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Abstract
This paper consists of observations made from my two and a half month visit to the Hmong in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China.1 As such, it contains two parts. The first part is my observation of the Hmong in Asia and their common issues. The second part is a photo essay of the visit to the Hmong in Asia, covering issues discussed in the paper. Although I did visit other subgroups of the Miao, such as the Hmu in Guizhou and Qo Xiong2 in Hunan, this paper covers only the Hmong, whom I hope will be better presented and discussed as a result of my work. Moreover, the Hmong live in all the above mentioned countries, whereas other subgroups of the Miao live only in China. This paper highlights the socio-economic conditions and educational experiences of the Hmong in the above mentioned countries. It also covers my observations of Hmong civic engagement and other aspects of their social and political lives in the respective countries.
Introduction
There were three objectives for my trip to visit the Hmong in Asia. The first objective was to learn more about Hmong women in leadership with the goal of gaining insight into Hmong women with leadership positions in Asia and the United States of America, which is the focus of another research project I am involved with. The second objective was to learn more about the Hmong in Asia and their socio-economic and educational situations. The third objective was a personal one; to better understand my own heritage and the path of the migration of my ancestors from China to Southeast Asia.3 This paper, however, will only cover the second objective and it is based upon my personal observations and conversations with Hmong from many walks of life in Asia. This paper is not an in-depth field study4 of the Hmong in Asia, but an observation from a student of the Hmong and a person of Hmong ancestry, so the writing will be done in the first person to reflect this aspect of the paper.
The Hmong of Asia
In Asia, the Hmong are found in China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). The Hmong are a people of Diaspora, with their ancestral home in central...