By Katrya Ly
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An Introduction to Hmong Oral Traditions & Writing Systems
The Secret War in a Global and Southeast Asian Context
Secret War Impacts on Hmong Families
The spread of people from their original homeland and establishing themselves in other parts is known by the term diaspora. While this migration of people can be voluntary, in many cases this movement is forceful and caused by violence, oppression, and political unrest. As a diasporic community, Hmong people dispersed across Southeast Asia (and now, all over the world); but where in Southeast Asia did Hmong people go and why did they go?
Hmong in Southeast Asia spreads across many countries with over three centuries of rich history. When we talk about Hmong in Southeast Asia, we will focus on the late 1700s to early 2000s. In this article, we will specifically cover what Hmong life looked like after leaving their ancestral lands in China and finding new homelands in different Southeast Asian countries.
Southeast Asia encompasses 11 Asian countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar [Burma], Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam) that are located south of China and east of India. Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam have the largest concentration of Hmong. While Hmong are also present in countries like Myanmar (Burma), this article focuses primarily on Hmong from Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Understanding Hmong migration to Laos and Vietnam provides context for Hmong people’s involvement in the Secret War and subsequently the migration to Thailand as a result. Hmong migration experiences to the different Southeast Asian countries shared many similarities but were also different and unique.
Early Migration to Laos
The Hmong fled from China to Southeast Asia in the late 1700s and early 1800s due to the increased growth and land occupation of the Han Chinese. The growth of the Han Chinese forced the Hmong farther south and eventually into what was called French Indochina or Indochine Française—a region we know today as the countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Following their migration from China, many Hmong settled in the mountains of northern Laos, making Laos a second homeland. In order to keep the peace with other ethnic groups that had already occupied the midlands and lowlands, Hmong people built their homes in the highlands (hills and mountains).
Additionally, the Hmong had to adapt to the two main seasons in Laos: rainy and dry. The rainy season is from May to November and the dry season is from December to April. Hmong in Laos were mainly farmers and lived in small mountain villages. Their homes were made of bamboo and wood. They practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, a method of farming where forests are burned and cleared in order to plant crops.
In his article, “Ethnic Minorities and Nation-building in Laos: The Hmong in the Lao State before 1975,” Hmong anthropologist Gary Yia Lee describes how Lao people discovered that Hmong were living in their highlands. As shared by Lee, lowland Lao farmers living near the Hmong saw gray and black smoke coming from the mountains and hills. They reported this strange occurrence to a local overlord who sent men up to the mountain to investigate. When they reached the site of the smoke, the men found that patches of the forest had been cleared. After more searching, they found a human settlement in the mountains that did not resemble a normal Lao village. The houses there were not built on stilts like Lao houses, instead they were built on the dirt floor. When the Lao approached the village, the Hmong took their children and possessions and ran into the jungle. The Lord of Muong Kham, who controlled the area, reported this event to the King of Xieng Khouang. The king allowed the Hmong to live in the highlands as his subjects, so long as they paid taxes to the kingdom. This occurrence is how Hmong people gained recognition from the Lao government and began living in the Nong Het region in Northern Laos.
In 1893, the French colonized Laos and other Southeast Asian countries, creating a region that would become known as French Indochina. By that time, Hmong people had already migrated across northern Laos. The French began requiring that the Hmong and all other subjects had to pay taxes to them for occupying the land. Frustrated with the double tax to the local Lao government and to the French, the Hmong rebelled in 1896 against the French. Other, larger rebellions against the French occurred from 1918 to 1921.
By the 1970s, it was estimated that there were about 300,000 Hmong living in Laos. According to the 2015 Lao Population and Housing Census report, Hmong are the second largest ethnic group living in Laos, making up nine percent of the total population and totaling a little over 595,000 people. Furthermore, while many Hmong Americans can trace their roots back to Laos, it was just one of the many Southeast Asian countries that the Hmong migrated to. This is because the Secret War played a big impact on their eventual migration to the United States.
Early Migration to Vietnam
Early Hmong migration from China to Vietnam was relatively steady, with two peaks in migration in the early 1800s and 1860s. Facing exploitation and discrimination from local landlords and Han Chinese settlers in southern China, many Hmong migrated to northern Vietnam. Following a defeat in 1864 during the Taiping rebellion in southern China, Hmong migration to Vietnam increased. In 1868, it was recorded that as many as 10,000 Hmong arrived in Vietnam from China. In the first Indochina War from 1946 to 1954 with the French in northern Vietnam, Hmong fought on both sides as fighters, guides, porters, and spies. While some Hmong tried to remain neutral and not get politically involved, it was difficult because of their strategic locations along the border to Laos. The Hmong were crucial in the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Hmong are currently the sixth largest ethnic group among the 54 recognized ethnic minorities in Vietnam, with a population of over a million.
To cover the breadth of countries, events, and time in this article, we will be focusing on four main topics. These topics are meant to help you understand different aspects of Hmong life in Southeast Asia. We will complete an introduction to the following topics:
- Hmong oral traditions and writing systems
- The Secret War in a global context
- Secret War impacts on Hmong families
- The Hmong refugee experience
An Introduction to Hmong Oral Traditions & Writing Systems
Hmong people rely on their elders to pass down traditions, history, and knowledge. Hmong oral traditions and writing systems include the Romanized Popular Alphabet (Hmong RPA), a writing system created by a group of French and American missionaries, as well as Hmong advisors to capture the White and Blue/Green Hmong dialects.
The Secret War in a Global Context
Much of Hmong American history is situated by the Secret War in Laos. Focusing on rebellions and political events in Laos and Vietnam, we will learn how Hmong people came to fight on either side of the war. We will also focus on global politics and describe the involvement of the United States in Southeast Asia and their recruitment of the Hmong.
Secret War Impacts on the Hmong
The Secret War transformed the lives of Hmong people living in Laos. In an effort to preserve their way of life, many Hmong were forced to support the war effort. We will learn about how Hmong men, women, and children were impacted by the Secret War, as well as their contributions to the Secret War. We will highlight each group, their respective roles, and examine what life during the Secret War looked like. It is important to note that Hmong people fought on both sides as American allies as well as with the Communist Pathet Lao; however, we will focus on those who allied themselves with America.
The Hmong Refugee Experience
Following the end of the Secret War in 1975, Hmong refugees made the dangerous journey across the Mekong River to Thailand to escape political persecution. Despite supporting the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) throughout the war, the Hmong were left to fend for themselves against communist soldiers after Americans were evacuated at the end of the Vietnam war. We will focus on Ban Vinai, a famous refugee camp in northeastern Thailand and highlight the refugee experience in the camps.
Conclusion
In this article we covered early Hmong migration to Southeast Asia and four aspects of Hmong life. While these aspects of Hmong in Southeast Asia are important, they are certainly not comprehensive of the rich history of the Hmong. Readers are encouraged to continue learning about the many intricacies of Hmong life. Furthermore, many Hmong people continue to reside in and call Southeast Asia home. As you think about Hmong people and Hmong migration, I encourage you to understand the Hmong as a diasporic community; creating home and community in whatever lands they may occupy.
References
Atlas of Humanity. (n.d.). Laos, Hmong People. Atlas Of Humanity. https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/laoshmong
Banerjee, T. (2018, October 11). Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Hmong Experiences Enter California Curriculum – Asia Matters for America. Asia Matters for America. https://asiamattersforamerica.org/articles/vietnamese-cambodian-and-hmong-experiences-enter-california-curriculum
Children of the Mekong. (n.d.). The Hmong people, ethnic minority in Vietnam. Children of the Mekong. https://www.childrenofthemekong.org/the-hmong-people/
Chippewa Valley Museum. (n.d.). The Secret War. Chippewa Valley Museum. https://www.cvmuseum.com/explore/the-secret-war/
Hmong American Center. (n.d.). Hmong History – Hmong American Center. Hmong American Center. https://www.hmongamericancenter.org/hmong-history/
Lao Statistics Bureau. (2015). The 4th Population and Housing Census (PHC) 2015. https://lao.unfpa.org/en/publications/results-population-and-housing-census-2015-english-version
Lee, G. Y. (1985). Ethnic minorities and nation-building in Laos: The Hmong in the Lao State before 1975. Peninsule, 11/12, 215-232.
Lee, G. Y. & Tapp, N. (2010). Culture and customs of the Hmong. Greenwood.
Lee, M. N. M. (2015). Dreams of the Hmong kingdom: The quest for legitimation in French Indochina, 1850-1960. University of Wisconsin Press.
Ngô, T. T. T. (2016). THE HMONG OF VIETNAM. In the new way: Protestantism and the Hmong in Vietnam (pp. 21–40). University of Washington
ReligionsMN. (n.d.). History of the Hmong Diaspora · Hmong Religiosity and Shamanism In The Twin Cities · Religions in Minnesota. Religions in Minnesota. https://religionsmn.carleton.edu/exhibits/show/hmong-religiosity/history-of-the-hmong-diaspora
University of Wisconsin – Madison. (n.d.). Southeast Asia Country Information and Resources. Center for Southeast Asian Studies. https://seasia.wisc.edu/southeast-asia-country-information-and-resources/
Yang, K. (2017). The making of Hmong America: Forty years after the Secret War. Lexington Books/Fortress Academic.
Contributing Editor: Yia Vue
Illustrator: Alex Yang