The Dying Hmong Culture

[hmongperson]

I feel that the reason our culture and cultural practices are dying out is because of misinformed indivduals trying to represent our culture to the public.

The worship of our ancestors and the many spirits that dwells on Earth is seen as a worship of the devil, all because of the literal/misinterpreted translation of "dab".

The celebrating of New Years gets confused with "hu plig peb caug", and so there is a push to have just one celebration.

What is your take, is that the reason why our culture is dying out?

[TheAfterLife]

I feel that the reason our culture and cultural practices are dying out is because of misinformed indivduals trying to represent our culture to the public.

The worship of our ancestors and the many spirits that dwells on Earth is seen as a worship of the devil, all because of the literal/misinterpreted translation of "dab".

The celebrating of New Years gets confused with "hu plig peb caug", and so there is a push to have just one celebration.

What is your take, is that the reason why our culture is dying out?

No, because it is pointless and primitive like the Ching Dynasty. No wonder why Democrats kill them off with one sentence.

[DonJuan]

I agree with some points you describe, but it seems to be more complex. Hmong are a subculture and are assimilating into a more prominent western culture. Hmong families do not maintain their own cultures, language, culture and religion. There are divisions between old people and young.  There are few institutions teaching Hmong cultures.  And Hmong themselves tend to disagree amongst themselves and stick with their clan and family.

[TheAfterLife]

I agree with some points you describe, but it seems to be more complex. Hmong are a subculture and are assimilating into a more prominent western culture. Hmong families do not maintain their own cultures, language, culture and religion. There are divisions between old people and young.  There are few institutions teaching Hmong cultures.  And Hmong themselves tend to disagree amongst themselves and stick with their clan and family.

Language is fine, but the shaman culture must be diminished once and for all. It is time to let go of the Samurai sword and take Democracy in our hands. We the people have spoken that Hmong culture is a backward civilization since its ideas are not as superior to Aristotle and Plato's ideas.

[Hung_Low]

I feel that the reason our culture and cultural practices are dying out is because of misinformed indivduals trying to represent our culture to the public.

The worship of our ancestors and the many spirits that dwells on Earth is seen as a worship of the devil, all because of the literal/misinterpreted translation of "dab".

The celebrating of New Years gets confused with "hu plig peb caug", and so there is a push to have just one celebration.

What is your take, is that the reason why our culture is dying out?

What is true hmong culture? Most of what we practiced are plagarized from other culture... example: ki teg is a Laos thing... not hmong. Hmongs are like charmeleon... we change our color to match our surrounding.

[DonJuan]

Language is fine, but the shaman culture must be diminished once and for all. It is time to let go of the Samurai sword and take Democracy in our hands. We the people have spoken that Hmong culture is a backward civilization since its ideas are not as superior to Aristotle and Plato's ideas.

Lol. That right there describes who is backward and coucou.

[hmongperson]

TAL is a fine example of a misinformed person that is killing our culture.

Nothing is wrong with taking from other cultures, that is how ours has been able to survive for thousands of years. Our system of belief is flexible. Unlike most others, we don't have a defined way of praying or talking to God. We do so as we know how. We can pray, we can offer sacrifices, we do whatever we know. The ability to adapt is the strength of our culture.

[tetrapod]

Not sure if I care.

I just don't like it when people believe in superstitions and ended up hurting themselves and others. 

[hmongperson]

Not sure if I care.

I just don't like it when people believe in superstitions and ended up hurting themselves and others. 

Can we get an example of this?

[8v10un30sun]

My Soc 101 class in college said that super culture will always absorb subculture...t hat's us...we are being absorb nto the super culture...it's a natural norm.  THink about how Rome was influence by Greek and how UK was influence by Rome and how the US is influence by UK.  Don't swim against the river...old chinese proverb.

That's your answer.

[tetrapod]

Can we get an example of this?

Someone is very sick and might die.  The shaman tells  family of the sick that a witch  has unleashed evil spirits upon the sick man. So they went hunting for the witch.  They pick someone from town whom they believe have such skills.  They demand witch (could be a man or a woman) to undo.  And if he won't, they will kill him.  And of course, this has happened in the past.  Our superstitions also have allowed us to cause the extinctions of certain animal species.  It also hinder our ability to think and reason about our world.  Perhaps, I'm mixing faith, religion with culture? 

[Reporter]

The acts, the thinkings, and the material possessions of a people constitute its culture.

A sociologist said that. So, I thought I would define it first before we discuss more of our culture.

What acts are being neglected? What thinkings are not being interpreted right? What materials do we have that we deem to be part of our culture?

[IB TIAM NEEJ]

My Soc 101 class in college said that super culture will always absorb subculture...t hat's us...we are being absorb nto the super culture...it's a natural norm.  THink about how Rome was influence by Greek and how UK was influence by Rome and how the US is influence by UK.  Don't swim against the river...old chinese proverb.

That's your answer.

I agree. As I can recall, my SOC101 class taught me tribal (Hmong would fall under this category), nomadic and horticultural societies are dominated by state societies. And religion was used as a means to control the masses. IE: Solomon Islands. Religious conversions were done so out of provery. This is known as "rice Christians." They converted for food, others were forced. The chiefs even converted 'cause they lost power.

Have you heard the proverb that stated "only dead fish swim down river?" Just curious.

[Xyooj96]

Language is fine, but the shaman culture must be diminished once and for all. It is time to let go of the Samurai sword and take Democracy in our hands. We the people have spoken that Hmong culture is a backward civilization since its ideas are not as superior to Aristotle and Plato's ideas.

there's a saying in hmong that what you hate the most you will get, maybe you will become a shaman? let's hope so, so your brain will be functional

it's not the culture that's dying, it's the young people dying from the culture.

[Hung_Low]

Someone is very sick and might die.  The shaman tells  family of the sick that a witch  has unleashed evil spirits upon the sick man. So they went hunting for the witch.  They pick someone from town whom they believe have such skills.  They demand witch (could be a man or a woman) to undo.  And if he won't, they will kill him.  And of course, this has happened in the past.  Our superstitions also have allowed us to cause the extinctions of certain animal species.  It also hinder our ability to think and reason about our world.  Perhaps, I'm mixing faith, religion with culture? 

I've never heard that from Shaman rituals... it's usually the dead ancestor spirit that's making them sick so they have to go and killed a pig/chicker/dog to appease the spirit.