CULTURAL HUMILITY SERIES:
The Hmong Community
Starting over. Fleeing violence. Escaping your home on foot through the jungle, and then flying thousands of miles to find refuge in a cold, snow-filled place.
These challenges could easily be considered insurmountable, a reason to give up. But the Hmong community’s journey to Minnesota tells a different story, one of strength and optimism.
Discrimination and violence toward Asian Americans is, sadly, part of U.S. history. And the recent rise in violent crimes toward this community feels defeating.
But the vibrancy of the Minnesota Hmong community — and their leadership and grace in the face of this contentious climate — inspires hope. Their community’s leadership points the way to achieving a more inclusive, accepting country.
Community Demographics and History
The Hmong are an ethnic minority community with their own distinct culture and language. Originally from southern China, they are an agrarian society, a tradition they continued as they migrated to Laos, Vietnam and Thailand in the 19th century to escape political violence.
Hmong people came to this country not as an act of charity, not as a handout, but precisely because of our involvement, our alliance and our service to this country."
Vayong Moua
Why Minnesota?
The Hmong community fled Laos in the 1970s at the end of the Vietnam War to escape brutal reprisals for their alliance with the U.S. military during the so-called Secret War. A lesser-known facet of the Vietnam War is that the CIA recruited Hmong soldiers to fight against North Vietnamese forces in Laos. The Hmong alliance with the U.S. military led to their being admitted into the country as refugees.
Minnesota is home to many relief organizations, including Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Charities and World Relief Minnesota (now Arrive Ministries). These organizations laid much of the groundwork with the state and federal government to allow Hmong refugees to resettle in Minnesota after arriving in the United States.
COMMUNITY CULTURAL HEALTH
The Hmong community is strong and interconnected. Families provide care for one another, and health care decisions about one family member are usually discussed among the wider group, with decision-making power resting with the male head of household. When it comes to health and wellness, traditional home remedies, such as herbs, are common treatment methods.
Many Hmong people practice traditional animist shamanism, which can significantly shape their views toward health and wellness. Within this belief system, physical ailments are viewed less as a biological phenomenon than a spiritual one. A shaman, their spiritual leader, acts as a healer, and is the first and primary authority on extreme health conditions, rather than health care providers who practice Western medicine.
KEY CHALLENGES
The Hmong community has higher rates of diabetes than other ethnic groups. In a 2015 study in neighboring Wisconsin, the prevalence of diabetes among the Hmong population was 11.3% compared to 6% among the non-Hispanic white population.
5% of Hmong adults in Minnesota are smokers, and 46.2% of the Hmong population is regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.
Hmong individuals suffer higher rates of cancer, which is often detected at a late stage due to low rates of cancer screenings and not seeking medical treatment. One study found that more than 97% of Hmong patients deferred treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer, compared to 25.6% of other Asian/Pacific Islander communities.
The death rate for the Hmong community has risen 50% compared to 2019. 80% of this increase is due to COVID-19.
6.5% of the Hmong community in Minnesota has no health insurance.
30% of the population ages 45–64 have one or more disabilities, compared to 12% of the total state population.
CULTURALLY-BASED SOLUTIONS TO HEALTH CHALLENGES
Addressing the most pressing health challenges in the Hmong Minnesotan community begins with integrating Hmong cultural beliefs and practices into health care.
Accommodating language barriers between health care providers and Hmong Minnesotans who do not speak English fluently can go a long way toward communicating the importance of treatment for chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes), preventative cancer screenings and receiving vaccinations. The presence of interpreters or English-speaking family members can ensure questions are answered, concerns are discussed and rapport is built.
Integrating spiritual beliefs into health care can also improve the health care experience. For example, many Hmong people who practice shamanism believe undergoing anesthesia risks their soul leaving their body. As a result, they will refuse or delay surgeries. Allowing a shaman to visit during recovery and perform a soul-recalling ceremony can bridge this gap.
SNAPSHOTS OF
Hmong Culture & Customs
The qeej, a bamboo pipe musical instrument, is considered a symbol of Hmong identity.
Many members of the community practice Hmong shamanism, an orally transmitted religion in which worship takes place almost exclusively in the home. Additionally, some in the Hmong community follow Christianity. Families may have members with differing religious beliefs or those who combine aspects of the two belief systems into their spiritual practice.
Hmong embroidery is known for its vibrant colors and intricate designs. The patterns and motifs have been passed down among Hmong women for generations, even though their original meanings have been lost.
LEADERS IN MINNESOTA
Kao Kalia Yang
Author Kao Kalia Yang shares her experience immigrating to Minnesota through her writing. Her award-winning memoir, The Latehomecomer, was published in 2008. It is the first memoir written by a Hmong American to be published with national distribution.
Sunisa "Suni" Lee
Gymnast Sunisa “Suni” Lee became the first Hmong American to make the U.S. Olympic team, winning a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Xang Vang
In 1983, Xang Vang became the first Hmong farmer to sell produce at the Saint Paul Farmers’ Market. Today, 50% of the vendors at the market are Hmong.
There are real cultural assets and traditional, ancient ways of healing and health that the American medical and public health system first needs to recognize — and then honor and celebrate.”
Vayong Moua
Resources to Further Explore the Community
+ Hmong and Hmong Americans in Minnesota | MNopedia
+ Minnesota Hmong Chamber of Commerce Hmong
+ Healthcare Professionals Coalition
+ Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) Minnesota
+ ChangeMakers: Asian and Pacific Islander Minnesotans Making History: MPR News
+ Center for Hmong Studies | Concordia University, St. Paul
+ Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA): Veggie Rx Video
