Hmong Chapter 13

Book Review

The spirit catches you and you fall down

Lin Su

Chapter 12: Flight

1. Lee’s family’s escape from Laos was hard.

2. The Hmong’s living conditions were pretty awful in Thailand, either.

3. Blia Yao Moua, the Hmong leader in Merced, emphasized the Hmong could not be assimilated.

4. Many Hmong refugees were denied access to the United States because of anti-immigration policies, which was a betrayal that helped to explain the Hmong’s distrust to Americans in some ways.

Chapter 13: Code X

1. Lia was returned to MCMC.

2. The hospital allowed Lia’s family to perform more traditional Hmong treatments because they thought Lia would die anyway.

3. Nao Kao was asked to sign something that he believed said Lia was going to die in two hours

Lia’s family finally brought Lia back home.

Chapter 14: The Melting Pot

1. Foua and Nao Kao did not be assimilated; they insisted their culture -- did not speak English and only practiced Hmong traditions. One reason was the Hmong came to the United States to escape violence and persecution in their own country rather than enjoy Americanized lifestyles.

2. Many Americans did not accept the Hmong and were not aware of the role the Hmong played in fighting for America in Laotian Civil War.

3. The Hmong did not want to accept Americans, either. They expected to return pre-war Laos and wanted to leave the United States, a country that effectively subverted their hierarchies.

4. Many elders felt lost in America, but the Hmong culture actually remained impressively intact.

Chapter 15: Gold and Dross

1. Lia was still alive and in a persistent vegetative state after two years.

2. Foua and Nao Kao treated Lia with Hmong medicine and believed that made Lia better. They also found a tvix neeb to lure Lia’s soul and performed pig sacrifices.

3. Foua and Nao Kao also accepted some help from MCMC clinic, Neil and Jeanine.

Chapter 16: Why Did They Pick

The Hmong chose to settle in Merced because of the rumor about Vang Pao’s fruit ranch and the resulted move of Dang Moua.

2. So many welfare-dependent refugees had suddenly shown up in Merced and racist sped off.

3. When Dang was pulled up by a racist man and was questioned why he was here, he tried to communicate and showed his culture, which was an effective way.

4. Even successful community leaders felt the strain of integration and assimilation.

Chapter 17: The Eight Questions

1. Lia neither died nor recovered. Foua and Nao Kao felt constantly fatigued in caring Lia and sent her to the Schelby Center for Special Education during the daytime.

2. Jeanine died because of an acute asthma attack. Foua and Nao Kao started to be more open persons because of Lia’s experience and they trusted Jeanine. Jeanine’s death made Foua distraught.

3. Neil and Peggy’s son was also afflicted with misfortune. Neil finally hit upon something he and his wife had in common with the Lees: the love of family.

4. Dr. Hutchinson replied that medicines might make Lia more susceptible to the bacterial infection and caused Lia’s tragedy.

5. Eight questions implied that doctors’ own beliefs and cultures came up with bias. Doctors must be aware of this.

Chapter 18: The Life or the