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Hmong History

Brief History of the Hmong (“Hmoob”)

The Hmong people, an ethnic group with a rich cultural heritage, have a history spanning thousands of years. The Hmong are believed to have originated in North Central Asia around 2300 B.C., in what is now Mongolia. Over the centuries, migrated south into Tibet and China, living there harmoniously. However, in the 1800s, the Hmong faced oppression from the last Chinese dynasty and rebelled against the Chinese army. War, persecution, and execution, forced many Hmong to flee to their resettlement in Southeast Asia, specifically in in Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

In the 1960s, the war in Vietnam spilled over into Northeastern Laos, where many Hmong people lived. Hmong villagers were recruited by both the Pathet Lao communist regime under the leadership of Lo Faydang and the Central Intelligence Agency for the American cause, under the leadership of General Vang Pao. The Hmong soldiers led by General Vang Pao formed the Special Guerrilla Unit. This group was trained to disrupt the transportation of supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a critical supply route that passed through Laos and linked North and South Vietnam played a crucial role in rescuing shot-down American pilots. An estimated 18,000 to 20,000 men died as soldiers while an estimated 50,000 civilians died directly from the fighting or indirectly from disrupted village and agricultural life.

After the fall of Saigon in Vietnam in 1975 and the withdrawal of the . United States army, Laos also fell under communist control. This led to the . persecution of the Hmong people, as well as other ethnic groups had supported the United State. Many hundreds of thousands of individuals sought refuge in Thailand and awaited acceptance by countries.

In early 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Refugee Act of 1980, which created a process for reviewing and adjusting the refugee ceiling to meet emergencies and required annual consultation between Congress and the president. The act also changed the definition of “refugee” to someone with a “well-founded fear of persecution,” a standard established by United Nations conventions and protocols. It also funded a new Office of U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. It built on existing public-private partnerships that helped refugees settle and adjust to their new country.

Between 1975 and 1997, over 100,000 Hmong people were resettled in the U.S., while others found new homes in France, Australia, French Guiana, Canada. The Hmong population in the country is approximately 345,000, with the majority residing in Fresno and Sacramento, California; the Twin Cities, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and North Carolina.

The Hmong have assimilated and acculturated to their new home with the assistance of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, states and cities throughout the United States, churches, and community-based organizations, including Fresno Center, the Special Guerrilla Unit Veterans and Families of California, and the Lao Veterans of America Institute have modernized their cultural traditions. Many Hmong have achieved distinguished and prestigious positions in the United States gained higher education, resulting in doctors, educators, lawyers, business owners, landowners, farmers, and elected officials. 90% of Hmong Americans are employed, and 70% of Hmong families own a home. Hmong families own grocery stores, restaurants, specialty stores, and small manufacturing companies, and more Hmong people are attending college, graduating, and returning to their work and serve as bridges between the cultures. According to Pew Research, Hmong born in the U.S. have a median household income of $63,530.40.

The experiences of the Hmong during the Vietnam War and their migration to the United States illustrate their struggle and resilience throughout these historical events. Despite this, the Hmong continue to face new challenges related to cultural integration and adaptation in the United States and parts of the world. Their resilience has allowed them to cultivate and inspired them to innovate, especially when it comes to addressing stigmatized mental health issues. In events such as Hmong American Day, we all celebrate the Hmong rich cultural legacy, heritage, and resilience as they tell of their journey from Southeast Asia to the United States. During this special event, we pay tribute to the early origins of the Hmong people, their courage during the Vietnam War, and their resettlement in America as well as in other countries.