What do you remember??

[Kong Vang]

80s

-Waking up to the sounds of Madonna, Michael and NKOTB on local radio every morning before school.
-Listening to the radio on Winter mornings for Snow Days. They were a godsend when you were a kid.
-Scraping together $0.25 for a twin pop from the ice cream truck. You were rich if you could afford the $1 Bomb Pops or chocolate eclairs.
-Long Summer days and cool Summer nights.
-True innocence and big dreams.
-Selling nuts for school fundraisers.
-Book fairs at school. Poor kids like me can always dream.
-Best. Love. Ballads. Ever.

90s

-New Era jackets, caps and gear.
-Hmong gang violence.
-Young teenagers getting married.
-You started to notice the opposite sex.
-AOL, Netscape and Dial-up. I can still hear that damn screech. And my mom telling me to get off the phone line because she was expecting a call. Only wealthy families could afford 2 LAN lines.
-Asian Avenue and HOL. Damn if this wasn't the golden era of social media and internet chat for my generation.
-Crush on my friend. She, a cheerleader and popular. Myself, the kid who wore green Adidas (Larry Johson's Celtics gear) to school and was nicknamed The Gremlin for an entire high school day. Which was an eternity back than, pre-cell phone era.
-Alanis Morisette, TLC, Bone-Thugs & Harmony and Selena.
-Best. Pop. Songs. Ever.
-Best. Rap. Songs. Ever.

2000s

-First cars. Civics, Integras and turbos. You had to learn to talk the talk. Or have a loud exhaust that gave you an additional 5hp.
-First dates. Meeting girls/guys. Avoid getting caught. Some of us experienced our first kiss, first love and first heartbreak.
-Porn. Some of us saw the often talked about naked bits for the first time, irl or on the internet.
-College for many, first jobs for some and then we started drinking. Beers, Southern Comfort, Rumple Minze and Everclear. Some memories remain a little fuzzy.
-Sex. Many of us finally tried it. Always awkward and strange at first. And of course the universal "is that what it looks like?" singular thought in our heads when we first saw our partners, naked for the very first time.
-Apartments. Living at school or abroad. Who hated or loved their roommates?
-Wild parties and best friends. They go hand in hand.
-We broke out of our comfort zones, we broke rules and we broke ourselves down. Life is meant to be lived.
-Best. Pop. Love. Songs. Ever.

2010s
-We're old.
-The systems broken.
-We want to go back to any of the previous decades.

Great memories!! Thank you for sharing.

Did you live near any flea markets? We did and it was a treat when my parents took us. The cheap tshirts, the hot food and fresh air!! It was a good time.

[lexicon]

Great memories!! Thank you for sharing.

Did you live near any flea markets? We did and it was a treat when my parents took us. The cheap tshirts, the hot food and fresh air!! It was a good time.

Not from what I can recall. Things were less organized at that time.

From what I do remember, people sold them straight from their homes or gardens. Few had the means or location to set up shop to sell.

It wasn't until the mid-to-late 90's that the the community started working towards communal markets.

[Cali Guy]

80s

- recording your favorite songs from the radio on cassette
- new year celebrations were genuine
- celica, supra, 280zx, 300zx were the sport cars of choice but a saw few trans am and camero too
- puffy and big hair
- evening gathering to play soccer and volleyball
- 10cent ice flavor ice cream

Here are two favorites of mine: Bonnie Tyler and A-Ha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914&app=m

[Kong Vang]

80s

- recording your favorite songs from the radio on cassette
- new year celebrations were genuine
- celica, supra, 280zx, 300zx were the sport cars of choice but a saw few trans am and camero too
- puffy and big hair
- evening gathering to play soccer and volleyball
- 10cent ice flavor ice cream

Here are two favorites of mine: Bonnie Tyler and A-Ha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914&app=m

80s was a bit too early for me... but I do remember going to the park with my uncle every night, to watch him play soccer. I remember there were many Hmong kids my age, it was almost like New Years everytime. Old ladies selling papaya salads and old mans playing cards. Good times.

[Mr_Mechanic]

growing up in the early 90's, going to kennedy park and playing soccer almost everyday in the summer time.  4 or 5pm until dark.  fun time.

[ProudLao]

80s

- recording your favorite songs from the radio on cassette
- new year celebrations were genuine
- celica, supra, 280zx, 300zx were the sport cars of choice but a saw few trans am and camero too
- puffy and big hair
- evening gathering to play soccer and volleyball
- 10cent ice flavor ice cream

Here are two favorites of mine: Bonnie Tyler and A-Ha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914&app=m

80s are the greatest!

[Reporter]

I don't agree with that. Things were slow then.

Imagine what the internet has done to speed things up today. We connect with people all over the world within seconds, etc.

80s are the greatest!

[Kong Vang]

can't forget, back in the 90's, 8 out 10 Hmong Og's was into Qaib sib ncaws...lols It was like tagging along my old man every weekend back then to a qaib meeting each weekend..I don't know why I was so into it back then...but I can say it at least probably save my life.some of my childhood buddies never made it past 18, and some of them won't see the sun again until old age if they make it til then..haha 90's, best way I can describe it in a nutshell....it was sweet, sour, and spicy..haha

My Hmong is not very well... but if I am reading it correctly, chicken fight? Yes, my father was into that, in fact, all of my uncles were involved.

What I do remember doing: Riding my BMX bike everywhere. Playing B-Ball with my buddies at the park on hot summer nights. Hanging out in the parking lot of our apartment complex every night with friends.

The first time I step into a movie theater was to see the Karate Kid. OMG, Elizabeth Shue was such a hottie.

[ProudLao]

I don't agree with that. Things were slow then.

Imagine what the internet has done to speed things up today. We connect with people all over the world within seconds, etc.

Don’t care for internet back then.

[Kong Vang]

the memories are sentimental..g ood or bad..the moments, life was both innocent and harsh.. reality hit our generation hard those who grew up during the peak of Asian gangs know what im taking about. haha really good and sad times. But life works in mysterious ways...i do believe everything happens for a reason...and the sky king chose the stronger generation to bear the pains for his plans...haha

Remember WWF or WWE as it is known now. We all thought that Sh*t was for real. I remember we had pay per view and it seemed every Hmong within 100 miles of our house came over. Even the women came to watch. Hulk Hogan, the ultimate warrior, Andre the giant.. Brother love! Good times.

[NtsesHnub]

90's
Breakdancing and all the crews
Gang shootings started to happen mid 90's
Gang fights at the HNY
Memory books
311 aka MTT
Hmongs from Fresno moving to NC, MN, and WI
Asian night at Roller Town
Clovis Arcade, Nickle Arcade, Blackbeard
Wild Water Adventures and Airway
Bulldogs
Lost Lake
Cherry Trees
Highways being built in Fresno
Hmong girls wearing the poj laib fakeup

[Reporter]

I mean it wasn't the greatest compared to today.

I can email Biden. I can email Megan Fox. I can email Jackie Chan. I might even be able to email Godzilla and King Kong or Prime, too, if the would read.lol

Don’t care for internet back then.