The Hmongs are a distinct group of people who claimed to have originated in China.  The Hmongs in Southeast Asia and the US are divided into two subgroups - the Hmong Leng/Green Hmong and White Hmong.  There are other groups of Hmong that labeled themselves as Black Hmong, Flower Hmong, Red Head Hmong, and Stripe Hmong, etc.  All of the Hmong people in the USA speak only two dialects.  They speak either the Hmong Leng/Green or the White Hmong dialect.  The major different between all of the Hmong groups is their traditional costumes.  Each group wears a different traditional costume.  However, most of the Hmong groups have always lived and worked together as one Hmong.  The Hmong people have their own unique culture and religion - these are the two key ingredients which make the Hmong unique and different from the rest.  According to history, during the eighteen century many Hmong families migrated to Southeast Asia due to a major conflict between the Hmong, and his legendary younger brother, the Chinese.  Some of them went to North Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Burma and other nearby countries; but the majority of the Hmongs remained in China. Today it is estimated that eight millions Hmongs are still living in China (Visit the sites below for more information on the Hmong people).

There are eighteen commonly known clan names among the Hmong in Southeast Asia  and in the USA.  They are Chang, Cheng, Chu, Fang, Hang, Her or Herr, Khang, Kong or Xoom, Kue, Lo or Lor, Ly or Lee, Moua, Pha, Thao, Vang, Vue, Xiong or Song and Yang . During the Vietnam War, the Hmong were recruited by the CIA to help with the US.  In 1975 when the Communist North Vietnam took over South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, many Hmong families sought refuge in Thailand.  From the refugee camps in Thailand, many of them were resettled into third countries such as:  United States, Canada, Australia, France, China, South America, Germany, and other countries.

In the United States, the Hmong people are spreaded across all of the States.  However, there are higher concentration of them in some of the  States than others.  The States that have high concentration of Hmong people are:  California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania and some cities of the Northwest region of the United States.  The Hmong population in the United States is estimated at 300,000 (Washington Time)- about half of them were born in the US.  The Hmong population worldwide is estimated at 12,000,000 (Lao Human Rights). 

The Hmongs are family oriented people.  Families are important to them.  They like to live close to the same clan or people whom they know so that they can help each other in time of need.  The majority of the Hmong people believe in animism.  They believe that a person has three spirits, and when a person died 1). One of the spirit goes to the deceased ancestors, who live in a cold, dark, desert like place.  2). Another spirit will reincarnate.  3). And still another spirit will live and guard the burial tomb forever.  The majority of the Hmongs in the US and in the world believe in this religion.  There are about fifteen percent of the Hmongs in the US are Christians.  Most of them are recent converts after arriving in the U.S.  The Hmongs are known and proud of their hospitality, friendliness, and hard orking people.  Before coming to the US, the Hmongs had never relied on other for their livelihood.  The first few years of their arrival in America, many families were on welfare because of the lack of the necessary skills to work and the difficulty of the English language.  They would love to work if an opportunity is given.  Today the majority of the Hmong are working.  Many own their own home, some have their own business, some are woking in local and government offices, still others have become teachers and professors and other professions.  In the last twenty seven years, the Hmongs have contributed their shares in this melting pot society.  The Hmongs love freedom and they will continue to make every effort to live in peace and harmory with people of all races.

Written by: Rev. Yia Z. Vang, LCMS Missionary at Large to Wisconsin South District