The Hmong People of Vietnam
We are a family that loves gymnastics. As we watched the exhilarating gymnastics competitions at the Olympics last year, one athlete stood out to me among the rest - Suni Lee. Beyond her incredible talent and determination, Suni Lee represents something more profound - the triumph of the Hmong people and their rich cultural heritage. As part of my anthropological passion, i took some time to research and learn about the Hmong culture. I am sharing my learnings as part of this blog post
Originating from the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia, the Hmong community has a fascinating history shaped by their resilience, traditions, and enduring spirit.
The Hmong people mainly live in the mountainous regions on the hills that border China. Originally originating from China, their ancestors had chosen to settle in the high mountains of Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar after being subjected to shame in the Chinese feudal system. In the past these communities chose to live in clusters together in remote areas while migrating seasonally.
There are four groups of Hmong people: the Hoa H’mong, the Green Hmong, the White Hmong, and the Black Hmong. Each of these groups have passed down their respective cultures through generations, allowing them to preserve it for many years. There are various similarities and differences between each of these groups. They share similar lifestyles as well as cultures and dialects, however the major difference they all have is the clothing that the women wear. To illustrate some of the differences in the traditional clothing each of these groups wear, the White Hmong they wear white dresses, the Hoa Hmong have a flower embroidered bottom hem, the Green Hmong wear square bottom hems which is embroidered with a cross pattern, and the Black Hmong typically wear an embroidered patterned shirt(Bich). The mens clothing is comparatively simpler, they usually adorn a short blouse with wide arms as well as a wide legged pant. In Hmong culture they practice making their own clothing. In fact for special holidays the girls in the Hmong culture will knit and embroider their own outfits for the festivities.
The various groups do share similar spiritual beliefs. A main belief in the Hmong culture is the idea that humans have three souls, each one residing in a different part of the body. One part of the soul is in the head area, the next is in the chest area, and the final one is in the navel area(Bich). For the Hmong people they believe that when a person is healthy the soul and body are living in harmony. However when a person becomes sick it is because the soul has left the body. A popular ceremony in the culture is soul calling, which is often performed when a person in the house is sick. Based on the belief that a part of the soul resides in the head, the Hmong people actually refrain from rubbing their heads, particularly their childrens’ heads(Bich). They believe that since childrens’ souls are still weak, rubbing their heads would result in their souls leaving and cause them to fall sick.
As for food the Hmong people farm on terraced fields where they plant crops such as corn, rice, and wheat. They also practice interplanting crops such as potato, lotus, peanut, sesame, and beans alongside the main crop. The plough that is used by the Hmong people is known for its high quality and efficiency(Atlasofhumanity.com). Apart from farming they also raise livestock such as buffalos, cows, pigs, chickens, and horses.
This is an extremely self-sufficient community that has managed to preserve its culture for many years by staying true to their roots. I hope you learned a little bit from this blog!
Work Cited
Atlasofhumanity.com. “Hmong People of Vietnam.” Atlas Of Humanity, www.atlasofhumanity.com/vietnamhmong
Bich, Ha. “Hmong in Vietnam: History, Culture Facts, Custom and Rituals.” Best Guide To Visit Vietnam With Vietnamtrips, 16 Aug. 2022, vietnamtrips.com/hmong-in-vietnam.