The Hmong are an ethnic group from southern China, with significant populations in Southeast Asia and the US. They were persecuted in Laos due to their anti-communist role in the Vietnam War, leading to controversy over US government support. Linguistic and genetic evidence shows they have lived in China for 2,000 years, and they migrated to Southeast Asia in the 18th century. Many Hmong were relocated to safer countries, including the US, due to persecution in Laos and Thailand.
The Hmong people are an ethnic group native to the mountainous areas of southern China. Their name comes from the dialect they speak. There are significant populations in Southeast Asia and the United States in addition to their Chinese homeland. The Hmong are severely persecuted in Laos today because of their anti-communist role in the Vietnam War, and the US government’s reluctance to help them has attracted much controversy since the 1990s. Fortunately, this has led to the repatriation of many Hmong Laos to the United States and other countries, but the genocide against this group continues in Laos to this day.
According to linguistic and genetic evidence, the Hmong have lived in southern China for at least 2,000 years. References to the Miao, the larger ethnic group to which they belong, are found in Chinese literature dating back to the 1st century AD Miao is considered derogatory by many non-Chinese Hmong, although it is still in common use in China, as the syllable for the name does not exist in standard Chinese. There is also controversy over the use of Hmong itself, as one of the larger subgroups does not use deaf nasals (the “hm” sound) and is therefore more properly called Mong. Some believe that the use of the name as an umbrella term marginalizes the Mong, while others believe the distinction is unnecessarily divisive.
In the 18th century, large numbers of Hmong migrated to Southeast Asia in response to the oppressive Qing dynasty ruling China. Vietnam, Laos and Thailand still have some of the largest populations after China. During the Vietnam War, starting in 1960, the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited Lao Hmong to defend against communist forces. In 1975, US forces withdrew and the Communists took control of Laos. The Hmong were heavily persecuted, tortured and killed, with many fleeing to the mountains of Laos or Thailand.
The plight of the Hmong in Southeast Asia became a burning issue in the 1990s, when large numbers of people were forcibly relocated from Thailand to Laos with support from the United Nations and the Clinton administration. The returned Hmong faced renewed persecution and many were relocated to safer countries, including the United States, as a result of the ensuing controversy. Today, many live in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, as well as France and French Guiana. Sadly, those in Laos and Thailand often continue to face persecution.
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