Recommended Reading

 

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman. In Merced, CA, which has a large Hmong community, Lia Lee was born, the 13th child in a family coping with their plunge into a modern and mechanized way of life. The book describes the violent clash of cultures that occurred when Lia developed a severe case of epilepsy. The report of the family's attempts to cure Lia through shamanistic intervention and the home sacrifices of pigs and chickens is balanced by the intervention of the medical community that insisted upon the removal of the child from deeply loving parents with disastrous results. Fadiman’s compassionate account tells both sides of the story. The suspense of the child's precarious health, the understanding characterization of the parents and doctors, and especially the insights into Hmong culture make this a very worthwhile read. Available at Rochester Public Library.

 

Links:

Hmong

 

RISE: Rochester In Support of Everyone: A brief overview of Hmong immigrants.


Hmong homepage, message board, resources.

 

A virtual Hmong community


Hmong bookstore


Hmong Times, a Hmong newspaper


Hmong Today, a Hmong newspaper


Hmong Cultural and Resource Center, St. Paul


Lao Family Community of Minnesota. Information on Hmong history, culture, crafts, and more.


Hmong Means Free. Article on history of the Hmong.


Laotian and Hmong refugees: a summary

 

Learn About Hmong. Tapestry, folktales, musical

instruments, ceremonial arts, history

 

This is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota. MPR feature


Hmong Studies Internet Resource Center


World Factbook. Information and statistics on population, history, economy, ethnic groups, religions, government, military, communication, transportation, and more in Laos.

 

 

Check out these other groups:

African American

Bosnian

Cambodian

Hispanic

Somali

Sudanese

Vietnamese