prove his skills <strong>and</strong> strength. Surely enough <strong>he</strong>’d always win <strong>and</strong>his reputation as a champion spread throughout t<strong>he</strong> towns.W<strong>he</strong>n Sinsay fought <strong>and</strong> won a battle, <strong>he</strong> was given a prize whichwas to marry one of t<strong>he</strong> <strong>be</strong>autiful young women from that kingdom.T<strong>he</strong>re would <strong>be</strong> a brief honeymoon t<strong>he</strong>n <strong>he</strong> would <strong>be</strong> off again; continuingon his way to conquer anot<strong>he</strong>r kingdom. As time passed by, <strong>he</strong>was able to conquer seven kingdoms, thus <strong>he</strong> married seven brides.Soon after his seventh marriage, t<strong>he</strong> God-King decided to hold agr<strong>and</strong> festival. He invited everyone with advance preparations forit. Everyone was excited to attend, especially t<strong>he</strong> seven wives whoeagerly waited for Sinsay’s return. T<strong>he</strong>y knew <strong>he</strong> was going to <strong>be</strong> att<strong>he</strong> festival so t<strong>he</strong>y each made t<strong>he</strong>ir own plans to go <strong>and</strong> find him.Sinsay had <strong>he</strong>ard of t<strong>he</strong> festival too <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong> looked forward to attendingit. He wanted to go <strong>and</strong> claim his champion status as well asto meet all of his wives who <strong>he</strong> knew would <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong>re.During t<strong>he</strong> opening day of t<strong>he</strong> festival, thous<strong>and</strong>s of people gat<strong>he</strong>redtoget<strong>he</strong>r in festivities. Since it had <strong>be</strong>en long since Sinsay <strong>and</strong>his wives had seen one anot<strong>he</strong>r, t<strong>he</strong>y searc<strong>he</strong>d t<strong>he</strong> fairgrounds high<strong>and</strong> low but were not able to find each ot<strong>he</strong>r. T<strong>he</strong>y were not able torecognize one from t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r after so many long years.T<strong>he</strong>y were disappointed but were not ready to give up t<strong>he</strong> search.So each wife <strong>be</strong>gan to sing <strong>he</strong>r own lug txaj, which were love songsabout t<strong>he</strong>ir lives toget<strong>he</strong>r that only a husb<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> wife would know.One by one, Sinsay was able to find all seven of his wives <strong>be</strong>causeof t<strong>he</strong> lug txaj t<strong>he</strong>y sung. He responded back in lug txaj to t<strong>he</strong>m,acknowledging t<strong>he</strong>m as his wives.Although <strong>he</strong> was able to bring toget<strong>he</strong>r all seven of his wives, t<strong>he</strong>ywere enraged w<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong>y found out <strong>he</strong> had married seven times. Eachone wanted him for <strong>he</strong>r <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y would yell back at one anot<strong>he</strong>r,“He’s mine!” T<strong>he</strong> situation got worst to t<strong>he</strong> point w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong> God-Kinghad step in.W<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong> God-King asked what t<strong>he</strong> problem was, all t<strong>he</strong> wivesshouted out, “He’s my husb<strong>and</strong>!” To solve t<strong>he</strong>ir problem, t<strong>he</strong> God-Kingtold t<strong>he</strong> women, “If all seven of you say that you are his wife, youmust go <strong>and</strong> create something that would include all of you <strong>and</strong> wit<strong>he</strong>ach part containing words coming through it. If you all were meantto <strong>be</strong> his wife, t<strong>he</strong>n you will <strong>be</strong> able to accomplish this task. If not t<strong>he</strong>nyour statements are not true.”So off t<strong>he</strong> seven wives went.T<strong>he</strong> first wife made a pipe we call taub qeej.T<strong>he</strong> second wife made a pipe we call ntiv lauv.T<strong>he</strong> third wife made a pipe we call ntiv tw.T<strong>he</strong> fourth wife made a pipe we call ntiv npug.T<strong>he</strong> fifth wife made a pipe we call ntiv txug.T<strong>he</strong> sixth wife made a pipe we call cej ntiv npug.T<strong>he</strong> seventh wife made a pipe we call cej ntiv txug.Lastly, w<strong>he</strong>n all t<strong>he</strong> women came back toget<strong>he</strong>r again, all seven pipeswere put toget<strong>he</strong>r into one instrument which we now call t<strong>he</strong> qeej <strong>and</strong>w<strong>he</strong>n it was blown out, it made words. T<strong>he</strong> God-King finally declaredthat all t<strong>he</strong> women were truly Sinsay’s wives.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 7
C<strong>he</strong>ck Nws Out!T<strong>he</strong> Power of DancingBy Blia Vue, <strong>Hmong</strong>Teen Editor, 17, St. Paul, MN“Dancing is a passion, a dream, which <strong>can</strong> make one <strong>be</strong>come even a <strong>be</strong>tterperson - keep on fighting, even if it means you are fighting alone.”- Mintshi <strong>and</strong> Josie Vang8 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
“We want to make a difference in everygirl’s life; we want every girl to follow <strong>and</strong>accomplish t<strong>he</strong>ir dreams passionately by usingt<strong>he</strong>ir <strong>he</strong>art to successfully fight all obstaclesthat might st<strong>and</strong> in t<strong>he</strong>ir ways!” Is thissomething that <strong>can</strong> <strong>be</strong> said easily? Sayingsuch a powerful <strong>and</strong> influential phrase <strong>can</strong>’tjust <strong>be</strong> easily said out <strong>be</strong>cause you feel likeit; you had to have t<strong>he</strong> ability <strong>and</strong> potentialto do so. Josie Vang, 20, <strong>and</strong> MintshiVang, 17, had both abilities <strong>and</strong> potentialsto do so. Josie <strong>and</strong> Mintsis are t<strong>he</strong> 3rd <strong>place</strong>winner of hip-hop dance group, So Close,during t<strong>he</strong> River Centre New Year of 2007-2008. As sisters t<strong>he</strong>y share a strong familybond but as passionate individuals, t<strong>he</strong>ycare about making t<strong>he</strong> lives of young womenstronger <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong>tter through dancing.I arrived at <strong>Hmong</strong> Ameri<strong>can</strong> Partnership,w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong>y were teaching a hip-hop classon a pleasant Monday afternoon. T<strong>he</strong> firstthing I noticed was how friendly t<strong>he</strong>y are byt<strong>he</strong> way t<strong>he</strong>y dressed <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong> big smiles ont<strong>he</strong>ir faces. I felt lucky to have t<strong>he</strong> chance tointerview t<strong>he</strong>m.So what do t<strong>he</strong>se two implausible girls dofor t<strong>he</strong>ir community? Both Josie <strong>and</strong> Mintshiteach varieties of different dances to studentsat t<strong>he</strong> White Bear Lake district schoolsin Minnesota, starting from kindergarten tohigh school students t<strong>he</strong>ir own ages. T<strong>he</strong>irmain focal point was to focus on t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong>women youth so that every girl <strong>can</strong><strong>be</strong>come a stronger woman. T<strong>he</strong>y want tomake a difference in every girl’s life, especiallyif t<strong>he</strong>y have t<strong>he</strong> passion to dance.W<strong>he</strong>n asked what t<strong>he</strong>ir favorite dance toteach, Josie immediately answered, “Hiphopdancing isn’t just what we <strong>can</strong> do; we<strong>can</strong> do all kinds of dances, such as India,Thai, Chinese, Japanese, <strong>and</strong> even Kore<strong>and</strong>ances. But we just love to Hip-Hop <strong>be</strong>st;I just love t<strong>he</strong> fast-<strong>be</strong>at moves. But we dohave a lot of fun w<strong>he</strong>n doing t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>rdances.” Mintshi t<strong>he</strong>n added in, “W<strong>he</strong>neverI don’t feel good even for t<strong>he</strong> smallest thing,I have to Hip-Hop dance to ease away t<strong>he</strong>bad feelings.” I was surprise at Mintshi’s answer<strong>be</strong>cause I had never thought about t<strong>he</strong>idea that dancing <strong>can</strong> ease away emotions!Guess I do now!I also asked t<strong>he</strong> girls about what inspiredt<strong>he</strong>m to dance <strong>and</strong> what motivates t<strong>he</strong>m toteach ot<strong>he</strong>rs, Josie’s answer left me speechless.“We started dancing at a very youngage with our families supporting us, especiallyour dad who’s always t<strong>he</strong>re by ourside encouraging us through t<strong>he</strong> good <strong>and</strong>bad times. He supports <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong>lieves that we<strong>can</strong> <strong>be</strong>come good people even by dancing,which is t<strong>he</strong> idea that many of our <strong>Hmong</strong>parents doesn’t agree with. We didn’t haveany difficulties in following our dreams, butt<strong>he</strong>re are many girls out t<strong>he</strong>re like us whohas a passion to dance, but weren’t givent<strong>he</strong> chance <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>ir parents areagainst t<strong>he</strong> idea of dancing. Many of t<strong>he</strong>separents thinks that dancing is all about booty-shaking<strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong>ing bad kids. This makesme <strong>and</strong> Mintshi wants to dance <strong>and</strong> teachot<strong>he</strong>rs on how to dance even more, we wantto prove t<strong>he</strong>m wrong, we wants to prove tot<strong>he</strong>se parents that dancing isn’t all aboutbooty-shaking <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong>ing bad kids. But it’sa passion, a dream, which <strong>can</strong> make one<strong>be</strong>come even a <strong>be</strong>tter person.” Josie’s answerto this question is a true reflection ont<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community is today, especiallyour elders, <strong>be</strong>cause dancing in t<strong>he</strong>ir perceptionis valueless. What t<strong>he</strong>y don’t knowis that, dancing brings people toget<strong>he</strong>r, itbuilds character <strong>and</strong> teamwork. Dancingalso encourages competitive creativenessthat is needed in jobs today. It is one oft<strong>he</strong> most important dreams to some of us todaybut that doesn’t stop Mintshi <strong>and</strong> Josiefrom teaching ot<strong>he</strong>rs even if parents disapprove.Aren’t Josie <strong>and</strong> Mintshi just implausible asI had stated earlier? Besides <strong>be</strong>ing expertson dancing, t<strong>he</strong>y are just like you <strong>and</strong> me.T<strong>he</strong>y both enjoy playing soccer, participatingin school academic activities, listening tomusic, <strong>and</strong> spending time with friends <strong>and</strong>families. A good friend of t<strong>he</strong>ir (who wis<strong>he</strong>sto remain anonymous) descri<strong>be</strong>s t<strong>he</strong>m to <strong>be</strong>wise <strong>be</strong>yond t<strong>he</strong>ir years. But more importantly,Mintshi <strong>and</strong> Josie are normal averagegirls who just like to make differencesin t<strong>he</strong>ir communities <strong>and</strong> people’s life.“Follow your dreams <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>art.Don’t let anyone put yourself down;it doesn’t matter w<strong>he</strong>t<strong>he</strong>r you aredifferent in size, skin-color, shape,or anything, what matters t<strong>he</strong> mostis how far you <strong>can</strong> go to achieveyour dreams <strong>and</strong> goals, even if youare fighting alone, st<strong>and</strong>ing alone,prove t<strong>he</strong>m wrong, prove to t<strong>he</strong>mthat you <strong>can</strong> do it.”Making differences <strong>can</strong> really change aperson’s world; it’s like lighting a flame int<strong>he</strong> darkest night <strong>and</strong> giving ot<strong>he</strong>rs hopesto live on. If Josie <strong>and</strong> Mintshi <strong>can</strong> make adifference, wouldn’t you also?Mintshi, far left, <strong>and</strong> Josie Vang during t<strong>he</strong> interview with Blia, right.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 9
Adult Role ModelChoua HerDream big! We Live in a big world.By Kia Lor, HmoobTeen Editor, 17, St. Paul, MN“Dream big; never think it’s impossible; t<strong>he</strong>world is so big so take advantage of all t<strong>he</strong>opportunities.”In t<strong>he</strong> world t<strong>he</strong>re are two types of people:t<strong>he</strong> ones who watch things happen <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>ones who make things happen. Choua Her ist<strong>he</strong> type who makes things happen <strong>and</strong> thatmade all t<strong>he</strong> difference in <strong>he</strong>r life.Choua Her has accomplis<strong>he</strong>d a lot alreadyin life at t<strong>he</strong> age of twenty-eight <strong>and</strong> is continuouslyseeking more ways to grow.Choua is t<strong>he</strong> Community Specialist at t<strong>he</strong>Girl Scouts Council of Minnesota <strong>and</strong> WisconsinRiver Valleys. Her role is to work withyoung <strong>Hmong</strong> girls in t<strong>he</strong> Twin Cities. S<strong>he</strong> isalso t<strong>he</strong> coordinator of t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> WomenCircle (HWC) program which was establis<strong>he</strong>din 1998 by KaShia Moua.I’ve known Choua for three years <strong>and</strong> personallyChoua is my role model. On t<strong>he</strong> dayof our interview, Choua picked me up frommy house <strong>and</strong> took me out to eat. S<strong>he</strong> evenpaid for my meal! Choua is very down toearth <strong>and</strong> honest with every question I asked<strong>he</strong>r. T<strong>he</strong>re were some things I already knewabout Choua, like I knew s<strong>he</strong> was a hardworker <strong>and</strong> was always busy, but t<strong>he</strong>rewere some surprises, too, like learning howpassionate s<strong>he</strong> was about <strong>he</strong>r dreams.Choua is one of t<strong>he</strong> most independent personI know <strong>and</strong> through <strong>he</strong>r independences<strong>he</strong> had <strong>be</strong>en able to achieve <strong>he</strong>r goals.Choua grew up in Milwaukee <strong>and</strong> Madison,Wisconsin in a family of eight (includingChoua). In 1997, <strong>he</strong>r family moved to St.Paul, Minnesota. In fact <strong>he</strong>r family moved alot during <strong>he</strong>r teenage years which <strong>he</strong>lpedChoua discover who s<strong>he</strong> was. S<strong>he</strong> was challengedto ride t<strong>he</strong> city bus to <strong>place</strong>s since s<strong>he</strong>couldn’t drive <strong>and</strong> through that experiences<strong>he</strong> had learned to <strong>be</strong> courageous. Chouastated, “W<strong>he</strong>n I started riding t<strong>he</strong> city bus,it was one of my first steps towards <strong>be</strong>ingable to do things on my own rat<strong>he</strong>r than dependingon ot<strong>he</strong>rs. Even though I didn’t knowhow to drive at t<strong>he</strong> time <strong>be</strong>cause I couldn’tget my license (I was too young) <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>nafter I got my license I couldn’t drive all t<strong>he</strong>time (<strong>be</strong>cause I didn’t have my own car). Iwas still able to do things including workingpart-time, participating in after-schoolclubs <strong>and</strong> activities, <strong>and</strong> explore t<strong>he</strong> city.”Choua considers taking a group of sevengirls to French Guiana <strong>he</strong>r biggest accomplishmentsyet. T<strong>he</strong> seven girls, Choua <strong>and</strong>Vilai Tchaa, t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r chaperone, went toFrench Guiana in July of 2007 with t<strong>he</strong>goal of learning about t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> peoplein French Guiana. It was a cultural exchangeexperience for t<strong>he</strong> teenage <strong>Hmong</strong> girls int<strong>he</strong> U.S.A <strong>and</strong> French Guiana. T<strong>he</strong>y wentdown t<strong>he</strong>re with four service projects whichare: Stay Tobacco-Free, Self-Esteem, FoodExchange <strong>and</strong> Language Exchange. Chouasays this was <strong>he</strong>r biggest accomplishment<strong>be</strong>cause s<strong>he</strong> learned so much from t<strong>he</strong> trip.Choua said, “One important thing I havelearned from t<strong>he</strong> whole French Guianaexperience is how important it is to reallyuse all t<strong>he</strong> different resources out t<strong>he</strong>re to<strong>he</strong>lp you reach a goal.” Little did Choua norany of t<strong>he</strong> girls foresee t<strong>he</strong> obstacles t<strong>he</strong>ywould have to overcome in order to get toFrench Guiana. Behind t<strong>he</strong> scenes, Chouawas working with politicians to resolve travelingissues of expediting travel documents;visas <strong>and</strong> green cards for t<strong>he</strong> two girls whowere not citizens that were going on t<strong>he</strong>trip. T<strong>he</strong> girls didn’t know how much workChoua was doing <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y were busyfundraising for t<strong>he</strong> trip which cost $2,050per person. Choua never gave up on t<strong>he</strong>girls <strong>and</strong> gave t<strong>he</strong>m support w<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong>ywere in doubt. Choua also had to coordinatewith people continents away for informationabout insurance, itineraries, planeflights, <strong>and</strong> transportation sc<strong>he</strong>dules. Luckilys<strong>he</strong> had t<strong>he</strong> knowledge of t<strong>he</strong> law in <strong>he</strong>rbackground <strong>and</strong> s<strong>he</strong> knew w<strong>he</strong>re to start.Choua was so passionate <strong>and</strong> optimistic, allseven girls made it to French Guiana <strong>and</strong>back home safely.Her words of wisdom to teenagers out t<strong>he</strong>reare to “dream big. Go out <strong>and</strong> explore, experiencedifferent things <strong>and</strong> see t<strong>he</strong> biggerpicture. Get to know all sorts of people<strong>and</strong> make friends with t<strong>he</strong>m; don’t just stickto one crowd <strong>be</strong>cause you’ll never knowwho <strong>can</strong> open doors for you.” Choua alsoencourages <strong>teens</strong> to “tell people who <strong>can</strong>support you in your dreams. T<strong>he</strong>re are nolimitations to whom <strong>and</strong> w<strong>he</strong>re you <strong>can</strong> <strong>be</strong>.Live your life to your fullest potential.”In t<strong>he</strong> world t<strong>he</strong>re are two types of people:t<strong>he</strong> ones who watch things happen or t<strong>he</strong>ones who make things happen. Choua is t<strong>he</strong>type who makes things happen <strong>and</strong> thatmade all t<strong>he</strong> difference <strong>he</strong>r world. That iswhy s<strong>he</strong> is my role model.10 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
12 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008 Artwork by Casey C<strong>he</strong>ng, 18, St. Paul, MN
Melting PotT<strong>he</strong>meDressing like Ameri<strong>can</strong>sBy Mohamud Haji, 16, St. Paul, MNW<strong>he</strong>n I was a kid I used to put on a cloth call kamis <strong>and</strong> a hat callkufe. W<strong>he</strong>n I came to t<strong>he</strong> United States, I was still dressing t<strong>he</strong> wayI used to as a kid. T<strong>he</strong> first time I saw rappers on TV <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y weresagging t<strong>he</strong>ir pants. T<strong>he</strong>n one day I saw my older brot<strong>he</strong>r dressinglike t<strong>he</strong> rappers on TV W<strong>he</strong>n <strong>he</strong> started dressing that way I liked it<strong>and</strong> now I have lost my dressing roots. But I never lost my religion<strong>and</strong> I am so happy that I did not too lose my religion. One day, Iwill get my dressing root back.In Thail<strong>and</strong> I Like t<strong>he</strong> FoodBy Ger Xiong, 12, St. Paul, MNI got outside. I go up t<strong>he</strong> tree to get t<strong>he</strong> mangos <strong>and</strong> put in my bag.I bring t<strong>he</strong> bag with t<strong>he</strong> mangos home. I eat t<strong>he</strong> mangos. T<strong>he</strong>y aregood. I like to eat mangos so much <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y are sour. Myfriend said to me, “Can you get me a mango from t<strong>he</strong> tree?” And Isee t<strong>he</strong> mango. I see t<strong>he</strong> Thai people who came to look at t<strong>he</strong> tree<strong>and</strong> I get down from t<strong>he</strong> tree. My friend runs home. Thai peopledon’t know me <strong>and</strong> my friend but I still got a mango. My friend washappy <strong>be</strong>cause <strong>he</strong> <strong>can</strong> eat t<strong>he</strong> mango.Karen LifeBy Laydia Say, 13, St. Paul, MNMost Karen people live in villages <strong>and</strong> are farmers. T<strong>he</strong>y haveanimals <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y grow fruits, vegetables, <strong>and</strong> rice. Some Karenpeople are very poor <strong>and</strong> some are not. Some live in <strong>be</strong>autifulvillages with <strong>be</strong>autiful flowers, mountains, hills <strong>and</strong> many ot<strong>he</strong>r<strong>be</strong>autiful things. Some Karen people are Christian <strong>and</strong> some areBuddhist. Now life for some Karen people has changed. Those wholive in a village or in Burma don’t have food to eat, a house to live,<strong>and</strong> clot<strong>he</strong>s to wear. T<strong>he</strong>y don’t have schools to go to <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>Burmese government is not doing t<strong>he</strong> right things <strong>and</strong> Karen peopleare <strong>be</strong>coming refugees. Some Karen people went to Thail<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong>built schools, houses, churc<strong>he</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r good things but t<strong>he</strong>y arestill called refugees in Thail<strong>and</strong>. Some Karen people are still inBurma <strong>and</strong> some are still in t<strong>he</strong> same <strong>place</strong>s w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong>y lived <strong>be</strong>fore.And now we have an opportunity to come to United States.Karen people who live in Burma never have freedom. T<strong>he</strong> alwayshave to run. Many Karen people are killed <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong> women areraped by Burmese soldiers. T<strong>he</strong> Burmese people took our Karenl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> we <strong>can</strong>’t have it back. T<strong>he</strong>y killed our people <strong>and</strong> burneddown our villages. Children run <strong>and</strong> cry. T<strong>he</strong>y run in t<strong>he</strong> dark <strong>and</strong>people carry t<strong>he</strong>ir babies on t<strong>he</strong>ir bags. Now t<strong>he</strong> war is still goingon in Burma, w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong> Karen people live. Karen people haveterrible lives. Some children watch t<strong>he</strong>ir parents died in front oft<strong>he</strong>m. T<strong>he</strong>y cry for <strong>he</strong>lp <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>ir eye are full of tears. Burmesesoldiers are very cruel. T<strong>he</strong>y killed many Karen people <strong>and</strong> don’tcare. Karen people have sad stories about t<strong>he</strong>ir lives. Burma arepraying for <strong>he</strong>lp <strong>and</strong> hope to get out of t<strong>he</strong> mess very fast. Thisis t<strong>he</strong> Karen life, always running <strong>and</strong> hiding. Some Karen peoplewho came to t<strong>he</strong> United States have good schools <strong>and</strong> have a lot ofopportunities to learn more.Loss of CultureBy Roda Yusuf, 17, St. Paul, MNSome people are losing t<strong>he</strong> important parts of t<strong>he</strong>ir culture, such ast<strong>he</strong>ir language <strong>and</strong> religion. For example, my friend is <strong>be</strong>ginning tolose <strong>he</strong>r native language. S<strong>he</strong> <strong>speak</strong>s English all t<strong>he</strong> time <strong>and</strong> s<strong>he</strong> isuncomfortable <strong>speak</strong>ing Somalian, <strong>he</strong>r native language.Also, people are losing t<strong>he</strong>ir religion <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y change whatt<strong>he</strong>y <strong>be</strong>lieved <strong>be</strong>fore. I see a lot of people who don’t know how topractice t<strong>he</strong>ir religion. For example, some people don’t know howto read t<strong>he</strong> Qur’an anymore <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y don’t go to dugsi.In conclusion, this loss of culture occurs <strong>be</strong>cause people move toot<strong>he</strong>r countries. T<strong>he</strong>y don’t keep t<strong>he</strong>ir culture <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y are ina new culture. T<strong>he</strong>y may not practice t<strong>he</strong>ir religion or use t<strong>he</strong>ir languageanymore.RespectBy Ge Xiong, 13, St. Paul, MNIn my culture, we respect t<strong>he</strong> elderly. I respect my older sisters,brot<strong>he</strong>rs <strong>and</strong> especially my parents. My parents respect my gr<strong>and</strong>parents.My gr<strong>and</strong>parents respect t<strong>he</strong>ir bosses <strong>and</strong> governmentauthorities. <strong>Hmong</strong> people do that <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong> older t<strong>he</strong>y are t<strong>he</strong>more experienced <strong>and</strong> knowledgeable t<strong>he</strong>y are. T<strong>he</strong>y live on t<strong>he</strong>earth longer than us. At 50 years of age, t<strong>he</strong>y are wiser <strong>and</strong> moreknowledgeable about life. That’s why we are always taught torespect t<strong>he</strong> elderly. We don’t need to know who <strong>he</strong>/s<strong>he</strong> is to showrespect to him/<strong>he</strong>r as long as <strong>he</strong>/s<strong>he</strong> is older. This is one of ourvalues in t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture that is always taught <strong>and</strong> passed on tot<strong>he</strong> younger generations.As for myself, I do t<strong>he</strong> same thing I respect every elderly. Somepeople in my life that I respect t<strong>he</strong> most are my parents <strong>and</strong> mygr<strong>and</strong>parents <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y raised me up <strong>and</strong> took care of me,especially <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y gave life to me. Anot<strong>he</strong>r thing is that t<strong>he</strong>ywere always t<strong>he</strong>re w<strong>he</strong>n I needed t<strong>he</strong>m. So that’s why I respectt<strong>he</strong>m most.Losing t<strong>he</strong> Culture of My CountryBy Julio Sanc<strong>he</strong>z Rodriguez, 16, St. Paul, MNI am from El Salvador. I remem<strong>be</strong>r w<strong>he</strong>n I started to lose my culturesince I got to t<strong>he</strong> United States in 2005. W<strong>he</strong>n I got <strong>he</strong>re, everythingwas different from my country <strong>be</strong>cause in El Salvador I usedto go to church, but now I don’t. That is one of t<strong>he</strong> culture things thatI lost already.In my country, if you want to get married, your parents have tochoose who t<strong>he</strong>y want you to marry. You also have to ask permissionfrom a girl or boy’s parents to get married. If t<strong>he</strong>y say no, t<strong>he</strong>n you<strong>can</strong>’t get married. W<strong>he</strong>n I got <strong>he</strong>re that was different from t<strong>he</strong>re<strong>be</strong>cause you <strong>can</strong> choose who you want to marry with.W<strong>he</strong>n you lose part of your culture, it is like you’re losing part ofyour life. But at t<strong>he</strong> same time, it is like getting a new one. If oneday I go back to El Salvador t<strong>he</strong>n I hope to get back all my culturethat I have lost.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 13
T<strong>he</strong>me FeatureI am not <strong>Hmong</strong>, I am . . . . . .By Meng Yang, Hmoobteen Editor 17, Blaine, MNI <strong>be</strong>lieve t<strong>he</strong>re are a lot of <strong>teens</strong> out t<strong>he</strong>rethat question t<strong>he</strong>ir culture <strong>and</strong> or race.That’s okay though. Everyone goes throughthis phase w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong>y don’t really knowwho t<strong>he</strong>y are or w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong>y st<strong>and</strong>. Withso many of us raised in t<strong>he</strong> United States,t<strong>he</strong>re are many things that <strong>can</strong> influence anyperson to not necessarily accept t<strong>he</strong>ir culture<strong>and</strong> identity, but also allows ot<strong>he</strong>rs toadopt someone else’s culture <strong>and</strong> identity.T<strong>he</strong>re are some <strong>Hmong</strong> people out t<strong>he</strong>rethat claim t<strong>he</strong>y are not <strong>Hmong</strong>; t<strong>he</strong>y don’t<strong>speak</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong>, don’t follow t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> traditions,<strong>and</strong> reject t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> values. T<strong>he</strong>nt<strong>he</strong>re are some people out t<strong>he</strong>re that reallyrespect t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture who are not of<strong>Hmong</strong> ethnicity. T<strong>he</strong>y live it, t<strong>he</strong>y learn fromit, <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y may even <strong>speak</strong> a little of t<strong>he</strong>language. I sat down <strong>and</strong> asked two totallydifferent people who have opposite views.Both of t<strong>he</strong>se individuals will give you all anin-depth view on t<strong>he</strong>ir choices in t<strong>he</strong>ir lives.Tammy ChangTammy Chang is seventeen years old, asenior in high school. S<strong>he</strong> does very wellin school, achieving a 4.0 grade pointaverage. Tammy writes in <strong>he</strong>r school newspaper,is on a dance team <strong>and</strong> s<strong>he</strong> workspart-time. S<strong>he</strong> likes to read, write <strong>and</strong> ishighly addicted to t<strong>he</strong> internet.MY: How do you feel about t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong>culture?TC: T<strong>he</strong> tradition of this culture is sopatriarchal (ruled by men) <strong>and</strong> its valuesare completely sexist. Honestly, I just hateit. Quite frankly, a culture doesn’t defineyou, just as personality or characterwouldn’t. T<strong>he</strong>y’re just aspects of a person.Sure, your roots <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>ritage or what notalong t<strong>he</strong> ancestral line relates to culture,but so does t<strong>he</strong> present <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong> soon to<strong>be</strong> future. T<strong>he</strong>refore, I don’t feel t<strong>he</strong> needto <strong>be</strong> all “rah rah I’m “<strong>Hmong</strong>er” about<strong>be</strong>ing “<strong>Hmong</strong>er”. Growing up in certain<strong>place</strong>s most definitely allows someone totake on a different persona, but that’s justhow someone’s raised. Don’t question it<strong>and</strong> peace will actually have a chance toovercome.MY: What is a “<strong>Hmong</strong>er”?TC: A <strong>Hmong</strong> person, with an er on t<strong>he</strong> end.MY: W<strong>he</strong>n was it w<strong>he</strong>n you decided not toembrace <strong>be</strong>ing <strong>Hmong</strong>?TC: No. With me, it was always my upbringing.I’ve just always grown up withwhite kids. <strong>Hmong</strong>ers never truly intriguedme, w<strong>he</strong>t<strong>he</strong>r I was or not. I simply didn’tcare.MY: What specifically about t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong>culture <strong>and</strong> it’s value do you disagree with?TC: Patron over matron. Upbringing ofchildren. Separation of sexes. Each sexes’deeds - what t<strong>he</strong>y’re entitled to. Howt<strong>he</strong>y’re treated. T<strong>he</strong> effects of a negativeoutcome. T<strong>he</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards of living & doingwell in anything.MY: What in your life has influenced youto step outside of your culture?TC: On a successful aspect, it’s t<strong>he</strong> idea ofmajority versus minority. As a “<strong>Hmong</strong>er“,you’re automatically t<strong>he</strong> minority <strong>be</strong>causeyou don’t have blue eyes <strong>and</strong> blonde hairor something along t<strong>he</strong> lines of. T<strong>he</strong> majorityget to t<strong>he</strong> top <strong>and</strong> if you don’t, t<strong>he</strong>nyou’re nothing. If you start out nothing <strong>and</strong>you don’t take t<strong>he</strong> effort to do somethingabout it, you end up nothing. On t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>rh<strong>and</strong>, pride itself isn’t visible. It’s t<strong>he</strong> <strong>speak</strong>of, t<strong>he</strong> talk <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong> talk, but no walk of <strong>be</strong>ing“proud” to <strong>be</strong> “<strong>Hmong</strong>er.” Surely onehuman <strong>be</strong>ing <strong>can</strong> st<strong>and</strong> up <strong>and</strong> exclaim oft<strong>he</strong>ir enthusiasm about <strong>be</strong>ing “<strong>Hmong</strong>er“,but it’s never apparent. Nobody trulyknows what a “<strong>Hmong</strong>er” is, <strong>and</strong> personally,I don’t even think a “<strong>Hmong</strong>er” wouldknow what a “<strong>Hmong</strong>er” is supposed to <strong>be</strong>.My upbringing plays a huge role in how Iperceive myself to <strong>be</strong>. I grew up with whitekids, learned how to interact with whitekids, <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong>ing around “<strong>Hmong</strong>ers” was sobrief. I guess you <strong>can</strong> call it habit, not liking“<strong>Hmong</strong>ers” - but I have my own reasonsas to why I don’t like t<strong>he</strong>m.MY: Do you consider yourself <strong>Hmong</strong>?TC: At one point in my life w<strong>he</strong>n I didn’tknow any <strong>be</strong>tter, of course! But as I grewup, I grew out of t<strong>he</strong> phase.MY: How come?TC: I’ve had t<strong>he</strong> negative experiences <strong>and</strong><strong>he</strong>arsay of how “<strong>Hmong</strong>ers” interact wit<strong>he</strong>ach ot<strong>he</strong>r. It’s not something to <strong>be</strong> proudof <strong>and</strong> I suggest if anyone is, don’t startgetting too loud <strong>be</strong>cause someone willput you in your <strong>place</strong>. Besides, I don’t feelt<strong>he</strong> need to always explain myself simply<strong>be</strong>cause I’m “<strong>Hmong</strong>er”. It’s an unnecessarydetail. Personally, I’m just not “<strong>Hmong</strong>er“.Assume or think what you’d like, but youhave no right to tell me ot<strong>he</strong>rwise.MY: Do you <strong>speak</strong> or underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong>?TC: I <strong>can</strong> <strong>speak</strong> a little “<strong>Hmong</strong>er” <strong>and</strong> I<strong>can</strong> underst<strong>and</strong> most of it. Speak slowly<strong>and</strong> we’re totally good. T<strong>he</strong> only personwhom I actually communicate with in14 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
.“<strong>Hmong</strong>er” is my Gr<strong>and</strong>ma.MY: What do you feel w<strong>he</strong>n you are surroundedby a lot of <strong>Hmong</strong> people?TC: I feel completely lost. It’s like I don’tknow w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong> <strong>he</strong>ck I am <strong>and</strong> it’s disgusting.Being around t<strong>he</strong>se complete strangersgets uncomfortable. I’m always stared at,regardless of t<strong>he</strong> reason why <strong>and</strong> it’s notany welcoming presence.MY: If you don’t consider yourself <strong>Hmong</strong>,t<strong>he</strong>n what do you consider yourself to <strong>be</strong>?TC: White-was<strong>he</strong>d <strong>and</strong> pretty proud of it.I’m not ashamed of <strong>be</strong>ing spoken about insuch a bad manner. I am what I am <strong>and</strong> Ilove white kids. T<strong>he</strong>y know how to get t<strong>he</strong>irthings done <strong>and</strong> over with. But ot<strong>he</strong>r than,if I have t<strong>he</strong> choice - I prefer not to answerat all. It’s not an obligation to answer to astranger what my ethnicity is. If anyone’swondering, that’s t<strong>he</strong>ir problem, not mine.MY: What does your family say about this?TC: My Gr<strong>and</strong>ma thinks I’m an absolutedisgrace. And my mot<strong>he</strong>r, thinks that I’ma bad child. Add t<strong>he</strong> part of - extendedfamily <strong>he</strong>lp to that list of disagreeing.MY: Any last words for everyone out t<strong>he</strong>re?TC: Not keeping in touch with your innerroots isn’t exactly t<strong>he</strong> most horrible thing int<strong>he</strong> world. You remem<strong>be</strong>r who you are <strong>and</strong>t<strong>he</strong>n you get over that. You do what youneed to do <strong>and</strong> make yourself satisfied. Ifthat includes refusing to claim such an ethnicity,t<strong>he</strong>n you do it. No one has t<strong>he</strong> right totell you what you are. If you love embracingyour culture, you embrace as you please.Make your way to t<strong>he</strong> top <strong>and</strong> disregardwhat everyone else has to say. No one willlike you simply <strong>be</strong>cause you’re “<strong>Hmong</strong>er”nor will anyone hate you, but me.Richard Castillo is of Domini<strong>can</strong> descent. Heis eighteen years old <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>’s a freshmenin college. He plans to <strong>be</strong>come a computerprogrammer. Richard is very outgoing <strong>and</strong>extremely polite. He is very entertaining<strong>and</strong> <strong>can</strong> always light up a room with hisjokes. Some of his hobbies are working out,kick boxing, drawing, <strong>and</strong> reading.MY: How do you feel about t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture?RC: T<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture is a part of my life,it’s a part of me. I like it <strong>and</strong> I think its gota lot of good traditions, but times arechanging so t<strong>he</strong> culture has to change alittle bit, not entirely. Some people throwit away completely <strong>and</strong> just adopt t<strong>he</strong>Ameri<strong>can</strong> way of life. Yeah I don’t agreewith some of t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> youth today w<strong>he</strong>nt<strong>he</strong>y regard people who came <strong>he</strong>re fromThail<strong>and</strong> or Laos as “fresh off t<strong>he</strong> boat” or“HTT,” like it’s a bad thing or something. Idon’t think that’s how t<strong>he</strong>y should <strong>be</strong> thinking,<strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>ir parents were like thatat some point <strong>and</strong> may<strong>be</strong> even t<strong>he</strong>y were.It doesn’t really matter, that’s w<strong>he</strong>re yourparents came from, <strong>and</strong> you should makethat a part of your life <strong>be</strong>cause culture isidentity, <strong>and</strong> if you don’t have culture t<strong>he</strong>nyou’re lost. If you’re <strong>Hmong</strong> t<strong>he</strong>n you havea culture already. Why would you want tothrow it away <strong>and</strong> go get anot<strong>he</strong>r culture,regardless on w<strong>he</strong>t<strong>he</strong>r you like or don’t likesomething about it, you don’t have to throwt<strong>he</strong> whole culture away.MY: What in your life has influenced you tostep outside of your culture?RC: Well, w<strong>he</strong>n I was a little kid, I lived inFrogtown so I would always see differentcultures all around me, like kids my age, <strong>and</strong>I would always want to play with t<strong>he</strong>m. Butback t<strong>he</strong>n it wasn’t culturally acceptable toplay with [people of] different races. Everyonekind of sticks with t<strong>he</strong>ir own race. Iwould see a few <strong>Hmong</strong> kids my age, <strong>and</strong>I would ask t<strong>he</strong>m if I could play tag witht<strong>he</strong>m, <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y would <strong>be</strong> like “Uh, we haveRichard Castillo with editor, Meng Yangto go home,” <strong>and</strong> just leave. But you know,t<strong>he</strong>y don’t really have to go home, but youknow, its all good. It’s how t<strong>he</strong>y grew up.So w<strong>he</strong>n I moved, I met my friends that Ihave now, <strong>and</strong> I kind of got introduced tot<strong>he</strong> culture <strong>and</strong> I’d go over to t<strong>he</strong>ir house<strong>and</strong> I’ll ask “Hey man, why is your mom doingthat?” And t<strong>he</strong>y’d tell me that it’s a partof t<strong>he</strong> culture <strong>and</strong> stuff. Over t<strong>he</strong> years Ijust picked up little things <strong>and</strong> I like it, I likesome of t<strong>he</strong> stuff t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture does<strong>and</strong> has.MY: What does your family feel about yourclose connection to t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community?RC: T<strong>he</strong>y support it. T<strong>he</strong>y think its cool thatI’ve embraced anot<strong>he</strong>r culture.MY: Do you not like your own culture <strong>and</strong>values?RC: I do like it, t<strong>he</strong>re’s nothing wrong withmy culture. I didn’t embrace t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> cultureas a re<strong>place</strong>ment for mine.MY: What specifically about t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culturedo you like?RC: T<strong>he</strong> manners; t<strong>he</strong> respect.MY: Do you <strong>speak</strong> or underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong>?RC: Umm, at first I never really tried to underst<strong>and</strong><strong>Hmong</strong>. I just figured I stay outWinter 2008 HmoobTeen / 15
T<strong>he</strong>me Featureof t<strong>he</strong> conversation w<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong>y’re <strong>speak</strong>ing<strong>Hmong</strong> but t<strong>he</strong>n after awhile I started askingmy friends, “<strong>he</strong>y, what does that mean?”like little words, <strong>and</strong> yeah t<strong>he</strong>y would tellme, <strong>and</strong> over t<strong>he</strong> years I picked up somewords, some of t<strong>he</strong> basics. But I <strong>can</strong>’t have aconversation in <strong>Hmong</strong>, but if you try to dissme or something, I’ll know.MY: What do you feel w<strong>he</strong>n you are surroundedby a lot of <strong>Hmong</strong> people?RC: Like at t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> New Year, at firstI feel really uncomfortable <strong>be</strong>cause everyonelooks at you, t<strong>he</strong>y may not stare butt<strong>he</strong>y’ll look at you once <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y’ll realizeI’m not <strong>Hmong</strong> <strong>and</strong> I don’t know whatt<strong>he</strong>y’re thinking, t<strong>he</strong>y might <strong>be</strong> like “Oh whyis <strong>he</strong> <strong>he</strong>re?” Some people might <strong>be</strong> like,“Oh that’s cool.” As time went by, I stoppedcaring, <strong>be</strong>cause it doesn’t matter what t<strong>he</strong>ythink. It’s <strong>be</strong>come more socially acceptableto go to <strong>Hmong</strong> events <strong>be</strong>cause I see it <strong>be</strong>ingmore diverse now. I kind of feel more atease now. But w<strong>he</strong>n I go to traditional parties,I would not want to go inside <strong>be</strong>causet<strong>he</strong>re are so many of t<strong>he</strong> older adults, <strong>and</strong>I feel t<strong>he</strong> most uncomfortable w<strong>he</strong>n I’m inthat situation.MY: What type of girl do you plan on marrying?RC: Well <strong>be</strong>cause I’ve <strong>be</strong>en hanging outwith my <strong>Hmong</strong> friends so long, I <strong>he</strong>ar t<strong>he</strong>mtalking about <strong>Hmong</strong> girls <strong>and</strong> stuff. Aftera while I started liking t<strong>he</strong>m, like a lot, <strong>and</strong>now I only like t<strong>he</strong>m. It sounds messed up,but I really only date <strong>Hmong</strong> girls. I thinkit’s for that reason, t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture is soengraved in me. So if I only date <strong>Hmong</strong>girls, what type of girl do you think I’m goingto marry? But you never know.MY: Any last words?RC: I think that some <strong>Hmong</strong> culture stuff,like t<strong>he</strong> girl should <strong>be</strong> at home <strong>and</strong> cook<strong>and</strong> clean. That’s not cool, I think that should<strong>be</strong> shared, <strong>be</strong>cause times are changing. T<strong>he</strong>guy <strong>can</strong>’t always <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong> bread maker. Ithink that’s why most girlsare staying away fromt<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> culture <strong>and</strong>not going for <strong>Hmong</strong>guys <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y’reafraid to <strong>be</strong> trappedin t<strong>he</strong> same thing t<strong>he</strong>irmom’s are in. You shouldaccept your culture. Youdon’t have to <strong>be</strong> likeyour mom, you <strong>can</strong> stillembrace ot<strong>he</strong>r peoplesculture, <strong>and</strong> still maintainyour own. Or you<strong>can</strong> just not follow whatyou don’t like about t<strong>he</strong>culture <strong>and</strong> still take int<strong>he</strong> good stuff.We live in a worldw<strong>he</strong>re you <strong>can</strong> <strong>and</strong> willmeet anyone with variousviews on life. If youthink that type of persondoesn’t exist, youhaven’t <strong>be</strong>en lookinghard enough. From t<strong>he</strong>interviews of t<strong>he</strong>se twopeople, I’ve found outabout t<strong>he</strong>ir many differences.But what I foundinteresting was thatt<strong>he</strong>y have some similarities as well (that Iwasn’t expecting). No matter how differenttwo people are; aren’t we all just t<strong>he</strong>same at t<strong>he</strong> end of t<strong>he</strong> day? You <strong>can</strong> thinkwhat you want about t<strong>he</strong> two people I’veinterviewed, but t<strong>he</strong>y won’t care what youthink. Some people accept people like RichardCastillo, who wants to learn <strong>and</strong> get involvedwith t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community, but somepeople just hate it. T<strong>he</strong>y think that <strong>Hmong</strong>people should only date <strong>and</strong> talk to <strong>Hmong</strong>people. In your mind, is that right? We livein America, <strong>and</strong> in America we have t<strong>he</strong>freedom to do whatever we want <strong>and</strong> getto know whoever we want. On t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>rh<strong>and</strong>, we have people that will disagreewith Tammy Chang <strong>be</strong>cause s<strong>he</strong> chooses notto follow <strong>Hmong</strong> cultural values. Does thismake <strong>he</strong>r a bad person? Absolutely not. Everyonehas t<strong>he</strong>ir reason for doing what t<strong>he</strong>ydo. It’s one’s choice <strong>and</strong> it’s one’s life. We allact like t<strong>he</strong> world is a game of who is t<strong>he</strong><strong>be</strong>tter race or ethnicity. But w<strong>he</strong>n you lookdeep into this, aren’t we all just t<strong>he</strong> samerace? No race is <strong>be</strong>tter than t<strong>he</strong> next race.Eit<strong>he</strong>r you want to <strong>be</strong> who you are, or youchoose who you want to <strong>be</strong>come.16 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008Artwork by Mee Vang, 16, St. Paul, MN
By S<strong>he</strong>rri Xiong, HmoobTeen Editor, 17, Brooklyn Park MNBack in Asia, w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> live in t<strong>he</strong> high mountain peaksoff of <strong>be</strong>autiful horizons, each day young ladies, mot<strong>he</strong>rs <strong>and</strong>gr<strong>and</strong>mas would work so hard to design a <strong>be</strong>autiful piece ofwork for t<strong>he</strong> upcoming New Year celebration. <strong>Hmong</strong> womenback t<strong>he</strong>n would use t<strong>he</strong>ir time wisely to sew <strong>and</strong> stitch each<strong>and</strong> every piece of t<strong>he</strong> paj ntaub toget<strong>he</strong>r until t<strong>he</strong>y get t<strong>he</strong>final master piece. Embroider with bright colors <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong>autifulpatterned designs.It’s <strong>be</strong>en asked, why is it that our fashion trends seems to getsimpler <strong>and</strong> simpler each year? Well t<strong>he</strong> answer comes downto changes in our lifestyles in t<strong>he</strong> United States <strong>and</strong> how muchtime we have on our h<strong>and</strong>s. Since living in t<strong>he</strong> United States,most mot<strong>he</strong>rs are busy out working to bring in an income topay monthly bills. T<strong>he</strong>y just don’t have that kind of leisuretime to stitch up <strong>and</strong> embroider t<strong>he</strong> outfits. T<strong>he</strong>se outfits arevery time consuming. And w<strong>he</strong>n people do come home fromwork, t<strong>he</strong>y are often too tired to work on t<strong>he</strong> outfits.With t<strong>he</strong> development of flea markets in t<strong>he</strong> past few years,it has made it more convenient to buy <strong>Hmong</strong> clot<strong>he</strong>s. If youcome to t<strong>he</strong> flea market you will luckily find t<strong>he</strong> entire fashiontrends of <strong>Hmong</strong> clot<strong>he</strong>s t<strong>he</strong>re. This is anot<strong>he</strong>r reason whymot<strong>he</strong>rs will not take t<strong>he</strong> time to make an outfit. Why make itw<strong>he</strong>n you’re too busy <strong>and</strong> <strong>can</strong> easily go to t<strong>he</strong> flea market.In addition, as time changes, we have developed technologythat takes on t<strong>he</strong> responsibility of all t<strong>he</strong> hard-long labor ofstitching one stitch at a time. So instead of making one pairof outfit you <strong>can</strong> make like three within less time. Of courseit’s not t<strong>he</strong> same <strong>be</strong>autiful h<strong>and</strong> made enric<strong>he</strong>d stitc<strong>he</strong>d workno more. Yet this time, it’s more of patterns colliding into oneoutcome.Even though t<strong>he</strong> outfits of t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community have changedovertime, it doesn’t seem to <strong>be</strong> a matter for t<strong>he</strong> younger <strong>teens</strong>now <strong>and</strong> days. T<strong>he</strong>y would rat<strong>he</strong>r prefer simple clot<strong>he</strong>s withless <strong>he</strong>avy layers. This also makes it easy to go to t<strong>he</strong> restroomtoo! As we <strong>can</strong> see this is mainly t<strong>he</strong> reason for t<strong>he</strong>changes in our traditional <strong>Hmong</strong> clot<strong>he</strong>s.Yam ntuj thaum peb tsoom hmoob tseem nyob tim hav tsuassiab puag sawm ib tas ntuj ua ntej thaum lub hnub tawm tuaj.Txhua tus me ntxhais, niam tias, pog sawv daws los pib npajib xyoo los xaus yuav rov txog lub caij mus ua si noj tsiabpeb caug. Lawv txhua tus ib pab xaws paj ntaub, tsam txogcaij ces me tub me ntxhais tsis tau ib cev tshiab hnav mus nrogtxais tos xyoo tshiab.Tau ntau lub xyoo los no hmoob cov tsoo khaws caws tau pauvlos mus ntau <strong>he</strong>ev lawm. Ib xyoo twg zoo li hmoob tus tes pajntaub pib ploj zus zus lawm xwb. Vim hais tias txij thaumhmoob tuaj nyob rau lub teb chaw vam meej no tsis muaj leejtwg tiag yuav ms lub caij coj los xaws paj ntaub lawm, vimmuaj nuj qis ntau <strong>he</strong>ev. Tsis tas li xwb tuaj txog teb chawsme kas no lawm ces lawv muaj cov tshuab ua pab xaws tausai ces nws thiaj li ua rau peb hmoob tsis muaj siab rov musxaw nrog yus ob txais tes lawm. Nyob rau lub teb chaws nohmoob mus tsim tau ib lub chaws tshaj puas ua muag tej pajntaub khaws caws, ces yog thaum yuav txog caij mus ua si tostxais tshiab peb caug ces feem ntau cov niam tuaj mus xaiszam rau law cov me nyuam.Lub caij lub nyoog dhau mus zus zus txiij thaum hmoob tautuaj nyob teb chaws mes kas no lawv tau tuaj si tej tshuabxaws khaws caws ua pab ua txoj hauj lwm mus yoom yij.Thaum tau txais txoj kev pab no lawm tsis tas yuav si sij hawmntev los twb ua tau ob peb cev khaws caws lawm. Ces khawscaws yeej tseem zoo nkauj tab sis nws yuav tsis zoo cuag licev ua yus sij yus ob txais tes coj los ua.Tsis tas li ntawm xwb cov hluas niam no lawv tsis nyiam yuavhnav cov khaws caws lawv vim hai tias muaj ntau yam uayus yuav tau hnav thiaj li yuav zoo. Ces txawm tias tiam nosi me me lawm los cov hluas thiaj li yuav kam hnav. Tawmcov khaws caws tshiab no pauv ntau lawm los nws tseem rwshmoob lub npe thiab tus tes paj ntaub.Tos li no peb thiaj li tau pom hmoob cov tsoom tsho pauv lostau ntau xyoo no thiab txawm lawm.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 17
Interracial Dating: Joua’s StoryBy Nhia “Monie” Lee, Hmoobteen Editor, 18, Minneapolis, MN“A lot of t<strong>he</strong><strong>Hmong</strong> from t<strong>he</strong>older generationare not acceptingof some peoplesimply <strong>be</strong>cause oft<strong>he</strong> color or culturet<strong>he</strong>y are from <strong>and</strong>that puts a lot ofstrain on relationships.”Many young <strong>Hmong</strong> Ameri<strong>can</strong>s have to deal with an intimate relationshiptowards a different nationality. Some have to hide or lieto t<strong>he</strong>ir parents about t<strong>he</strong> situation. Reading this article might <strong>he</strong>lpyou deal with your situation.Joua is a young woman. S<strong>he</strong> was scared to approach <strong>he</strong>r parentsabout <strong>he</strong>r boyfriend at first <strong>be</strong>cause <strong>he</strong>r boyfriend was not<strong>Hmong</strong>. It took <strong>he</strong>r about a couple months <strong>be</strong>fore s<strong>he</strong> built up t<strong>he</strong>courage to bring him around <strong>he</strong>r family. Joua said that <strong>he</strong>r parentsdon’t mind <strong>he</strong>r <strong>be</strong>ing friends with him but strongly suggestedthat s<strong>he</strong> hangs out with him less <strong>and</strong> avoid dating him. S<strong>he</strong> resisted<strong>he</strong>r parents <strong>and</strong> by re<strong>be</strong>lling s<strong>he</strong> actually told t<strong>he</strong>m that t<strong>he</strong>y aredating. T<strong>he</strong> hardest thing during t<strong>he</strong>ir relationship was to dealwith <strong>he</strong>r parents <strong>and</strong> relatives who do not approve dating outsideof t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community. Joua stated, “A lot of t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> fromt<strong>he</strong> older generation are not accepting of some people simply<strong>be</strong>cause of t<strong>he</strong> color, skin, or culture t<strong>he</strong>y form <strong>and</strong> that puts a lotof strain on relationships.”Her parents think that <strong>he</strong> is a very nice, polite, <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>lpful guy<strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>r dad is interested in his Salvadorian culture. However, t<strong>he</strong>ydo not approve of him as <strong>he</strong>r boyfriend. Sometimes, Joua hadto argue with <strong>he</strong>r parents about race. S<strong>he</strong> tries to point out thatrace does not define a person <strong>and</strong> that people shouldn’t judgesomebody based on stereotypes. Joua’s boyfriend knows that <strong>he</strong>rparents does not approve him but t<strong>he</strong> only thing s<strong>he</strong> <strong>can</strong> do is encourage<strong>he</strong>r boyfriend to <strong>be</strong> himself so that someday <strong>he</strong>r parentswill see that <strong>he</strong> is a genuinely great guy.After going through this tough situation, <strong>he</strong> felt bad, but <strong>he</strong> understoodt<strong>he</strong> situation. On t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r side, w<strong>he</strong>n his parents first metJoua, s<strong>he</strong> said t<strong>he</strong>y loved <strong>he</strong>r. T<strong>he</strong>y called <strong>he</strong>r chinita (which basicallymeans Asian girl). It did not offend <strong>he</strong>r though. T<strong>he</strong>y thinks<strong>he</strong>’s <strong>be</strong>autiful <strong>and</strong> smart. “Honestly”, s<strong>he</strong> said “I think his parentsare glad to see that t<strong>he</strong>ir son has a girlfriend.” S<strong>he</strong> says his parentsare very open-minded <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y accepted <strong>he</strong>r automatically<strong>be</strong>cause race is not an issue in t<strong>he</strong>ir family. T<strong>he</strong>y have many family<strong>and</strong> friends who are of different nationalities.After going through this situation s<strong>he</strong> said, “It’s not t<strong>he</strong> color [of aperson’s skin] but t<strong>he</strong> [person’s] identity that plays a big role for<strong>Hmong</strong> parents.” Her dad says that t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> will soon lose t<strong>he</strong>irlanguage, <strong>he</strong>ritage, <strong>and</strong> culture <strong>be</strong>cause we are marrying differentraces. Joua disagree with his thoughts <strong>be</strong>cause s<strong>he</strong> <strong>be</strong>lievesthat culture does not depend on t<strong>he</strong> man or woman you marry. Itdepends on your dedication to keeping your culture alive. “W<strong>he</strong>nit comes down to relationships, romance, <strong>and</strong> love- it’s your happinessyou should worry about, not t<strong>he</strong>irs,” s<strong>he</strong> reinforced.Joua’s advises to people in similar situation is to DO NOT arguewith your parents. It will only make things worse. Treat t<strong>he</strong>m withrespect <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong>y’ll treat you t<strong>he</strong> same way. Try to educate youparents, gr<strong>and</strong>parents, <strong>and</strong> relatives about race <strong>and</strong> may<strong>be</strong> evenlet t<strong>he</strong>m meet some of your non-<strong>Hmong</strong> friends. T<strong>he</strong>y’ll realize thatrace really doesn’t define a person.18 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
A Matter of PerspectiveBy Anonymous, 19, Anoka, MNInterracial dating is a forbidden topic in t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community. A topic never discussed enough <strong>and</strong> needs to <strong>be</strong>! This is a topic that isalways avoided <strong>be</strong>cause of what ot<strong>he</strong>rs may say or do. Those who <strong>be</strong>lieve in interracial dating are said to <strong>be</strong> a disgrace. Those who<strong>be</strong>lieve in it fight t<strong>he</strong> battle that should never even <strong>be</strong> fought; a battle that involves family <strong>and</strong> culture distress. Why does it matter? Loveis unconditional. As t<strong>he</strong> saying goes, “Love is blind.” It’s a matter of perspective. Dating outside t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> race does not mean you areinsecure about yourself. It does not mean you hate yourself. And, it surely does not mean you hate t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> race!Some may <strong>be</strong>lieve that individuals outside t<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> race <strong>can</strong>not <strong>be</strong> trusted or loved <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>y are different <strong>and</strong> not <strong>Hmong</strong>, howeverthat is not true. T<strong>he</strong>y are human <strong>be</strong>ings as well <strong>and</strong> should not <strong>be</strong> treated any different. Why treat t<strong>he</strong>m so different, I say. W<strong>he</strong>nin reality t<strong>he</strong>y aren’t that different from us. T<strong>he</strong>ir <strong>he</strong>arts <strong>be</strong>at <strong>and</strong> only long for love <strong>and</strong> happiness as we do. Don’t <strong>be</strong> so ignorant thatw<strong>he</strong>n it comes to happiness <strong>and</strong> love, t<strong>he</strong> thing that stops you is t<strong>he</strong> color of someone else’s skin. Do not <strong>be</strong> so blind to criticize those whoare different from you <strong>and</strong> know that love takes you anyw<strong>he</strong>re <strong>and</strong> with anyone. Think about it. It’s a matter of perspective that shouldnot <strong>be</strong> ignored, however accepted <strong>and</strong> appreciated.Love, Not RaceSent in AnonymouslyW<strong>he</strong>n we’re toget<strong>he</strong>r out in public, people don’t say anything to us. T<strong>he</strong>y usually just give us rude uncomfortable stares. We kind of ignore<strong>and</strong> laugh at t<strong>he</strong>m. Even though people don’t say anything to us w<strong>he</strong>n we’re out in public, t<strong>he</strong>re are mean words <strong>and</strong> disrespectful commentsexchanged on Myspace <strong>and</strong> Asiantown [pages].My boyfriend’s family <strong>and</strong> friends think nothing of me <strong>be</strong>ing Asian. T<strong>he</strong>y see me as a nice girl. My family on t<strong>he</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r h<strong>and</strong> is quite verydifferent- let me rephrase that about me <strong>and</strong> everything, I know my parents care about me. I underst<strong>and</strong> that, but t<strong>he</strong>y trip about myboyfriend <strong>be</strong>ing an Afri<strong>can</strong> Ameri<strong>can</strong>. T<strong>he</strong>y would listen to our phone calls, take away all t<strong>he</strong> house phones <strong>and</strong> hide t<strong>he</strong>m. Not to mentionmy cell phone. My mom tells me that every guy just wants sex<strong>and</strong> that t<strong>he</strong>y’ll break my <strong>he</strong>art. Right after that, s<strong>he</strong> tells me toget a <strong>Hmong</strong> boyfriend. This is kinda contradicting, right?T<strong>he</strong>y’ve tried to break us up many times but it never works.Even though we don’t like t<strong>he</strong> racial comments <strong>and</strong> slurs t<strong>he</strong>ymake <strong>and</strong> how t<strong>he</strong>y call him “kaydoo” instead of his name.We’re going through it one step at a time. Some of my friends<strong>and</strong> a couple mem<strong>be</strong>rs of my family are actually supportivesomewhat. Some <strong>he</strong>lp me through t<strong>he</strong> really tough time at t<strong>he</strong><strong>be</strong>ginning of t<strong>he</strong> relationship.We know we’re young but if you know us well enough, t<strong>he</strong>nyou know who we are <strong>and</strong> we don’t throw t<strong>he</strong> word “love”around like it’s worthless. We have values we follow <strong>and</strong>dreams we’re going to make come true. We don’t see eachot<strong>he</strong>r as some race, only, as t<strong>he</strong> one we love.Artwork by P<strong>he</strong>ng Her, Minneapolis, MNMay<strong>be</strong>By Xue Lee, 17, Minneapolis, MNMay<strong>be</strong> s<strong>he</strong> might <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong> one that will love me.May<strong>be</strong> s<strong>he</strong> might <strong>be</strong> my angel.May<strong>be</strong> s<strong>he</strong> might <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong> one that take me out of t<strong>he</strong> dark.May<strong>be</strong> s<strong>he</strong> might <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong> one that God send in to save me.May<strong>be</strong> s<strong>he</strong> might <strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong> one that will make me happy<strong>and</strong> not lonely.But all I know is a may<strong>be</strong> only.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 19
PoemI converse with elders to interrogate for thirstFirst, I ain’t neva mis<strong>place</strong>d my native language since birthNever too Ameri<strong>can</strong>izedVim kuv tseem txawj haas luj MoobAnd twist around what t<strong>he</strong>y say cause America is my homeBe aware that t<strong>he</strong>re ain’t neva <strong>be</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> in ‘em history textbooksAnd sadly I conceive that we’re losing our <strong>be</strong>st rootsWho is gonna <strong>be</strong> next to flex t<strong>he</strong>a two tongue consecutively in order to stay freshTest my mic, you ain’t never gon’ impress me yo <strong>be</strong>stPerniciousProp<strong>he</strong>cyBy Bao Xiong, HmoobTeen Editor, 16,St. Paul, MNArtwork by David Vang, St. Paul, MNIgnorant kids lacks knowledge of our originsIgnorant lives cause each day t<strong>he</strong>re’s more who listenSons seize a drumDaughters starts to strumI hum to t<strong>he</strong> melodious <strong>be</strong>at t<strong>he</strong>y sungI wonder, “w<strong>he</strong>re’s t<strong>he</strong> instruments we’ve brought?”<strong>Hmong</strong> violin to t<strong>he</strong> mouth organ, we have a whole plotBut some decides to practice ot<strong>he</strong>rs, cause t<strong>he</strong>y <strong>be</strong>lieve we <strong>can</strong>’t rockWe live in a society w<strong>he</strong>re it’s a melting potFo’ my unborn children <strong>and</strong> fo’ myselfI feel I ain’t gonna have a rooster leadin’ my way to <strong>he</strong>llMiscommunication leads us to distinct individualsRitual ceremonies ain’t gonna happen unless if my dream’s visualMy prop<strong>he</strong>cy sees fart<strong>he</strong>r than a mob’s gun shotAnd if it takes oneI’ll sacrifice just so we <strong>can</strong> reach t<strong>he</strong> topDon’t laugh at me cause I’m full of dignityAnd if you hate what I sayIt’s cause you ain’t feelin’ meArtwork by David Vang, St. Paul, MN20 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
Finding a Job Just Got EasierBy Blia Vue, <strong>Hmong</strong>Teen 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 positionthat is available for you now. You may apply again at a later time. Thank you.”How many times have you <strong>he</strong>ard or seen this message? During aphone conversation, an interview, or was it written on a little cardinside an envelope? Don’t you just hate getting this message everytime you wants to try out something new <strong>and</strong> just was never givent<strong>he</strong> chance? Is finding a job easy? Of course not! Finding a job isn’teasy at all, you shouldn’t expect to get any job just <strong>be</strong>cause youfilled out an application. That’s not how reality works, if you wantt<strong>he</strong> job, you have to put efforts into getting one.So what kinds of jobs are actually available out t<strong>he</strong>re? Well, sincewe all have school to go during t<strong>he</strong> day, our options to finding t<strong>he</strong>job we are interest in is not that great. However, t<strong>he</strong>re are jobsavailable everyw<strong>he</strong>re, such as fast food restaurants (McDonald’s,Burger Kings <strong>and</strong> etc.) mall stores, <strong>and</strong> baby-sitting. As a federallaw, anyone over t<strong>he</strong> age of 16 <strong>can</strong> obtain a part-time job as longas t<strong>he</strong>y return home <strong>be</strong>fore curfew. But for those who are 15 <strong>and</strong>14 years old, finding a job is more difficult, but it is not hopeless.You <strong>can</strong> find jobs during t<strong>he</strong> summer <strong>and</strong> make easy money by doingchores around t<strong>he</strong> house. But also remem<strong>be</strong>r that finding a jobis not just about money (part of it is t<strong>he</strong> money) but t<strong>he</strong> importantthing is t<strong>he</strong> skills you will <strong>be</strong> learning. T<strong>he</strong>se skills, such as, customerservice, communication, teamwork, leadership, <strong>and</strong> management,will <strong>be</strong> skills you need for your future professional job.So you need a job <strong>and</strong> don’t know w<strong>he</strong>re to start? Here’s some tipsto <strong>he</strong>lp you get started!Tips For Finding A Job:1. First figure out what you are good at <strong>and</strong> what interests you.2. Create a resume on decent weight, non-white paper –make sure to spell c<strong>he</strong>ck <strong>and</strong> make sure that everything is truewith your updated contact information.3. Tell your friends, teac<strong>he</strong>rs, neighbors, or relative that youare looking for work, so that w<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong>y know of <strong>place</strong>s thatare hiring, t<strong>he</strong>y will call you.4. Look online, such as www.eac-mn.org/youthjobs.htm,www.snagajob.com, <strong>and</strong> ot<strong>he</strong>r online resources are alwaysa big <strong>he</strong>lp. T<strong>he</strong>y have everything!5. Walk into a store you like <strong>and</strong> ask if t<strong>he</strong>y are hiring. Younever know if t<strong>he</strong>y are or not.6. Baby-sit, mow lawn, shovel snow, or volunteer – we allhave to start somew<strong>he</strong>re.Once you’ve applied <strong>and</strong> received a phone call for an in-personinterview. You also have to <strong>be</strong> prepare. In t<strong>he</strong> interview, employersare looking to see if you <strong>can</strong> communicate well <strong>and</strong> contributeto t<strong>he</strong>ir business or mission. Interviews <strong>can</strong> also <strong>be</strong> very scary, especiallyw<strong>he</strong>n it’s your first time. Finding a job is indeed hard, butinterview are actually relatively easy. Just follow t<strong>he</strong>se steps <strong>be</strong>low<strong>he</strong>re, for sure t<strong>he</strong> next time that you go for an interview, you won’t<strong>be</strong> disappointed!10 Easy Tips During Your Job Interview:1. Show a positive attitude! Show that you are open-minded <strong>and</strong>willing to learn. Smile, don’t make a faces, <strong>be</strong>cause first impressionsis most important, you won’t <strong>be</strong> given a second chance! So make itt<strong>he</strong> <strong>be</strong>st you <strong>can</strong>.2. Be willing to work independently, on a team, <strong>and</strong> with diverseco-workers.3. Be flexible about what kind of work hours that t<strong>he</strong>y required.4. Speak confidently <strong>and</strong> try not to stutter a lot. Don’t look too nervousor too happy, just relax <strong>and</strong> <strong>be</strong> yourself.5. W<strong>he</strong>n <strong>be</strong>ing asked a question, answer t<strong>he</strong> question fully <strong>and</strong>don’t just nod your <strong>he</strong>ad up <strong>and</strong> down or answer with a yes or no.8. W<strong>he</strong>n <strong>speak</strong>ing, look straight into t<strong>he</strong> person’s eyes <strong>and</strong> don’tw<strong>and</strong>er off or space-out too much.9. Shake h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> always thank to t<strong>he</strong> person whom you had t<strong>he</strong>interview with.10. Practice with a friend <strong>be</strong>fore going into an interview so youknow what to expect. Practice makes perfect!If you follow t<strong>he</strong>se easy tips, t<strong>he</strong>re are possibilities that you willget t<strong>he</strong> job that you desire. But <strong>he</strong>y, if you didn’t, t<strong>he</strong>n don’t feeltoo bad <strong>be</strong>cause t<strong>he</strong>re are still lots of opportunities out t<strong>he</strong>re waitingfor you. Just feel good that you had given all your <strong>be</strong>st. Don’tstop searching just <strong>be</strong>cause you didn’t get t<strong>he</strong> job that you wanted,but keep on looking. You’ll find one somehow. May<strong>be</strong> that wasn’tt<strong>he</strong> right job for you. Most of t<strong>he</strong> time employers are looking forpeople that <strong>can</strong> also fit into t<strong>he</strong> culture of t<strong>he</strong> business. May<strong>be</strong> t<strong>he</strong>yhave too many talkative people on t<strong>he</strong>ir staff <strong>and</strong> are looking fora different person with different personalities. Also, don’t give up,<strong>be</strong>cause all of your hard efforts of searching will pay off one day!Like I said, think about t<strong>he</strong> skills you will gain to use for your futurejobs. One day you will look back <strong>and</strong> see how easy this is. Workingshould <strong>be</strong> fun so find t<strong>he</strong> one that you will enjoy.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 21
Public Health IssueSLG: What abBy Pa Yong Xiong, HmoobTeen editor, 17, St. Paul, MN <strong>and</strong> Am<strong>and</strong>a MouaIf you saw someone <strong>be</strong>ing pus<strong>he</strong>daround at school or ostracized, wouldyou do something about it? Whatif this person was you? Would youknow that it is wrong? Who wouldyou tell? Would anyone <strong>be</strong> able to<strong>he</strong>lp you?<strong>Hmong</strong> Ameri<strong>can</strong> Partnership’s ServiceLearning Group (SLG) has <strong>be</strong>enmeeting every Wednesday for t<strong>he</strong>past year to learn about bullying<strong>and</strong> find ways to <strong>he</strong>lp childrendeal with t<strong>he</strong> issue in school. Bullyingis defined as taking power oversomeone <strong>and</strong> making t<strong>he</strong>m feel vulnerable<strong>and</strong> it is a serious problemthat is often overlooked by parents<strong>and</strong> teac<strong>he</strong>rs. Bullying should not <strong>be</strong>seen as just a part of t<strong>he</strong> growing upexperience but a problem that has adetrimental effects on a child’s selfesteem<strong>and</strong> sense of security. Someof t<strong>he</strong> most extreme effects maylead to suicide or social violencesuch as school shootings.From t<strong>he</strong>ir research, t<strong>he</strong> SLG discoveredthat bullying is most commonamong middle school <strong>teens</strong> but alsoprevalent in elementary schools.T<strong>he</strong>re are many types of bullyingsuch as physical bullying, verbal bullying<strong>and</strong> psychological bullying.Physical bullying is t<strong>he</strong> most commonlyknown type of bullying amongstyouth <strong>and</strong> adults. Physical bullyingincludes hitting, punching, pushing,kicking <strong>and</strong> physically assault. Someonewho bully hope to bring aboutfear <strong>and</strong> intimidation to t<strong>he</strong> persont<strong>he</strong>y hope to take power over. T<strong>he</strong>reason physical bullying is so wellknown is <strong>be</strong>cause it is often t<strong>he</strong> easiestto observe <strong>and</strong> prevent. Most22 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008schools have policies against hittingot<strong>he</strong>r students on school grounds.Physical bullying is also most commonamong males <strong>and</strong> is often seenon playgrounds or play areas.Verbal bullying consists mainly ofthreats <strong>and</strong> verbal harassment.However, verbal bullying is oftenaccompanied by anot<strong>he</strong>r form ofbullying such as physical bullying orpsychological bullying.Psychological bullying is commonamong females. It includes intentionallyexcluding an individual froma group, spreading rumors <strong>and</strong>/orostracizing. Psychological bullyingis also t<strong>he</strong> hardest type of bullyingto address <strong>be</strong>cause it is hard to detect.Bullying is not only harmful to t<strong>he</strong>victim but harmful for t<strong>he</strong> bully aswell. Bullying <strong>be</strong>havior if not addressed<strong>and</strong> corrected earlier in lifemay lead to harassment or assaultcharges as an adult.T<strong>he</strong>re is no way to actually avoid abully. It is never t<strong>he</strong> fault of t<strong>he</strong> victimif t<strong>he</strong>y are selected as a target to<strong>be</strong> bullied. However, t<strong>he</strong>re are waysin which you <strong>can</strong> h<strong>and</strong>le t<strong>he</strong> bullyingsituation. First off, try not to interactwith t<strong>he</strong> bully <strong>be</strong>cause that willonly antagonize t<strong>he</strong>m <strong>and</strong> it would<strong>be</strong> exactly what t<strong>he</strong>y want. Instead,tell a trusted adult right away. Thismay<strong>be</strong> a teac<strong>he</strong>r or even a schoolcounselor. W<strong>he</strong>n you get home, tellyour mot<strong>he</strong>r <strong>and</strong> fat<strong>he</strong>r. It is alwaysimportant for your parents to knowwhat is happening to you at school,especially if it is harmful. Thought<strong>he</strong> school staff may not deal witht<strong>he</strong> problem immediately, you shouldcontinue telling someone on site <strong>and</strong>your parents. This way t<strong>he</strong>y <strong>can</strong> <strong>be</strong>gindocumenting t<strong>he</strong> occurrence. Ift<strong>he</strong> bullying continues <strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong> schoolhas yet to do anything about it, contacta non-profit organization like<strong>Hmong</strong> Ameri<strong>can</strong> Partnership whom<strong>can</strong> advocate on your <strong>be</strong>half <strong>and</strong>bring your concerns to t<strong>he</strong> schoolboard to <strong>be</strong> addressed.Even if you are not <strong>be</strong>ing bulliedbut see it <strong>be</strong>ing done to ot<strong>he</strong>rs, it isalso important to tell a school staffw<strong>he</strong>n you see it occurring. In a surveyconducted by t<strong>he</strong> Service LearningGroup, 59% of youths reportedthat t<strong>he</strong>y see ot<strong>he</strong>r children <strong>be</strong>ingbullied everyday. However, only18% of those youths told a teac<strong>he</strong>ror school staff about what t<strong>he</strong>y hadobserved. Sometimes, teac<strong>he</strong>rs <strong>and</strong>school staffs may also not grasp t<strong>he</strong>severity of bullying in t<strong>he</strong>ir school <strong>be</strong>causet<strong>he</strong>y are not t<strong>he</strong> students. Soit is as important to tell t<strong>he</strong>m aboutbullying so that t<strong>he</strong>y recognize howoften it occurs.T<strong>he</strong> Service Learning Group has alsocreated an informational brochurefor <strong>Hmong</strong> parents about bullying<strong>and</strong> what t<strong>he</strong>y <strong>can</strong> do to <strong>he</strong>lp t<strong>he</strong>irchild if it is happening to t<strong>he</strong>m. Frominterviews conducted by t<strong>he</strong> ServiceLearning Group, t<strong>he</strong> youth havelearned that t<strong>he</strong> majority of <strong>Hmong</strong>parents feel bullying <strong>can</strong> <strong>be</strong> avoided.However, we know that this isnot t<strong>he</strong> case. T<strong>he</strong>refore, SLG includedsteps in t<strong>he</strong> brochure for parentsto take that would assist t<strong>he</strong>ir childthrough bullying situations. For example,one step includes acknowledgingthat it is not your child’s
out Bullying?fault <strong>and</strong> that you are t<strong>he</strong>re tosupport him <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong>r.T<strong>he</strong> SLG also conducted a surveyearlier in June addressing how mucht<strong>he</strong> <strong>Hmong</strong> community knew aboutbullying. Over 200 people weresurveyed in t<strong>he</strong> Dale/Como area<strong>and</strong> t<strong>he</strong> Phalen Lake area.Currently, t<strong>he</strong> SLG is working on abullying skit for t<strong>he</strong>ir project, “ToughEnough!” It will <strong>be</strong> acted out for elementarystudents <strong>and</strong> cover issuessuch as <strong>be</strong>ing a <strong>Hmong</strong> youth newto America <strong>and</strong> how it feels to <strong>be</strong>teased for it.If you are <strong>be</strong>ing bullied or knowsomeone who is <strong>be</strong>ing bullied <strong>and</strong>would like <strong>he</strong>lp, please contact SLGat (651) 495-1500. You may alsocall that num<strong>be</strong>r to receive a t<strong>he</strong>informational parenting brochureon bullying created by t<strong>he</strong> ServiceLearning Group.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 23
24 / HmoobTeen Winter 2008
THROW YOUR HANDS UP FOR THEFar*East MovementBy Bao Xiong, HmoobTeen Editor, 16, St. Paul, MNT<strong>he</strong> Far East Movement or FM as t<strong>he</strong>y are also known,are a combination of four gifted hip hop artists livinglarge <strong>and</strong> holding on to t<strong>he</strong>ir dreams. FM <strong>be</strong>gan withthree high school buddies free styling <strong>and</strong> making musicfor fun <strong>and</strong> soon led on to recording songs at a friend’sadvice. T<strong>he</strong>y attended open-mics <strong>and</strong> coordinated t<strong>he</strong>irown shows to expose t<strong>he</strong>m on to a hig<strong>he</strong>r level. T<strong>he</strong>irname was first formed as a song <strong>and</strong> was later kept ast<strong>he</strong>ir group name to let ot<strong>he</strong>rs know that t<strong>he</strong>y are AsianAmeri<strong>can</strong>s. T<strong>he</strong>ir music is based on emotions <strong>and</strong> is auniversal blend of all kinds of style ranging from country,trance, to swing.FM is made up of DJ Virman, Kev Nish, J-Spliff, <strong>and</strong>Proh Gress. I had t<strong>he</strong> chance to talk to Proh Gress <strong>and</strong><strong>he</strong> descri<strong>be</strong>d each of t<strong>he</strong> mem<strong>be</strong>rs to me. DJ Virman isone of t<strong>he</strong> newest mem<strong>be</strong>r of t<strong>he</strong> group <strong>and</strong> is a worldrenown DJ on Los Angeles’ Power 106. He is also verypopular in Japan. “He’s pretty much our mentor. W<strong>he</strong>nit comes to our songs, if we don’t have him noddinghis <strong>he</strong>ad for t<strong>he</strong> first 20 seconds we know things arewrong,” said Proh Gress. Nish loves visual arts <strong>and</strong> is amajor workaholic. He entertains himself by getting onmyspace <strong>and</strong> talking to friends t<strong>he</strong>re. J-Spliff carriest<strong>he</strong> name of Mr. Talented, who’s really funny <strong>and</strong> skilledin basketball. Sometimes it’ll take him ten minutes justto write his rhymes. And lastly, t<strong>he</strong>re’s Proh Gress whograduated from law school <strong>and</strong> <strong>he</strong> uses his knowledgeto negotiate contracts <strong>and</strong> legal affairs. W<strong>he</strong>n askedwhat unites t<strong>he</strong>m to <strong>be</strong> able to perform <strong>and</strong> stay strongProh Gress stated, “In t<strong>he</strong> end if one of us falls, all of usfall so we <strong>can</strong>’t let that happen <strong>and</strong> we‘ll fight for t<strong>he</strong>very end for that. We want to represent for our people,we love what we do, <strong>and</strong> this is what we do.”How has Hip Hop changed t<strong>he</strong> Asian-Ameri<strong>can</strong> community?FM <strong>be</strong>lieves that Hip Hop has changed our community<strong>be</strong>cause it’s t<strong>he</strong> type of music that is popular now;it’s what we’ve adopt into our lives. FM <strong>be</strong>lieves that HipHop is t<strong>he</strong> sound of our generation <strong>and</strong> you don’t haveto <strong>be</strong> Afri<strong>can</strong> Ameri<strong>can</strong> <strong>and</strong> or Latino to <strong>be</strong> a part of it.FM has performed in Asia w<strong>he</strong>re over t<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong>y see FMas Ameri<strong>can</strong>s. In contrast, people in America see t<strong>he</strong>mas just Chinese <strong>and</strong> w<strong>he</strong>n asked about t<strong>he</strong>ir music, t<strong>he</strong>ythink FM are dancers, DJs or assume t<strong>he</strong>y rap in Chinese.This is a prejudice in America w<strong>he</strong>re we see in t<strong>he</strong> Asian-Ameri<strong>can</strong> community that Hip Hop does exist for us. FMalso hopes that may<strong>be</strong> one day Asian-Ameri<strong>can</strong> artistswill <strong>be</strong> able to sell million records. With t<strong>he</strong> experiencest<strong>he</strong>y’ve possessed, t<strong>he</strong>ir goals is to <strong>he</strong>lp aspiring artistsbreak into t<strong>he</strong> music industry.Winter 2008 HmoobTeen / 25
ComicsSend in your comics! HmoobTeen willpay up to $25 for each!26 / HmoobTeeN Winter 2008Artwork by Bee Moua, 12, St. Paul, MN
Summer 2008 HmoobTeen / 27