So I heard a story told in California about Minnesotans

[Reporter]

You know how a lot of Whites and Blacks have learned Hmong and even seem better at Hmong than many young Hmong?

Well, this Black chick was very confident of her Hmong and took on an interpreting assignment at the local hospitals.

A Hmong lady in her late '50s was the patient.

"Ask her how often she's been taking the medicines I've prescribed to her," the doctor said.

Interpreted, the patient said, "Kuv yeej noj xab mawm li hais mas."

"She says she's been taking them in the summer like she's been told to," the interpreter said.

"No. I've not told her to take it only in the summer," the doctor said.

Asked again and the patient said the same thing.

The interpreter said the same thing.

This repeated a few times.

The doctor brought in a Hmong interpreter who was Hmong.

"Oh, she says she's been taking it regularly like told to do," the new Hmong interpreter said. "Xab mawm is a Lao term."

Problem solved.

[ProudLao]

She gave it her best shot lol

[Reporter]

Yes, she did.

Can't be interpreting for the Hmong from Laos without knowing some commonly borrowed Thai and Lao terms.