Here is my opinion on Hmong Leaders and I would never want to do such a thankless job...I admire their noble ambitions and what they are trying to do. I believe they do a good job advocating for Hmong interest with the government to support Hmong/Asian causes. I believe they do a good job in organizing traditions and rituals such as new year, etc... I believe they do a decent job in advocating and helping elders adapt. What Hmong leaders cannot do because they don't have the resources are:
1) They cannot close the achievement gap because they don't understand the social science behind why Hmong kids are failing to catch up with their Asian peers.
2) They cannot close the equity gap because they don't understand the socio-economics conditions and they do not have the means to close the equity gap.
3) They cannot help entrepreneurs grow because they don't understand business management.
In order for the 18 clans to change, they need to change leadership. The change in leadership will cause a paradigm shift in the mindset, thinking, etc... and then the people will shift. What this means is business leaders and educational leaders in the Hmong community should step up, but most of them want none of the political or leadership burden.
NOTE: Having a PhD does not make you a leader... It just means you work really hard to study a specific subject and you may be a subject matter expert. Hmong people often confuse expert with leadership. Leadership by definition is a servant who helps cause change in the system. So pretty much anyone who dares to lead and be put under a microscope can become a leader.