How many of you know who the Hmong are? It’s okay if you say no, not a lot of people do. I believe the reason why a lot of people in the world do not know who the Hmong are, is because the Hmong are one of the minor ethnic groups that have no country or land to call their own. For example, Koreans originated from Korea, Chinese, from China, Cambodians, from Cambodia, Japanese, from Japan. If we add the Hmong into this list, where do the Hmong people come from? Hmongland? Sorry, but life just isn’t that easy. What are people called when they have no country and desperately seeks out asylums for their loved ones? Immigrants? Emigrants? No, neither of those. They’re called refugees. The Hong have been refugees for a big part of their existence. The reason why I am writing this, is not to complain or cry about how unfair the circumstances the Hmong are in, but to inform society of the Hmong and the Hmong voices that are unheard by society.
The history of the Hmong dates a long time ago, but the Hmong’s history does tie in with a major part of the United States. I would read our everyday United States’ history books in schools and there would be no mentioning of the Hmong and their service to the United States. There is a memorial for the Hmong in Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C., but they aren’t even mentioned in these history books that young children learn every day! The Hmong were a very instrumental part in aiding the United States fight the in the Vietnam War or otherwise deemed the “Secret War.” During the 1960s, the United States CIA contacted one of the Hmong leaders, General Vang Pao to gather and recruit as many Hmong men he can to fight in the war alongside the Americans. With the Hmong being unfairly treated and pressured by the Laotians, they agreed to help the United States. These trained men of the Hmong became a Special Guerilla Unit whose mission was to block the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the main supply route connecting the north to the south. In addition, the Hmong were to also help pilots who have been shot down during battle. The Hmong were very instrumental in this war, but was soon abandoned once the United States pulled out of Vietnam. Once the United States pulled out of the Laos, the Hmong were left alone for the punishment and execution that the communists laid upon them.
This incident led to the Hmong fleeing all over the world searching for a place to call their “home.” Some of the Hmong fled to Thailand, others remained in Laos waiting to be hunted like animals. Yes, the United States allowed the Hmong to take refuge in the U.S., but not all of the Hmong. Many still remain in the refugee camps in Thailand, surviving with the little things they receive from the Thai government. Some of the Hmong even sought refuge in France and China. For all that the Hmong did, there are still unheard voices across the world.
