Blog Four: What is the solution to help preserve the Hmong Culture

Blog Four: What is a solution to help preserve the Hmong culture?

“Paj ntaub” is the Hmong word for the beautiful stitched embroidery on the traditional clothes that women would sew and wear (Moua, Gaoli).  The Hmong Americans preserves their heritage, by wearing these Hmong clothes to special occasions such as the annually Hmong New Year.  In order to preserve the Hmong culture more effectively, the profit that the Hmong Organizations make from the New Year should be used to offer summer classes to teach new generation of Hmong students how to read and write in Hmong. 

The Hmong International New Year Foundation is one of the organizations that provide an annually public Hmong New Year that includes venders, sports, and entertainment      (Hmong New Year Celebration).  With so many sports and entertainment going on, sometimes the young Hmong-Americans forget what the true purpose of the New Year is about.  The Hmong New Year means more than just playing soccer, buying sticky rice, or buying the new fashion of Hmong clothes, it is meant to preserve our culture. The New Year celebration is to remind us of that even if the Hmong people do not have a country, we have these events so that our children, and the future generations will never forget who the Hmong people are.

With the profit that the Hmong Organizations make, they should offer Hmong classes during the summer at a school, when public schools are out.  These Hmong classes should teach Hmong-Americans and other students how to read and write in Hmong.  Also the students should be informed about the history and the importance of preserving the Hmong culture.  The classes should also offer cultural activities such sewing traditional Hmong story cloths, cooking Hmong food, and playing traditional Hmong music. The classes should be taught for four hours long, two days a week for the summer to the general public.  This project will provide a clearer understanding of the Hmong culture to the young Hmong generation and the importance of the New Year.

The Hmong New Year is an important social event to the Hmong community, since it is their way of expressing their culture.  With the classes, preserving the Hmong culture would even be more effective; in this case, they are actually learning about the Hmong culture while applying their knowledge to better understand and enjoy the Hmong New Year with relevance.

Moua, Gaoli. “Culture spotlight: Hmong clothing stands out with embroider and intricate details”. The Jade Times. A Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. Publication. 18 August 2010. Web. 17 March 2012. < http://www.deltaphilambda.org/newsletter/?p=118>

Vang, Charlie. “Hmong New Year Celebration”. Hmong International New Year Foundation. H.I.N.Y. 1975- December 2011. Web. 18 March 2012. <http://www.hmongnewyear.us/about-us.php>