Being a Hmong Teenager-Student Group-March 28, 2003

GROUP103,Getting to Know Our Panelists,Student Group,March 28, 2003,Transcribed by Josh and Terry

KaZoua Moua, Mai Choua Vang, Blong Lor, See Yang, Chue Vue, Fue Yang, Vue Vang
SC: Can you tell us where you guys where born?
KM: Well, we were born in Thailand. I was born in Thailand, and I was raised there for a while.
SY: I was born in Laos. I lived there until I was two years old, and then we moved to Thailand, then the U.S.
CV: Well, I was born here but I was in my momÆs belly when we were running away from the Vietnam War, which was supposed to be called the secret war. So I guess I was born here.
FY: I was born in this country between Laos and Thailand. It's a small place where we had war and we had to hide. I was born, it was uh pinau, that's low and it was between the two and a river.
VV: I was born in America.
SC: Do you think that you have ever been treated differently than someone from another culture?
MV: No, I don't really feel like I have been treated differently by American students. It's like they treat me the same as other students.
SY: Well, I've been treated differently because, well it depends on the people who know me and know my background, like some of my friends, my Caucasian friends, they understand me and my culture so they're friendly to me but some other people they don't understand me and my culture so they dislike us and call us names and stuff.
CV: Same for me it's just that same background and everything, but sometimes people take it too far.
FY: For me it's mostly at Central because we go to Central High School and there's a lot of kids that don't know because we're Freshman's and they like to pick on Freshman kids and go around and push you around.
VV: I think people just don't know us.
SC: When you came to America was it hard to learn English?
BL: It was very hard because we didnÆt even know how to speak it when we came to America.
SY: When I was pretty young so it was pretty easy, and when your young you learn faster, so I caught on pretty good.
CV: Me it was kind of hard cause when I went to school I only spoke Hmong, so the teachers didn't understand, they were like excuse me, what did you say. So when I learned a little bit of English my sister and I used to go to McDonald's or Burger King and it's kind of funny but I used to say Burger King as Bugger King, let's go to Burger King and eat.
FY: For me I've been here almost my whole life well when I was young in elementary it took me two years cause it was pretty hard. I was used to talking in Hmong, so it took me about 2,3,2 years to learn.
SC: If any of you are old enough to remember do you remember how you felt when you escaped from Thailand?
SY: Well I don't remember that much because I was too young.
BL: I don't remember that much but I asked my mom about it, and she just told me that there were many and some of them died because of not catching up with each other.
SC: Do any of your families still practice Hmong traditions even though you are living in the U.S?
CV: All the time. For one thing when we're sick or something we use the word onega, it's sort of like a giving medicine thing. We call someoneÆs soul back so we don't feel sick or anything.
SY: Yeah its about the some as he said, we practice our New Year and our shaman and that's about it. Still do the same thing.
FY: For me my dad, you could say he's pretty good as a shaman so he basically practices almost every day. And then he's kind of Buddhist too. He's got statues of Buddha in which he says their souls are inside them to take care of us. And there's actually a spirit that follows us every where we go like when we get sick the spirit fights for our soul back or something like that.
VV: And for me my family still practices the shaman's traditions.
MV: My parents still practice shaman traditions at the Hmong New Year every year when the New Year comes.
KM: Well for me we still do the Hmong traditions because my father is a shaman. So every single Hmong New Year we usually go and celebrate.
SC: Do you think people have grown to respect the Hmong people?
SY: Some people, but not all of them, like only half or some of the people respect us, but the other half probably doesn't.
BL: It depends on the parents and what they taught so they know more about us and stuff.
SC: How has being Hmong affected your life?
SY: It's hard, and it can be easy at times cause our life, the way we our families are really big, and we have to help out with each other. That's the reason we have really big families, because back in the old country our families, they're big because we have to help each other out on the fields because we have hills and hills of fields, and gardens to work.. It's just helping each other out.
CV: Same thing, it's just that we're Hmong and we live in Laos and Thailand and every day we get up early in the morning and we work in the gardens till night falls then we come home. It was actually pretty hard at times.
SC: Do you fink it easier to communicate at home or at school?
BL: Pretty much at home because at school we don't talk in Hmong that much so when we're with our families we can talk in Hmong.
SY: For me I think it's pretty much the opposite because at home we talk in English because we're more Americanized. We talk all in English at home and I don't know why but we talk in Hmong at school (chuckles).
FY: For me, I'm used to talking in English and in Hmong to my family and friends.

GROUP203,Homeland, Friends, School Opinion ,Student Group,March 28, 2003,Transcribed by Aaron and Tyler

SC: Do any of you guys know anybody back in your homeland?
SY: Yes, I know a lot of people. The people I know were in the army, and they were in the war and some of them fled. Last year two of my uncles died. My aunts and uncles are still out there.
When you fled did you have to leave anything behind that you wished you could have taken?
SY: We left a lot of people there to ones like pets and whatever.
If you could go back to your home country and visit would you?
CV: I guess I would because my grandpas up there and he just got out of the Vietnamese jail for the war so after I finish high school I might go down there.
SY: Next summer my dads going to take us down there cause my dad and mom went there and he is going to take us down there.
FY: I know a lot of people down there to because my mom's cousins aunts once a month they call down here to see how we are living down here and they send stuff here like medicines and Hmong clothes.
SC: Do you guys have more Hmong friends than American friends?
BL: We have a lot of them all over the world some of them are in California and St. Paul and all over the world.
SY: I have about an equal amount of friends.
SC: Have any of your friends ever said anything about how you practice your culture?
FY: Back in elementary I had this really good friend and we went to school our whole life. He likes when we do ceremonies and he learns stuff and he never dissed me about it.
SC: Are any of your parents Shaman and how does that effect you?
SY: My dad is and the way the shaman thing works is that you don't practice it, you get chosen by spirits on the spirit world if they want you they will come and get you.
FY: My dad had been a shaman when he was my age cause when his parents gave him money he never went to school he used his gold to pay shaman teacher to teach him shaman and he left at 7:00A.M and came back at 5:00P.M. Basically his whole life was shaman.
BL: One of my mom's sister in Madison, her baby is our age he became a shaman.
CV: For shaman people it can be a boy or a girl cause when the guys go to work the wives might have to take care of the children.
SC: Do you guys think that the schools in Lacrosse teach enough about Hmong?
SY: I don't think that they do teach enough they tech a little but I'd like to see them teach more so little kids can understand why not to be racist.
CV: Same here it's just that we are all the same and were all human beings. They don't teach enough because a lot of people don't know why we are here or what we are doing here and that's just my opinion.
FY: I think that they don't because some kids ask us what we are talking about and the school district of Lacrosse should have a Hmong class so the people could join it.

GROUP303,Friends, Class, Americanization, Instruction,Student Group,March 28, 2003,Transcribed by Kelly and Sierra

SC: Do you like when like people call you names? Do you correct them or explain to them why you're he and stuff?
Yang: Me, sometimes, if it's bad like, uh, if it's not that bad uh I ignore it. But if it like gets me mad or something I like turn around and sometimes turn around and be like "Why are you talking to us like this we not even talking about you or something. And be like maybe we can be friends and can do something this weekend or something like that."
SC: Have you ever had any friends that treated you differently before you were friends or at the beginning of your friendship because of your culture?
Yang: For me um, uh, my first Caucasian friend uh when we met in like third grade or something. Uh, he didn't really care about my uh background. He just want to talk to me, and like when we were in like art class he saw that I was a pretty good artist and he became an even more better friend because I was a better artist then he was. And so he liked the way I drew and whatever else.
SC: So like what were you saying, saying about learning more about the Hmong. Do you think it would help people learn about the Hmongs if there was a class?
Yang: Yes, because if they had a class uh, in school maybe kids go around and tell their friends or something and what are we talking about and stop making fun of our language and stuff. I just think it's better becuase so there won't be like no problems between like us or something.
Yang: It like this, what he said, I think it will be better because they will understand more and like so they won't have to think like every single time we be talking about they wouldn't think we are talking about them because we are probably not. We just probably just talking about what's going on with us.
SC: Okay, if you ever have kids would you want them to practice Hmong, American, like Hmong culture, or would you want them to do both?
Yang: I prefer them to do both because I want them to keep their tradition and like go out there and do other stuff too, so it's not just like on thing that they have to do, they can have a variety of stuff. But, I'd like them to more of the traditional things so like our traditions don't break off or whatever.
Vang: I think that the kids should be like doing both because um, they know more of like each, you know? Like if they're doing um more about Americans they can just celebrate some of the weird stuff like Thanksgiving and stuff. Like the Hmong they can just do the ceremonies.
Moua: For me, I think they should do both because lie everyone, I don't want like some of their American friends to be like oh your mother and like parents are so strict and wont let you, you guys do this and that.
SC: Do you think that people call the Hmong names because they don't know much about their culture?
Lor: Maybe sometimes, but not all the time we, we came here and we learn about it so we know about it and they sometimes don't talk about it, so it depends if it depends if the person the Hmong, the Hmong kids know American or not.
Yang: I think it's like what people don't know, they don't know if they don't understand they'll say something about it that's not right, that's not true or anything. Like if someone didn't know my culture and would come up to me and call me a gook or a chink it's because they don't understand us and that's why they do that to us.
Vuc: Um same thing. It just that, I think that they don't know about our background and our history or anything and if they do call us names so I thought if they get to know our background they would like not call us names and everything.
Yang: Like um same thing as but, but like he say and if they know more about culture and everything like why were here in the united States um, maybe they'll respect the Hmong better or respect the other race instead of Hmong like Korean and Chinese people.
Vang: Um same thing, I think the same thing too because I just think that they don't uh, don't get the chance to uh, get to know us yet so that's why there's racist and stuff going on.
Yang: That's really um, it's like racial discrimination. Like its really bad I'll turn around and talk to them, like tell them why do you guys got to say that when they don't know anything about me and if it's a little thing like I don't care if they call me a chink or a gook because its just words they can say whatever the want.
SC: Have you ever noticed like Caucasians dating Hmong?
Yang: I know like one of my cousins that he, she had married this Caucasian guy and like her family at first was like against it but then uh I guess uh a-after they got married since the parents couldn't do anything about it. They just don't care and then like now they like appreciate more because he usually is around helping them out too. And like some of the guys that I know they marry white girl uh, like, like Caucasian girls too and most of the uh Hmong on the guys side of the Hmong guys they don't like uh Caucasian girls. I don't know why I think it's just like get single from them and be kind of racist too.
SC: Do you think there is anything wrong with um Hmong being Americanized?
Yang: I don't think so, but I think it's up to the way people look at it, their view. But I don't think it's wrong to be Americanized because we're in the Untied States and it's where we are living right now so we should be able to be and do whatever we want to do.
SC: Do any of you parents not know how to speak English and if they don't do you have to help them?
Yang: My mom can't speak English. My dad can a little but still he doesn't understand much. But my mom she's like the only one in my family that doesn't understand English and she can't, she can read a little but she is always asking us to help her read so we help her read all the time.
Lor: Sometimes like we, like my dad goes pays the bills, sometimes I go and translate for him. Like helping him 'cause I more American then my dad and so I just help him.
Yang: Yeah my parents they're not so good at it and like these days they still have to go to school and learn. Um, and like sometimes when like my brothers and sisters need to go to the hospital I probably have to go and translate or like if the doctor call in for like an appointment for my mom or something. I probably have to translate for my mom because my sisters are like all married and there are only the brothers and one younger sister. So, it's more like the boys have to take care of the mom.
SC: I have seen that and is that like an instrument you guys play?
Lor: It's kind of an instrument but it just for calling a girl when they're sleeping and stuff.
Yang: It for the old people, back in the day they used to go and like pick up girls when they're sleeping and go knock on the side of the walls where the girl sleeps and they blow this. They like try to get the girl to come outside so they can take them. This is what the use; um this is what it looks like. It's uh, copper. I don't know what it is. (You like put your mouth to it like this and like you just blow air into it and then you just pluck this and then if you can hear it but I don't know. Yeah, it's like uh, makes a noise.
Vuc: How about you demonstrate it.
Yang: I am not good at it so I am not going to demonstrate it. They use to pick up girls Mostly guys will do this.

GROUP403,Fitting in, Racism, and Music,Student Group,March 28, 2003,Transcribed by Jake and Mikey

BL: Our tradition, and there's all kind of, there's all kind of hmong, like there's white and
There's green. Green tradition, but I'm in white tradition so I just follow my parents' tradition
like my dad and mom did.
SY: It's kind of, it's not bad but it's kind of annoying cause like last month we had the whole 2 or 3
weeks we had this, my dad is a shaman so he did this shaman thing and then
we had to watch him for like three weeks and it got pretty boring and I was kind of tired
too, and my oldest brother was like really mad cause he had to stay home, he couldn't go.
So, but the thing is good but it can be boring.
FY: My dad is a shaman and we do like this thing and like every year which it kinda get boring
because you stand there for like about two hours standing up and which is legs get tired easy and
they will go and get a pig from farm and they like bring in and they got this long, long
rope which it goes around your cousin, like your whole cousin or relatives or whatever. And it takes
two hours just to stand there and my dad keeps talking, talking, talking, hitting the drum or whatever
doing his thang. It like sometimes is boring, sometimes it's like interesting what like you
haven't learned.
SC: When you didn't know like English, in the schools, how did you like, did you have to go to a
class to learn how to speak it or did you just learn it through being around. The language.
SY: I learned it by listening to other people talking and um like when we came here, most of
us kids we went to E.S.L. It's like , I forgot what it stands for but it's like, it helps us with our English.
SC: Have you ever had an incident where somebody has like vandalized anything of yours or
house or something?
SY: Nothing like that has happened to me but um not vandalized but I got stuff, things
stolen from me but it doesnÆt really matter because itÆs only things not important to
me just like my shoe or whatever.
FY: Well, from my dad he had like these, ah, shaman stuff that when like only he can touch it or like
shamans can touch it, but if kids or some adults that don't know anything about shamans,
then they can't do it, and if they touch it or hit it, it like make them sick for like awhile until like another
shaman do a shaman thing to get his spirit well, or something like that.
SC: For those of you who were not born in the US now were you looking forward to coming to
the U.S.?
FY: Well, for me I felt weird I thought Thailand, or Laos was suppose to be built like wood and
bamboos or hays or whatever and like when I grew up I was like, why is it so different here. They
got bricks, like how know and it's like, its so different here, ya know.
SY: I guess I was too young so I didn't know if I wasn't old enough to know if I
was gonna be like exited to come here so I didn't think of it much.
CV: When I was small, I didn't know how the Hmong houses look like in Laos so I tried to build
one on my own so I started picking up sticks and everything and tying it up everything but after,
when I was done, it took me, oh, a year and started looking like more like a dog house instead of a
Hmong house.
SC: What kind of things do you like to do like Americans like do sports and or stuff is there any
special sports that you guys do?
BL: For the New Year, sometimes we just throw a ball back and fourth with a girl. Like I'm a man,
I'm suppose to know Hmong but I don't know how to translate it into American so.
SY: We have like a couple sports, I forgot what it's called, but it's like the little, ah, thing I forgot
what it's called. It spins. It has a thing on it and you put the rope on it and then you throw it and it
spins. That's one of the sports. And we play soccer. That's one of our sports too. Like today we
play volleyball, it's not our sport but we play for New Years cause it's like in America I guess. Like
he said (pointing to Blong), it's the ball toss and the we have like a hacki sack game but we have
ah, it's made out of bamboo. It's like this big ball. It's called ka thow. It's kind of played like
volleyball but you just use your feet. And your feet in the air, everything else except for your
arms. It's just like soccer.
SY: (playing instrument) Sounds like that.

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