Essay Sample on Culture of Hmong Refugees

Introduction

Fadiman eyes the culture of Hmong refugees; their interaction and assimilation into the American culture. Despite 17 years of existence in the US soil, they were not yet acquainted with the English language but focussed on observing their traditions. These included holidays, special events and food.

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Fadiman noted that the Hmong failure to be integrated into the American way was due to the following reasons. First was the need to preserve their identity, avoiding erosion of their cultures by the American people. The second and the most important was that Hmong migrated into America to evade the conflicts and violence existing in their places of origins. They were seeking refuge and not the American lifestyle. The third was the laxity by the American people to accept Hmong's into their way of life. Such blatant hostility kept the Hmong people away from the rest of the populations (Fadiman, 2012). The cultural conflicts resulted in social stratification since the Hmong were unable to shelve off their beliefs and their way of life at the expense of coexisting and getting assimilated by the Americans. The ethnic profiling against the Hmong refugees propagated this slow integration.

The role loss of Hmong refugees occurred when special responsibilities performed by specific personnel in the group were lost. These include leadership roles. Once the refugees settled, they became over-reliant on the government to assist them in making ends meet. They lacked farms to till and jobs to earn. The American education system advocated for the kids to be sent to school rather than through homeschooling by the mothers. More so, mothers who used to deliver at home were forced to deliver at the American health care facilities.

Despite their Assimilation into the American way of living, Hmong culture still stands (Fadiman, 2012). This is because they are used to the sharing of limited resources among themselves as they were in Laos. This is conspicuous due to the cheap labor they provide to American society. The inability of other Americans to accept and acknowledge their cultures have left them in a dilemma between going back to the war-ridden homeland or staying in America. Also, the availability of fertile land to farm in California motivated them. There was a general belief among the Hmong people that they would return one day to Laos.

Ethnocentrism was a major cause of societal stratification. The cultures of the Hmong people were overlooked by the Americans. They thought that the Hmong were naive and primitive to be assimilated; this accelerated ethnic hate (Glazer & Moynihan, 1970).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Hmong people are justified to observe and maintain their cultural heritage. They should be accepted by American society without social discrimination.

References

Fadiman, A. (2012). The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. Macmillan.

Glazer, N., & Moynihan, D. P. (1970). Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City (Vol. 63). Cambridge, MA: mit Press.