The Hmong People - Term Paper Example

The Hmong People s of Learning: s The Secret Wars in Laos The history of Laos cannot be written without the mentioning of the Laotian Civil War that took place from 1962 t0 1975—the Secret Wars in Laos. During this period, the people of Laos were engaged in war with the Northern Vietnamese regime that had taken over the Laotian panhandle (Culhane-Pera, 2003). This was an area the Northern Vietnamese regime exercised control without the approval of the international community. The Secret Wars in Laos attracted the Royal Laotian government and the Pathelt Lao, who was keen in repulsing the presence of the Northern Vietnamese Army, who had taken control of the Lao land. Whereas this war was regarded as secret, the American government deployed many of its troops and in the end, the war claimed many casualties. The Northern Vietnamese Army took over the Lao’s land that had been earmarked as neutral by the Geneva Convention. This was accomplished for the purpose of enabling the army to move military supplies and personnel into South Vietnam, which was considered to be strategic for the southern expansion of Communism. However, the mover of the Northern Vietnamese Army called for military intervention aimed at checking the spread of Communism. Using the people of Laos, a resistance against the occupation of the Laos community was set up. Because of United States interest in curbing communism, the Kenned administration organized troops and military troops into Lao. The move saw the arrival of the United Forces in South Vietnam where more Laos’s people joined the mission to fight the Northern Vietnamese Army. The resistance in Laos was made of several units that were supported by the American troops are various levels of command. With the onset of the War, both warring sides took a heavy toll of casualties. Surprisingly, it is reported that about 80 of all fighters from Laos came from the Hmong community (Culhane-Pera, 2003). With the fight against the Communist Pathet Lao on, many of the fighters from Laos were killed during the fight. Even when the United States offered help to fight the communism surge southwards, much causality came from the Hmong community. The impacts of the Secret Wars in Laos culminated to the death of about 50,000 Lao Soldiers were killed. While others were reported to be missing in action, others suffered for being wounded. Despite the input of the Lao people and that of the United States, the war ended in 1975 with the Pathet Lao winning over the resistance from the Laos and the United States. In retaliation, many of the Lao people were killed with many fleeing to Thailand and later to the United States (Culhane-Pera, 2003). Hmong in the United States The Secret Wars in Laos had a number of significant effects. The end of the war resulted in a large number of deaths as well as displacement of the Hmong people into other foreign lands because of their persecution. It is believed that more than 200, 000 Hmong communities were resettled in the United States as the fighting and persecution of non-communist continued to be perpetrated by the Communist regime in Lao. The resettlement of the Hmong was to provide them Hmong people with a safe corridor and a haven from the terror that Hmong people went through in Southern Vietnam. The resettlement of the Hmong in the United States was, however, not an easy experience as they had to contend with new forms of work, as well as lifestyles. The resettlement of the Hmong people in the United States brought relief to a people who had lived in fear and danger of a dictatorial regime. Nonetheless, their arrival in various parts of the United States brought to light the new conditions that would pose a threat to the Hmong community. The arrival of the Hmong community in the United States proved to be difficult for the community, which was not used to the challenges of life of United States. Soon, it was evident that the Hmong people had to work for their living in an economy that did not have a single resemblance to that in Vietnam. In the United States, many Hmong men and women had to contend with unskilled jobs, which gave them poor earnings that made their lifestyles a challenge. In addition, it was revealed that many Hmongs were discriminated against in many States where they were staying. Indeed, the arrival of the Hmong in the United States made their lives unbearable with many residents believing that their jobs and services were burdened because of the influx of this new community (Culhane-Pera, 2003). Despite the challenges of the Hmong people community in the United States, many are now adapting to the challenges posed by their settlement in the United States. Concepts in Traditional Religious Beliefs of the Hmong There are several traditional beliefs that make the Hmong people different from other communities that live around them. The Hmong communities honor the dead among them. The practice of honoring the dead is often done in ceremonies that are believed to strengthen the bond between the dead and the living. Among the Hmong, community’s members and ancestors are remembered through this practice that is still entrenched in the religious fabric (Culhane-Pera, 2003). In these ceremonies, Elders among the Hmong community preside over traditional worship because they were highly regarded. This worship is reinforced with the belief that the dead are reincarnated among the living. In the United States, the Hmong communities still hold to this practice among themselves. The Hmong people also belief that wearing amulets and performing shaman rituals provides them with ways of treating various illnesses. The Shaman ritual is part of Hmong’s religious practice and is done alongside the slaughtering of animals as sacrifice. In a typical Shaman ritual, the elders of the Hmong community sacrifice animals and use their blood or parts such as nails. It is common to see the Hmong women and men having teeth or nails hanged on their clothing. This practice continues to influence the orientation of Hmong traditional beliefs in relation to other communities around them. The Hmong does not belief in planning in relation with events such as sickness of child bearing. Instead, they believe the panning in advance often results in death because it lets death and evil spirits into their homes. As a result, the use of words such as death or terminal condition is avoided at all cost. Because of this belief, the Hmong community contends that their loved ones should die in the community where they consider privacy as paramount. In addition, this belief has been reinforced by the notion that dying at home is a blessing and not a curse. The Hmong also believe male and females serve as communicators with various spirits. This traditional belief is connected to the belief that the spirit world provides the Hmong with cure against illnesses and other forms of affliction. As a result of this belief, the Hmong people often depend on the adult males and females to deal with the illness in their community. As a result of this belief, the Shaman taught selected males and female how to conduct rituals. These rituals were essential in the curing of spirits related diseases. Among the Hmong community, there are strong beliefs that reinforce the understanding that all sickness and death form part of human life cycle. This belief is used as a justification for diseases or illness that is deemed a result of evil deeds or bad luck. The Hmong associates diseases with the deeds of people during their previous lives. Surprisingly, the Hmong agree that most of the illness form part of an inevitable past that has accompanied some people in their society (Culhane-Pera, 2003). This fate is believed to be rigid and facing death with serenity is considered a brave stance when individuals succumb to various illnesses. The Hmong’s value of corpse underscores their belief that dead bodies have more value just like those that are living. This belief is bolstered by the belief that treatment and handling of dead bodies affects the outcome of the reincarnation process. Death bodies are, therefore, given the best care in the hope that the dead will have better lives in the after world. Hmong Experience with Western Medicine The interactions between the Hmong and western medicine have led to several challenges and outcomes. The interaction between the Hmong and western Medicine led to conflicts between Hmong traditions and western medical practices. These conflicts were characterized by differing opinions on treatment options such as the removal of organs or the use of anesthesia during surgical operations. These conflicts led to limited utilization of the western medicine where the Hmong insisted on the use of traditional healing options. The Hmong also faced difficulties in understanding the prevalence of several illnesses. With the settlement of the Hmong in the United States, they encountered new diseases that they had never heard about. Chronic diseases such as diabetes caused a lot of misunderstanding among the Hmong. The notion of controllable and non-curable disease made it difficult for the Hmong to understand some medical concepts (Culhane-Pera, 2003). The challenges of western medicines were also based on the language used—English. Most of the Hmong were unable to comprehend English because of their background. With most of them speaking Hmong dialect, English became a new hurdle in areas such as healthcare and education. To overcome this hurdle, healthcare institutions employed interpreters who understood the Hmong language and English as well. Even with new opportunities of facilitating the healthcare delivery process, the interpreters often found themselves to take conflicting role, where they had to convince patients against tradition treatment options such as wearing of amulets (Culhane-Pera, 2003). References Culhane-Pera, K. (2003).Healing by heart: clinical and ethical case stories of Hmong families and Western providers. Nashvilee, TN: Vanderbilt University Press. Read More