Of an estimated twelve million ethnic Hmong in the world, more than
160,000 live in the United States today, most of them refugees of the
Vietnam War and the civil war in Laos. Their numbers make them one of
the largest recent immigrant groups in our nation. Today, significant
Hmong populations can be found in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
North Carolina, Michigan, and Colorado, and St. Paul boasts the largest
concentration of Hmong residents of any city in the world.
In this groundbreaking anthology, first-and second-generation Hmong
Americans--the first to write creatively in English--share their
perspectives on being Hmong in America. In stories, poetry, essays, and
drama, these writers address the common challenges of immigrants
adapting to a new homeland: preserving ethnic identity and traditions,
assimilating to and battling with the dominant culture, negotiating
generational conflicts exacerbated by the clash of cultures, and
developing new identities in multiracial America. Many pieces examine
Hmong history and culture and the authors' experiences as Americans.
Others comment on issues significant to the community: the role of women
in a traditionally patriarchal culture, the effects of violence and
abuse, the stories of Hmong military action in Laos during the Vietnam
War. These writers don't pretend to provide a single story of the Hmong;
instead, a multitude of voices emerge, some wrapped up in the past,
others looking toward the future, where the notion of "Hmong American"
continues to evolve.
In her introduction, editor Mai Neng Moua describes her bewilderment
when she realized that anthologies of Asian American literature rarely
contained even one selection by a Hmong American. In 1994, she launched
a Hmong literary journal, Paj Ntaub Voice, and in the first issue asked
her readers "Where are the Hmong American voices?" Now this
collection--containing selections from the journal as well as new
submissions--offers a chorus of voices from a vibrant and creative
community of Hmong American writers from across the United States.
Contributors: BC, Bee Cha, True Hang, Sharon Her, May Lee, Kou Lor,
Pacyinz Lyfoung, Mai Neng Moua, Vayong Moua, Noukou Thao, Bryan Thao
Worra, Va-Megn Thoj, Ka Vang, M.S. Vang, Mayli Vang, Soul Choj Vang,
Hawj Xiong, Kao Xiong with Dia cha, Pa Xiong, Naly Yang, Peter Yang, Kao
Yongvang
