Essay On I Am Hmong

Balancing my cultures growing up was confusing as a young child; at one grandparents’ house I was Mexican, and the other, Laotian. Today I embrace both which has cuisine benefits during the holidays. Also, being different than my peers has been a constant struggle. Nonetheless I am understanding of others upbringings and am observant and self aware that I should embrace the culture around me without losing sense of who I am culturally and individually. This has been a realisation that has taken years to develop but has transformed me into an accepting and compassionate individual because so many were not for me. Regardless I am proud to be a texan, a southerner and an american. In addition being of a divorced family led to me, the eldest, filing in as the other parent sometimes acting as such in regard to care. I have been a parent to my siblings in my own right and didn't realize this until my younger sister told me so. Between making sure that we were awake for going to school, lunches being packed, homework finished and baths taken, I have a great sense of duty to family as well as initiative. I grew up quickly but wouldn’t change my circumstances even if I could. I have learned how to cope with stress and persevere and that a person should do things not because they are told to but rather because they are needed to be

With the centrality of the family in Hmong culture, having sons or a son is very important as they are the ones who will take on the last name and lead the future generation of the family (Cha, 2010). Cha states, “The clannish nature of Hmong society favors a son. A family that does not have a son is viewed as a burden to the clan and community, because such a family will not contribute much to the community,” (p. 24). In the culture, the son(s) will take care of the parents as the daughter will get married and move to live with the husband’s family. Religion also plays a role since the traditional belief is that although the daughter can take care of the parents physically when they are alive, they cannot take care of them spiritually after they pass away. This is because the daughter becomes a part of the other family and cannot worship her parents’ spirits after death (Cha, 2010).

I was born in Victoria, Texas. Being raised in South Florida, I’ve been around a variety of cultures and diverse people all my life. I am mu-lingual (English / Spanish) and I am conversational in Italian. Attending Somerset Academy Charter since kindergarten is one of the reasons I am who I am today. Somerset Academy is a school that makes each student feel important, valued and part of a school community. I have always had the opportunity to speak up and reach out to my peers for any help and advice needed. The Somerset Academy community has shaped me into being a dedicated student and has allowed me to build mentoring relationships with many of my professors. Another reason I am the person I am today is because of my parents and the empowerment afforded to me. I come from a family that has instilled in me the significance of an education and a strong work ethic. They have also taught me the importance of freedom of choice and accountability for those choices. My parents have always stressed that an education is paramount to attain a

I take great pride in my family’s background. My Mother, Tina Franulovich-Martin was born and raised in Anacortes. She attended elementary, middle and high school in Anacortes and is now an elementary music teacher at Fidalgo Elementary School for the past 24 years. Her Father, Paul Franulovich immigrated from Yugoslavia in the 1940’s when he was 14 years old and went straight into high school, not speaking a word of english. My Papa loved this town with all of his heart and never wanted to leave the island. My Grandmother, Bertha Franulovich was born in a small village in southeast Alaska. She is a member of the Tlingit tribe. Her family moved down to La Conner, WA after a fire broke out in their village in the 1950’s. My Dad, Steve Martin,

"I have nothing with which to start a family. I am all alone in this life and land." The common thoughts of Hmong refugees as they began to settle in refugee camps and America are that of deep alienation and uncertainty. When the Hmong first entered the U.S., they were strategically dispersed across the country to promote faster assimilation. However, the stark contrast between the Hmong and America's cultures has made this move backfire. The integration of the Hmong has been especially difficult when compared with other immigrants, leading some Americans to believe that it is the fault of the Hmong. In reality, the problem was that their culture was unlike any of the other immigrants that the America has been exposed to. In order to examine any transition that the Hmong have undergone in America, we first must define, what it means to be Hmong and what it means to be American. Several texts have attempted to answer these questions and I will use them to correct the prevailing misconceptions of the Hmong. It is common belief that Hmong's culture is one of primitivity, dependency, and close-mindedness; I will show that these beliefs are not only false but also propagated by cultural oppression and ineffective resettlement policies.

Before moving to Saint Paul, Minnesota, two and a half years ago, I lived in Storm Lake, a small rural town located in northwest Iowa. There was no big Hmong population there, only a few family friends. I was very hesitant to share my culture at school because I did not know how to explain the elaborate traditions and its purposes. For example, sacrificing animals to ancestors is an outdated practice and not understood by many people. Traditions like this only exist in historical textbooks. I was scared of being judged and looked on as weird. I did not know the purpose of dressing up in traditional clothing for new years, or what was the purpose of celebrating Hmong new year. I envied other cultures, for they had a history that was widely known and written down in text. I had no appreciation for my culture.

I am Vietnamese-American. I am part of the largest population of refugee children in American history, and one of the first of its community to be born in the American culture. With no prior generation in my ethnic group, I have faced the stresses of growing up Vietnamese and as an American. I faced the effects of acculturation throughout my life, and I have watched my parents’ health deteriorate. Both are borderline diabetic and have multiple vascular diseases. When I learned how chronic diseases were more prevalent among minorities from low socioeconomic classes, it all made sense. My family was a prime example. Since then, I have looked at my life in a different perspective and wanted to help people like my family to control and manage our health. In addition, when I visited Vietnam when I was 22, I was shocked to discover that my young female cousins were already parents and had several previous miscarriages. Subsequently, I came to realize the ongoing health crisis around women’s health in Vietnam and other developing countries. Thus, I also wanted to help women make healthier choices regarding their reproductive health.

how about we make it about a Korean-American? A fourth generation Korean-American relocates to his families home city Busan in Korea. Where ends up learning about more about his roots, the Korean language,and Korean culture. Follow his hilarious journey in Korea as he tries to solves trials and tribulations due to culture shock.

From what I gathered from the literature research, my theory is approved. Hmong Children with disabilities receive lower expectation from their parents, and parents have different attitude toward those children. Hmong parents expected children who can learn fast and physical normal because they wanted their children to be successful, and parents are often sadden when found out about their child’s condition. Some parents have no education goal for their children with disabilities because these parents are not familiar with the American school system. This is supporting my hypothesis.

I was born and raised in Chicago, but am a daughter of immigrants. My father chased his dream and is the proud owner and operator of an Indian restaurant, while my mother sacrificed her dream career and disregards her educational degree to work as a bank teller to help raise me my brother and me. Though my parents are happy, I wonder how things would turn out if they were raised here. All our conflicts and differences in opinions and values are because I was raised here. Growing up in the Oswego school district, a majority white population, I often was told who I was and who I wasn’t and withheld from who I wanted to be. I ran away from my roots. The bullying and harassment I faced, led to the numerous insecurities I hold. No matter what happened

I belong to a variety of communities like the Catholic church and the Vietnamese culture. However, there is also another community that sprung from a combination of the two: the Vietnamese Catholic community. The origins of the community stem from the first generation that immigrated to America during the war. Through hard work and establishing fierce determination, the first generation began laying the foundations for the second, current generation.

I grew up in a very much multi-cultural neighborhood and I myself love speaking to others and learning about their lives, dreams and, ambitions. I bring all the knowledge I have to lend a hand selflessly to people who are going through hardships and, people going through situations where they don’t know what to do and be able to guide them and provide them resources to people that can help if needed. I respect everyone's beliefs and understand not everyone is the same and I think that makes a community better, and gives a give to allow people to grow and understand.

Acculturation is known as a cultural change and psychological change that results following meeting between cultures at multiple levels in both interacting cultures. It has also been referred to the changes in personal values, beliefs, behaviours, and ways of living that an immigrant or minority individual makes as a result of adapting to the mainstream cultural or behavioural norms (Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987). Acculturation often results in changes to culture, customs, and social institutions. In this modern era, through technology and media, people have been constantly engaging online to learn and understand new cultures, norms and languages. Acculturation is more than simply learning the English language, but also understanding the history of a new country, navigating its idioms and understanding the concepts behind its holidays.

I have grown up in an American, Caucasian, middle-class family of five. My parents have been married for 29 years and have two daughters and a son. My sister is 27, my brother is 25, and I am 20. My family has had many great experiences, but has also faced various challenges. Throughout our different experiences, our family dynamic has developed.

I was born in a Vietnamese family. Both my father and mother are Vietnamese. My parents were born in the countryside and they spent their childhood there. When they grew up, they moved to the city to look for jobs. Where I live is a small hometown which lies closely to the countryside. I have lived here all my life and