MOVING TO AMERICA

TIME TO GO OR TIME TO STAY?

• Some Hmong decided to stay in Thailand
• Toukee and Mai were refugees getting married, and hoped to go back to Loas someday
• Mrs.Chang's husband was suppose to arrange Toukees's marriage, but he was missing
• Mrs.Chang took Kao and Teng to the airport, on their way to a new life in America

REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS

• Immigrants choose to leave their homes
• In another country, they hoped to find a better life
• Refugees must leave their home country
• If they don't do so, they will be killed or put in prison

MAKING DECISIONS

• Some Hmong went back to Loas to farm land
• Some of them went back to fight the Communists
• Others, like Toukee, stayed in Thailand

LEAVING THE CAMPS

• Many refugees didn't want to return to Loas, but wanted to leave thailand
• So, they went to other countries, most commonly the United States
• Familes had to prove they supported the U.S. troops to get into the country
• However, many people had destroyed the proof and could not enter
• Familes who couldn't enter were sent to resettlement villiages in Loas, where life was hard

AN UNKNOWN LAND

• Before coming to the U.S. many hmong spent several months at Phanat Nikhom
• This was a special camp where workers taught refugees a few words in English
• The hmong rode buses from Phanat Nikhom to the airport, and then to the U.S.
• 100,000 Hmong had entered the United States by 1990

CULTURE SHOCK

• When the Hmong came to the U.S. they could speak, write, and read little to no English
• They had also never used a modern bathroom or turned on a water faucet
• Many Hmong had never ridden in a car, and their farming skills were of little use
• Many Hmong just ended up on welfare because they had no jobs that they could do

THE YOUNG HMONG ADAPT

• By the 1980s the Americans knew about the Hmong and how they helped the U.S. troops
• Groups of Americans helped and supported the Hmong
• Soon, many young refugees learned English and entered schools
• Some of the refugees went on to college, started their own businesses, and didn't need welfare

THE OLDER HMONG STRUGGLE

• Many of the young Hmong had not had to see the horrors of the war
• After fighting to survive the war, the older Hmong had bad memories
• For many older Hmong it was hard because they had only ever been farmers

NEW ROLES

• The older women did not know what was expected of them
• In their homeland, they took care of their familes and served others
• But, in America they were suppose to make decisions and learn new skills
• Older Hmong men were able to continue their roles and solve problems
• However, a lot of Hmong men had low-paying jobs

LOST IN AMERICA?

• In the United Staes, many Hmong have adapted well
• However, others continue to struggle, especially the elderly
• Many Hmong feel useless and lost

Questions

Why did soldiers hide in the jungle?

When is Hmong New Year?

Answers

The soldiers hid in the jungle because it provided great camouflage and plenty of material in which they could build fortifications.

Hmong New Year traditionally starts on the 30th of December and lasts until January 3rd on the lunar calendar.