Customer Reviews

Hmong Means Free: Life Laos and America (Asian American History & Culture)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The stories in this book were true story for the Hmong. If you didn't know who are Hmong and where they came from. You better read this book. It is every a good book. After you read this book, you also get information from Hmong culture. The book talked about Hmong history from China, joined with CIA when the Vietnam War, how hard their lives and also how hard they had moved from country to country. The book also included story by each person. After I read the stories in this book, I felt very interesting and enjoying with.

Hmong Means Free, because Hmong was a group that didn't like to live by law control. For me, I understand that Hmong had joined the law when general Vang Pao become a Hmong leader. He was the first one that forced the Hmong to join with the law and had education with other foreign people.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for all author or editor to do a research on Hmong.

We have strugle and fight for freedom for many many years start from China to Laos, and now USA. I have a chance to came to America as Hmong. I feel so lucky to be in USA and have a chance to get higher education.

In my personal opinion, since I was born in Laos my parent told mthat we are Hmong and we are human, we a people. But the majority Lao and government call us Meo and neve willing to fix it and call us the way we want. To me the Meo never accept in the Hmong people but we must respect the majority rule, and because we are the monority. Today, we Hmong are proud to our leader Gen. Vang Pao allie with the US and bring the Hmong to America. Do you know what happen? Now, we got want we want, we can we that we are Hmong. I agree with Chen define "Hmong Mean Free" Hmong mean people and mean Human being and also in US we are Free. No one call us Meo, or Miao no more. I amso proud and hope it last and forever that Hmong mean people, Human, and Free.

Thank you again for all author for your hard work on our Hmong People.

Sincerely,

Peter Thao, MS
Communication Technolgy UW-STOUT
Wisconsin

I work in the healthcare field and have seen quite a few young (teenage +) Hmong Americans struggling with their sense of value. In particular, a young girl who had been "Americanized" AKA taken from her family when she was young because of supposed abuse - a common practice not that long ago. She was depressed, living with a loving but very white family in which she felt inferior. Asian gang activities in our area made her feel embarrassed. This book put a spark back in her eyes. I found it wonderful and would highly recommend it.

The author's intro was informative but lacks passion (some day, a Hmong author may be able to do a more passionate job on our plight).

The narratives were honest and sincere. There was no "sugar-coating"--I know! The narratives had a single common denominator: the sufferings of the human condition. Throughout the narration, I cried and laughed all at once. I cried: all the sufferings. I laughed: when one of the narratives failed the drivers' written test (in California) the first time because after she took the test, she didn't even realized it was in Spanish until her husband told her--she did not know Spanish.

The book gave me a sense of my history in a personal and down-to-earth way. The book is an excellent reference.

Whether or not the meaning of "Hmong" LITERALLY means "free" or not, I'm SURE, is not what the author is trying to say.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for all author or editor to do a research on Hmong.

We have strugle and fight for freedom for many many years start from China to Laos, and now USA. I have a chance to came to America as Hmong. I feel so lucky to be in USA and have a chance to get higher education.

In my personal opinion, since I was born in Laos my parent told mthat we are Hmong and we are human, we a people. But the majority Lao and government call us Meo and neve willing to fix it and call us the way we want. To me the Meo never accept in the Hmong people but we must respect the majority rule, and because we are the monority. Today, we Hmong are proud to our leader Gen. Vang Pao allie with the US and bring the Hmong to America. Do you know what happen? Now, we got want we want, we can we that we are Hmong. I agree with Chen define "Hmong Mean Free" Hmong mean people and mean Human being and also in US we are Free. No one call us Meo, or Miao no more. I amso proud and hope it last and forever that Hmong mean people, Human, and Free.

Thank you again for all author for your hard work on our Hmong People.

Sincerely,

Peter Thao, MS
Communication Technolgy UW-STOUT
Wisconsin

Who the hell is this guy...hmong does not mean free..i think this Dr. dude should rewrote his dang book. What proud and evidence does he have which tell hmong mean free. How disrespect the author of this book. those who agree that hmong mean free..well, open your eyes and see how hmong live like as today.

I had to read this book for a history course. It was interesting at the beginning, until I see the picture of my Hmong friends. The author is pretty bias in some part of her writting. There are no evidences to support her term of Hmong means free. We are not free people we fought for our freedom just like any other less dominance race. You can not base an accurate study of the Hmong Culture based on interviews with Hmong peers and students. Though I do find the quote of other authors pretty well worded. Although the Hmong did fight the Han-Chinese to reclaim their land, they never succeeded. Many Hmong philosophers were killed and written history were burned and destroyed by the Han- Chinese. There are no accurate documentation of Hmong history. All I have to say is, if a book is written about the Hmong, then I think its a new culture and race being created.

I thought the chineses' called Hmongs "Miao" and the Tais' called Hmongs "Meo." Don't quote me on that, I could be wrong.

Hmong peoples' stories are a bit different than most immigrants that came to the US. They are here because they assisted the US CIA with a "Secret War" against Indochina Communist and fled to the US to escape from death and imprisonment.

I agree that other races faced equal or more horrific conflicts, as well, but to bicker with PMS is a bit over the top. All of the reviews have brought much joy to me. At least there are people thinking deeply about the idea of Hmong and "reading" this cool book.

The word "Hmong" means "free men." It is by no means intended as a slap or an insult to anyone or any culture. Originally the Chinese had called the Hmong: "Meo." But they hated that name and called themselves Hmong. With the definition, "free men," it just means that the Hmong are a group of people that don't like government or any kind of formal law or rules. In China, the Hmong lived in the mountain tops because they didn't want anything to do with the government. In Loas, Cambodia, and in Vietnam, the Hmong also lived in the moutain tops because they didn't want anything to do with the government. The Hmong are free in a sense that no government has ever been able to influence them to change their way of life. Whenever there is too much pressure from the government, the Hmong moved higher up in the mountains and out of reach. For the last 4,000 years (check the encyclopedia for "MEO") or more, the Hmong has been able to maintain their way of life and religion inspite of the fact that they have lived in many countries, under many different forms of government.