What do you feel we as Hmong need in terms of institutions to build a better future. Below are my two cents.
1. Knowledge institution to preserve our collective knowledge and teach the next generation.
2. Succession institution to insure a peaceful transfer of leadership.
3. Enconomic institution to guide our enconomic development.
4. Dispute resolution institution to meditate diferrences.
1. Knowledge institutions are a good idea, but we have to draw a line here. Are we going to preserve the knowledges of Hmongs here in America, or Hmongs in general. Here in America, when we refer to Hmong, we only mean the ones here in America and not abroad. Also, a lot of our history comes from stories. I understand there are many theories as to how we came to be, but most of these are not theorized by Hmongs, but rather foreigners. Before such a institution exist, we need a team of people who's main job is to trace our history and excavate artificats. I believe a few exists, but most of their facts are secondary. I also find it confusing that each group has thier own theory of how we came to be.
2. As for a succession instituion, I believe this will never exist, atleast not in my or your life time. Like I've said many times before, we are a very tribal people. We earn leadership through the deeds we do and respect we get from the community. In the Hmong community, leadership is not passed from father to son, or through election. It is given to the person that we all respect, or atleast most of us respect.
3. As for economic institutions, they are also a very good idea, but will not work in the Hmong community. There are a couple, like Lao Family and such. These worked when a lot of us were just barely arriving from Thailand, but now they play a very minor role. Plus, Hmong people have a very individualisti
c mindset. We advertise that we are going to help all, but as soon as we help ourselves then we're done with the game. At this point we should not consider money yet, volunteer work should be the first stepping stone. When we can give up our time and strength without asking for some sort of compensation, then maybe we can deal with money.
4. I feel like one should exist, but if we do not have faith and trust in the people mitigating then there really is no point. In the end, we will end up going to the American system anyways. These people or organizations have to have the trust of the people, otherwise their decisions can just be disregarded. We have no real enforcing power do we. This might exist when all is under the law, which might not exist for sometime.
Topic: Building a better Hmong future? (Read 6839 times)