A People's History of the Hmong

By Paul Hillmer

Book Overview

A rich narrative history of the worldwide community of Hmong people, exploring their cultural practices, war and refugee camp experiences, and struggles and triumphs as citizens of new countries.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873519604
• ISBN13: 9780873519601
• Release Date: January 2015
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

It takes a thousand voices.....

"It takes a thousand voices to tell a story." This Native American saying well describes Paul Hillmer's new book on the Hmong. "A People's History of the Hmong" perhaps has several hundred rather than a thousand voices, but they are the right voices to take the reader into the Hmong world. They speak to many aspects of Hmong life - their history; their important role as allies with the United States during the Vietnam War; for some, their years of exile in refugee camps in Thailand, and for others their experiences in adjusting to life in the United States or other countries. The book unveils a hauntingly rich and complex history and is a magnificent tribute to a most beautiful and resilient people. A tragedy is playing out as we speak - the forced repatriation of Hmong from camps in Thailand back to an uncertain fate at the hands of a communist government that many Hmong have long struggled against. This brutal action raises many questions. What was the Hmong - U.S. relationship? How did it come about? Who were the key players? How were they involved? "A People's History of the Hmong" sheds light on those and many more questions. I spent eight years in northeast Laos living and working with the Hmong. Even so, my understanding of that period has been expanded greatly because of Paul Hillmer's detailed research and interesting approach. The author has woven a simple yet revealing cloth similar to the intricate Hmong reverse appliqué "story-cloths" that in their simplicity say so much. The book makes an extremely complex period of history more understandable thanks to insights provided by many eyes and voices and an exquisite narrative written with consummate skill. The excellent selection of photographs takes the reader into the Hmong world in very personal ways. My comments come from someone who has a deep, intimate familiarity with one part and almost no experience with other parts of the story. From both perspectives, this work is exceptional. The author's reliance on an oral history approach takes this book away from the sphere of academic bloviating and puts it in a unique place where real world experiences are shared by people, and especially the Hmong, who were there. "A People's History of the Hmong" is a must read for anyone who wants to better understand the relationship between the United States and the Hmong as revealed through the voices of people most involved in that deep, wonderful and sometimes tragic history.