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1/14/05 Ms.Yang I believe that every religion deserves respect no matter what and that everyones opinion deserves respect also. Being a hmong christian, I've been ridiculed, called horrible names like white washed, hmong hater, spawn of satan ect...by non-christians and christians alike just because I defend my opinions as a christian first. I do consider myself more religious than the traditional hmong christian. Because of this, I can honestly say that I'm more closed minded and ignorant and may even be seen as "crazy," but no one has the right to judge me just as I don't have the right to judge others. I believe that everyone should respect others religion because when it comes down to it, religion, just like everything else is a choice. I'm choosing my route, you choose your own. I also believe that being hmong has nothing to do with shaminism. People who accuse others of not being hmong because of their religion judges by ignorance and hate. That kind of judgment is not what I call "respect". Until people can learn to respect each other, the hmong culture will die off. With respect will christians and non-christians only then be able to perserve the hmong culture. For the hmong culture to go on, we christians and non-christians need to first understand each other. That means learning about each others religion if it means we have to.  1/11/05 eMkAy pHaB mInIsOtA i really think that it doesn't matter what kind of religion we do here in this world. we are still hmong and that is all it matters. its not just that were hmong we all are human and this is the whole point of this problem, they want us to believe what we were taught to believe. people are different.i know both religion, and i didn't stop myself from learning it, b/c it doesn't hurt to be who you are. so i agree with Ana Vang. gurl you so right. "so quit judging others if you don't like to be judge. stop the people that are judging you, were suppose to love one and other!" we are one kind, one race! 11/24/04 I personally think that all people are ignorant. We come from a background of people who never had a land to call our own. Way back then we were into shamanism. Today the people who are Christians, Catholics or any other new religions, call shamanism, believing the DEVIL. My dad's blood brother's family is Christians and they strongly dislike my family because we are shamanisms. I think that is over the limit. Believe what you want to believe but do not hate people for what they believe in. It is wrong and childish. When it is your BLOOD brother...only you and him and you choose to hate him because you believe in a different religion. Don't forget that my dad is older and is a part of the whole clan leader thing. Converting into something that is new to the Hmongs and throwing away your true identity of who you really were back then, is something that you decide. I will not be surprised if the Hmong culture is forgotten in about ten to twenty years from now. Teenagers are all so ignorant about learning about the culture, they cannot speak the language correctly, hate the folk songs and the elders. Guys, wake up and face reality. They are all we have, we need to keep our culture alive, it is who we are. We cannot say that we are Caucasians, for that is what the majority of the people are nowadays. They say that they are Americanized...which means you do not know who you really are. This movie is a great one that made a difference in my life, to pay more attention to my parents and I even want and wish to learn shaman. I believe in it, it cured me, and I hope that it will also make a difference in other Hmong peoples' lives and make them see reality. Remember OUR LIVES DEPENDS ON OUR ELDERS. Do not hate them for telling you what is right from wrong, do not hate them for cheking up on you late at night. Start appreciating, at least someone REALLY cares about you. 11/17/04 Ciaj Sia Lee I'm surprised of what we all have to say about religeion. I've not yet seen the movie, but well soon. We all have to see the difference that Shaman, God, Budahh, etc... are what I call "The Spirit Pill" They all are only belife in the mental mind and is there to help remind us all to make a wise choice. We have to understand, for example, Hmoob shamanism is like a doctor only. Who he or she, is to help cure the sick and the lost souls. Hmoob shamanism is a practice not a religion. Only the shaman or shawomen worship the altar. That is every year at the end of the year the shaman/shawomen offers to their spirt army. No one else does that but them. What the Hmoob's religion is the Xwm Kab, or ancestor altar. That's what the man of the house hold every year offers thanks to the blissing of the acestors. No one is forced to do what they don't want to do, but it is the practice of painting the art that makes this world so beautiful. In closing, don't get Shamanism mix up with animism. 11/16/04 Song Chang I think that our religion and our culture are one and the same. There is no real distinction between the two. Once you take shamanism out of the picture, then you also subtract the core of our culture. We are who we are because of what we believe in and how we practice it. It is a beautiful thing and it is unique to us. I've been researching aspects of Hmong history and Hmong culture for a while now and although I am not an expert nor do I posses a PhD, I feel that shamanism plays a large role in our culture and how we function in it as a whole. It is very important for future generations to embrace Hmong culture because it is a dying culture. Until very recently, say the last 30 or 40 so years, the vast majority of Hmongs have been practicing shamanism since the very beginning. It wasn't until we were exposed to other religions such as Christianity, did we convert and that we have seen a rise in Christian Hmongs. As a result of that, there has been a decrease in the knowledge and education of Hmong history. Traditions are not being passed down from generation to generation. In addition to the fact that we are living in a world entirely different from our parents' world, we are also exposed to different types of people who practice very different religions. Embracing these different religions is a beautiful thing but remembering our own is the most important. To forget our past is to give it up. It is hard to say if the future generations will embrace their culture. But I think that if we take the necessary steps now to educate them, they will appreciate and understand who they are. It is very hard for me to understand Hmong Christians when they say they are still "being" Hmong because a big part of being Hmong is practicing shamanism. Yes, of course they are ethnically Hmong, I agree with that. But they have shed their cultural ties to Hmong people. It's the same thing with my roommate. She is a tenth generation Chinese-American, what you would call ABC - American-born Chinese. She looks Chinese. She is ethnically Chinese. But she does not speak a word of Chinese and her family does not practice any form of religion at all whatsoever. So she would say, yes, she's Chinese. But then she would also say that, no, she's really not Chinese at all. She's Chinese-American because she does not posses any values or characteristics indicative of Chinese culture but she is Chinese. And, she isn't born of anglo-saxon decent, but she harbors values and characteristics distintive of American culture. See ... in a couple of more generations, we will be just like that. We'd be Hmong-Americans without any culture. How boring is that? We need look no further than our fellow Asian brothers and sisters who have migrated to America long before us. We need not wonder at what the future holds. The possibility is all around us. We have to be proactive to ensure that our culture survives. This is one of my lifelong goals and I am determined to play an active role in perserving Hmong culture. 10/19/04 caty i am mexican american and come from a catholic family. we believe in God and the Virgen Mary. my bf is a hmong and i love him so much. we know we have different beliefs and traditions but we respect each others cultures and beliefs. i am even learning some hmong!!! i hope that someday i can understand it and know more about the hmong culture. 10/1/04 txong moua i come from a big family of 8 other siblings. my parents raised us on shamanism & had a passive feeling towards western religions. growing up, i watched my other siblings americanize & become materialistic, trying to fit in as if it was the most important thing for them to be like eveyone else. i think that is plain silly-no other word for it. we should know and remember where we come from; never lose that. it doesn't matter what religion one chooses to follow. shamanism, as i have observed is a psychological medicine to whatever illness a hmong may have and yes it can be used in conjunction with western medicine (i don't see why not). i don't have an opinion about god, heaven or hell. i will find out what happens after death when i die. if nothing happens, i will be content with that...my curiousity wil be satisfied. my parents never spoke to us about god or shamanism. my curiousity led me to question their beliefs and give me structure to find a personal belief. in fact, being a hmong, i am looking into buddhism. i think it is an interesting religion. the only reason why some hmongs have converted to christianity and mormonism is because of recruits and sponsors for hmongs to come to the u.s. just know your roots. i have been looking into where hmongs originated. i've heard siberia mentioned but i hope to get more facts. i've read books on hmongs and done reports, projects, etc on the hmong. there is so much more i want to say but i would like to keep this as short as possible. 9/20/04 Tony Yang Tony yang of MN, i think that no matter what religion we believe in we as a Hmong people should stick together. don't go around spread untrue rumors about others. i'm a christian myself but i don't like the fact that many christians think that our culture and custom are evil. What i see is a unique and beautiful culture. We can not be the children of God until we can distinguish that. To the non christians don't think that because some Hmong have become christian means that they don't want to be Hmong anymore and you would stop socialize with them all together(christians too) if thats how we are then our minds are still too shallow and we need more education. i don't care whether you have a phd or you are a reverend. Y out. 9/20/04 What I think about the film, I have not seen it yet, but hopefully I well pretty soon. The only thing I have to say is you ladies and gentleman should be ashamed about yourself debiting against other peoples religious. Everyone has their own beliefs and if you want to be a Shaman, Christian, Mormon,and so forth let it be. This is why the world is so corrupt because everyone thinks their religious is better than the others. 8/31/04 hey wassups...how come you hmong people are sooo strong about culture and proud to be a hmong...what is pride anyways...we should be proud of who we are...not all hmongs are shamans...and the hmong people i know they are christians...they believe in the lord and that he has saved us...im not saying that you should stop your culture im just saying that being a hmong is unique because theres not much of us...we are something called "rare asians"...because of our race....not many people know about hmong like how americans know that theres korean and chinese people...and that is great...well bye... 8/17/04 Birthanie well i'm paja thao's son birthanie ofcourse....well i know that a lot of people do like the documentry and that's great then....but what people dont know is how hard it is for my family to have someone there all the time to film our life...but after a while we got used to it and we started loving our director taggart......well hopefully hmong people will still be proud of who they are....no matter where you're born you're still a hmong and better stick with it or it will be history and i don't want our culture to be history because i still want people to know that our culture is still going on.....well thanks everyone for writing in here...i loved to read everything in here....welll take cares everyone...... 8/12/04 Fue Thao California It's quite interesting what people has to say about the religions of our people "HMONG"...as a Christian and as a friend to MANY nonchristians-I have seen that the new trend many younger Hmongs are partaking is not Shamanism nor Christianity, but in betweens...many times I see Hmongs being reluctant to do anything; except stay clear of everything else...yah the older generations (by that I mean older parents) seek the Shaman and the Church for guidance, but the youths as i see is too caught up with our materialist society - As far as i know it...Shaman will soon die out gradually within a couple or at most a few decades in United States. BUT FOR NOW: As a hmong youth of america, i would just like to address the cultural lost that we are now loosing to the violence of gangs and stupidity of guys not stepping up to the plate... value EDUCATION alongside with OUR HMONG CULTURE- full of morals and values 7/27/04 Annie wow yes it is really hurtful to see my hmong fellows debating. I think it's ok to believe in whatever religion. Everyone believe in what they are believing now maybe because a lot of things in their religion had happened to them. I do believe that there is a god, as well as other powerful things such as a Hmong shaman... 7/23/04 Michael thao it makes me sad to see that there is a discussion about shamanism versus christianity. we live in a wolrd that can accept both. please stop that madness, instead lets focus on more productive discussion, e.g what is the best way to preserve our culture or wat is the best way to do it if you have converted to a different religion. no matter what your religion though, cultural preservation is still possible. for example, instead of kiv tes, or the ceremonial string tying around someone's wrist as a blessing, my father calls over our pastor and we pray. we do this in substitution of kiv tes. for instance, when your daughter marries and has her first child, you are suppose to call your daughters family over and traditionally have a kiv tes ceremony for them. my family however, just prays with our church members. shamanism has a deep history in our ancestor's religion and culture. if it still exists today and if it worked for how many thousands of years, i'd say it has the ability to heal. 7/20/04 mannie i want to place a comment on kalee. well yes ancestors are dead. durrrr. just because they're dead it doesn't mean that they will not be able to do anything forever ok. who will be the next txiv neeb? the spirits choose you. you do not have a choice to become one or to not become one. this will continue for more and more generations just like people will believe in god for more and mre generations. i am really offended by your words. so what you're trying to say is that shamanism is just devil stuff? how do we really know if god is a devil or a good person. if a shaman is not a good person, then how come the shaman is curing people and helping people al laroundthe world. 7/20/04 Mannie California sup sup. well um....ok well to Lucy, Lia did not judge any body. It's ok that you and your family had changed but just remember that you are originally from the shaman side ok. Even a person who had changed to christianity can still be chosen to become a shaman. it's not your choice to become a shaman or not. The spirits come to you and force you to. If god really existed, then who created god? god can't just be there. if god is so nice, then why are we like this? if god is so powerful and powerful than anyone else in this universe, then how come he cannot destroy the evilness in this world. if we don't believe in god, there's no heaven nor hell for us, right? jesus is just a regular person like everyone else. he got tortured by people and that's it. shamanism isn't just about the shaman going into the spirit world fighting for a lost soul, bargaining and bartering for that soul with the evil spirits. If he succeeds, you're cured, if not, then you're not cured. that's not just it. a shaman can be as powerful as what you believe "god" or "jesus" is as powerful too. 7/16/04 Ana Vang California You can chose and be what you want to be. There is no need to criticize others of their beliefs. And so what if I believe that vanilla is the best ice cream flavor, it's just me. So to ask is Shamanism or Christanity better I have to say just remember your roots and morals. 7/6/04 Lucy Her I believe future generations of Hmong Americans will embrace their ancestor's culture. There's a distinct difference between culture and religion. We can preserve our culture, without following the same religion. Shamanic ceremonies does have the ability to heal. It's all on faith and your belief. With Shamanic ceremonies, you have the shaman going into the spirit world fighting for a lost soul, bargaining and bartering for that soul with the evil spirits. If he succeeds, you're cured, if not, then you're not cured. Simple as that. With Christianity, we pray for health and happiness. Both ways work and again it's about what you feel is right for you. On a personal note, I was borned and raised in the United States. I cannot be more prouder of who I am and where I came from. My parents taught all my brothers and sisters about who we are and where we came from. Just because my family followed the christianity path doesn't make us any less of a hmong than the next person. Who is it for you to judge, just because we switched our religion? 7/6/04 Lia Thao Hi...welp......I'm doing this research on Hmong Shaman and by reading all of the messages above, it makes me sad because how people are saying that christianity is better and all.....welp....I'm from a family that always believe in Shamanism. I just don't get why people are arguing what beliefs is better. I mean of course honestly I can see that our tradition ( shamanism)..this generations is fading .like......the kids are becoming more like American.....like going to church and all....yea....I see that......but what I'm saying is that even though those people that goes to church don't belive in Shamanism....their ancestors did believe in shamanism.......I don't believe that no one's ancestors don't believe in shamanism. i mean...shamanism is the beliefs that our ancestors believe in and that is what they pass on down the generation....welp.....what i'm trying say is that shamanism is the main beliefs n the hmong family until people change into christianity when they came to America....i hope that i didn't offend anybody.....all i'm saying is that if ur hmong...no matter what.......u have shamanism n ur blood......thats the main beliefs where we ( the hmong people) believe.... 7/4/04 .... vang Whether or not us hmong's convert to christianity or mormonism or whatever religion there is out there, from what i have seen, we all go back to shamanism in some ways. My parents became mormons shortly after coming to the U.S. along with my grandparents, but even so i remember countless times of having to turn to shamans for my brother's illness. There is no doubt that the hmong will change now that we are in a new world, but i believe that shamanism is a part of our culture, and is something that should live on. And i pray that it does. It is something that we should never forget whether we go to church or not. but these are only my thoughts. 6/21/04 Greetings to all from the east coast. Anonymously speaking, traditionally Hmong religion? is based on Shamanism until the many misionaries spread the word of God. Though, to whatever each person beliefs may be, what is its purpose? If you answer is question with your true belive, isn't all about the state of the mind heals the body? Your thoughts and opinions are welcome. 6/14/04 Jay Vang Christianity over Shamanism? There is no real answer. I've noticed a lot of young Hmong converting to Christianity. What difference does it make? Shamanism for all we know might die in as little as 10 years, it may survive, no one can predict the future. There are many religions out there, ever thought about Buddhism, Islam, Judiaism or the many others out there? Does anyone know what became of the Thao family? I mean does anyone know how they are doing? Feel free to post it up if you know if they are doing well. 5/17/04 Kathy Vue I barely scanned around this site because I don't have much time to thoroughly read everyone's opinion. Okay to be honest, I only read one or two:). But I just want to inform you guys that I just converted into a Christian several months ago, and it does have its advantages and it can be looked at as a growth of Americanization. But the real question here is--is that will we embrace our culture? You look around and you obviously don't see it much through Hmong teenagers these days.But no matter what religion we take, our culture should always stay with us; that's what gives us OUR identity. It's important that hmong parents teach this to their kids because if you don't approach your kids the correct way--ofcourse our future generation will let our culture (our only piece that gives us our Hmong identity) fade away. one way to prevent this is probably have hmong class sessions<--that's how it worked for me. I did not only learn my culture and the creation of shamanism, but the customs and our "keeb kwm" our history. I'm glad to say I'm one of the fortunate ones who have strong Hmong pride and that you should spread the word too. 5/5/04 Ong Vue i really dont get teh big deal..shamanism is kool for my opinion..but everybody has an opinion..i am from a family of shamans and its really cool to c them do all the rictuals and stuff..im not trying to offend anybody but to tell my side of the story..I have friends who are Christians..they always like to tell me to become a Christian and that its the only way to heaven n that its much better den being a shaman..it annoys me that dont they know that i like my religion and i am strongly believed in it? I mean not trying to offend any one..but how do u know for sure if there is a god?? how do you no if there is a jesus? they say its all true and that gods real..but wheres the proof? When they ask if there is a shaman or is it real..it can b or it cant because its based on theory and strong beliefs in shamanism..we have nothing to prove but our lives our put ahead of us because of this..there is no better religion or a top religion..let people believe what they want to believe..Christians can talk about Shaman people and say they should be only Christians but the thing they probably don't see is, they were Shamans before..you aren't born as a Christian from blood..down the line you have shaman blood in you..from your ansestors..Shaman religion was the religion all of our ancestors believed in before hmong began to come to America..so you can't say you hate Shamanism or that its not the right religion..because down the line..your ansestors were shamans too..mah point is to let everyone know that let everyone believe what they want to believe..but dont let them get too far and say that one religion dominates the other..that's all i got to say..thanks :) 5/5/04 Chue Vue How about Atheist Hmong? Could there ever be such a thing? Personally I don't like to follow the Hmong religion, even though I've grown up with it, and I wouldn't like to follow Chirstianity either. Much of my research has been done. Anyway, here's something for everyone to think about. Statement: Hmong Shamanistic practices corrupts us. How so? When Hmong people find a problem, they try to fix it with a ritual. There, it's fixed. Now that they fixed that problem, they see another problem they didn't notice before. They try to fix it. See another probelm, try to fix it. By fixing each problem, you leave that problem behind, and by leaving those problems behind, you make another problem more noticable. Anyone see where I'm getting at? Essentially, it's basically like abusing the privilege. And constant abuse leads to basically an addiction, to the point where every little thing has to be fixed. I've noticed that families who do not do Neng rituals as often as families that do it about every weekend, are more problem free, and probably live more prosperously. And maybe, the more you practice it, the more it'll stay. My cousin has recently gotten really emotionally sick, and is studying shamanism. Why could this be? Her family, within the line of my grandparents, practice the most rituals, and are the most supersticious, excluding my grandparents. So does it corrupt us? I don't know, it's just something I thought of. 5/5/04 ok first of all wats the issue to debate against and with...Believing in God or Belief in shamanist...Is this what all the disscussion is about. ok....christian or shamanist your still hmong. You look like hmong you speak like hmong you eat like hmong. 5/5/04 Sheena Vang Well, I've read most of the entries here, *clears throat* I mean, uh, most the entries on the first page at least :D I'm kind of in between what everyone says. I believe half in the shamanism way and the Christian way. How do you really rid yourself of your sin just by getting baptized? What actually happens? I mean, you get dunked in water, can't you do that in your own bathtub? I mean, you're going to sin again anyways. All the little things written in the bible, says to not do this or that, even the smallest things are broken every day. Who is GOD anyways? I believe him, yes i do, but the thing that confuses me is that, people say he created everything. So then who created him? They say he just appeared. Then why couldn't I just appear? Who or what created GOD to create the earth? Where did he live/exist w/o the universe/earth in place? Do you people actually know if he did exist or not? And shamanism, it's a lot of work. I don't understand what is up with all the sacrificing animals and dealing with such long procedures. What do all those little things mean? Most of them, I see as nothing. The thing is, nowadays, Hmong teenagers can't even write, or much rather less know how to speak their language. At least try to remember your traditions, your language, cultural background, w/e. I grew up with the people who believes in Shamanism, so I had no choice. Therefore, I just see it as a way of life. The many Hmong teenagers I hear talk nowadays talk about how they want to be Korean, Japanese, w/e. I mean, what is up with that? I hear them say they're embarrassed to be Hmong. I feel that people who say those things are a disgrace to their culture. They try to act, talk, and dress like other culture, yeah it may be the "trend" but hey, at least be proud of who you are. I'm proud to say I'm Hmong and if I could, I want to be born a Hmong again. Sorry, I know I kind of got off the subject :P Oh wells, those are my thoughts. 5/3/04 This whole issue is so stupid. I'm a shamanist and I don't want to become a Christian no matter how many of those missionaries come to my house. And no matter how many people tell me how wonderful God is, they won't be able to change my religion. My religion gives me comfort. I get mad whenever other Hmong people brag to me about how you should convert into Christianity, not to be mean or anything but I don't want to put trust in a white guy. I wheather put my faith in a black haired Asian guy. Sorry, if I affended anyone. This is how I feel! 5/3/04 Genevieve I am not Hmong, but I live in a community with a lot of Hmong teenagers, about an hour away from Appleton by car. I know I can't speak for anyone, including the Hmong, but myself in what cultural traditions I embrace. I am multiethnic, so my parents' solution was to not raise me as any particular culture but American. I feel bad, not knowing about my own history. I wish my parents had brought me up with all of my cultures, but it's too late, now. Preservation of culture is important. Without your history, who are you? You are just another name. I don't think people should hold grudges over your history, but everyone should be informed about themselves. 4/27/04 kayla any ways it's kool to knoe what everyone thinks and saids. But yes everyone has the rite to belive in what they want because that not everyone will agree to follow whatever people tell them to, because they grew up knowing that religion but remember that God loves u guys alot he's there thru ur hard times but no matter what you guys are, remeber that Jesus died on the cross for u and he loves u no matter what it takes. get to knoe him and realize how much love there is. (smiles*) 4/23/04 MKV st .paul I belive in God and i'm proud of it (winks*) Just because he touched my life so much with lots of blessing. yes it's hard for u guys to understand. Our Lord is like the wind we can feel but not see. I hope everyone knoes God loves U (smiles*) 4/22/04 Kalee In my opinion, I think more and more of Hmong Americans will not embrace their own ancestors culture. Their dead, what can they do? The reason is, later on in life, who would be the next "Txiv Neeb" for all the others who believed in him and are sick? Who will bring their soul back to life, if their is no Txiv Neeb? I heard that, only the one who is choosen can only become a Shaman. The question I asked myself all the time is, "What happen if no one is choosen to become the next Shaman?" "What will all the others do if the spirit catches their soul? Will they die? Who can catch their spirit back and bring them back home safely?" You see, I know that performing a "Ua Neeb" is hard. You spend money, and so much more. I heard my pastor preach saying that, "When your ancestor keep on bugging you, and Koj tsis tau nyob, Pastor say that its not because of them, its all because of the 'Devil!' How come people kept on "Tuag Animal Rua Dlaab Txij Nyoog?" Have any one of you watch "The Passion Of Christ?" If you have seen this movie, How do you feel after seeing the 'Devil' convincing others to 'Killed' Jesus? Going to church, and being batize is the only way to wash away your sin. Because from that day on, you will be reborn again without any sin. Beside when your sick, "Praying" he'll be there. I'll end everything here. And sorry if I offend someone. Also I know this is a bit off topic but I feel we need to know this. 4/22/04 I think this is a very interesting website. I'm glad to know that people take such an interest in the Hmong culture and Shamanism. I'm currently doing some research on Shamanism for my Religious Groups and Cults class and I'm suprised with the information I've found so far. My parents practice Shamanism and although I really don't believe in this practice or belief, I still help and accept what has been in the Hmong culture for generations. Don't get me wrong, I love my culture and listen to my parents telling us about Hmong myths, their life-story, and whatnot, but Shamanism doesn't make me who I am nor does it distinguish me as "Hmong." Many people think that inorder to preserve the Hmong culture you have to believe in Shamanism, but I would disagree with that. I believe Hmong people should concern themselves more with their "Hmong" language, where they come from, their culture, and whatnot. It is true that teenagers and young adults are losing their heritage and it's amazing that majority of us can't even say "Nyob zoo, koj nyob li cas?" without stuttering and having the English accent to it. I mean, we all take a second language in school, like, French, Spanish, Japanese, etc., but...what about our OWN language??? Why should these languages be more important than our own??? Well anyway, Shamanism doesn't make us Hmong, it's just a healing act we believe will cure us from evil spirits and find our spirits, etc. There's nothing wrong with practicing Shamanism or believing in it. My in-laws are Christians and they act like we worship the "DEVIL" and whatnot. What a laugh. All I can say is, everybody has a right to practice whatever they want, whether it is Christianity, Shamanism, Buddhism, Hare Krishna, or whatever. I, myself, believe in God and will always believe in God. It's funny because when I talked to my parents about converting into Christianity, they became angry and said to me, "When we were starving and cold, where was God? When we were ill, where was God? When we asked God for help, where was it?" At first I thought, "Oh...good points..." But then I said, "Well, ok, if God wasn't there, where were your spiritual spirits? How come Shamanism didn't give you food or shelter?" But, I dropped the subject with them. They are entitled to believe in Shamanism and I would never take away something that makes them who they are. Again, many of you think/believe Shamanism makes you who you are, "HMONG," but I believe that whether you're Christian or Shamanism, all that really matters is your own belief in your culture-heritage-background-language- and what your people died and lived for. 4/20/04 Seri Vang serivang@hotmail.com This documentary does portray us Hmong fairly. It is true that it is hard to adjust to the everyday lifestyle of America..when you came from a poor proverty kind of life in a different country. I am half Hmong and Laotion. I guess you can say I have best of both worlds?? My parents are very strict and it is hard for me to do the things I want to do because of the Traditions. I am proud to be Hmong..but it is sad that people do not know what "Hmong" is. Maybe someday people will know us for being Hmong..not for our clothing material, culture..but actually our ethnicity. :-) 3/19/04 Dina Well, I think that being a Shamanist is cool! And whoever said it was old and we should believe in God because it's new... um... I have to say, I don't think both religions are new, there both old! I am a Shamanist and yes, it is hard work when it comes to rituals and things like that, but you see it gives me the power to learn about what my people have been doing all these years! I don't want to convert into any other religion. The ones who are converted into whatever religion... great for you, I respect that. It's good that you value a religion. I am a Hmong woman who was born here, but the first and last religion I'll believe in is Shamanism. A SHAMANIST NOW AND FOREVER!!!!!!!!! 3/19/04 Nee Vaj I believe in Shamanism. In my opinion, it's a very powerful religion. I don't think I'll ever want to convert into any other religion. I was born in the U.S. and I'm clueless about my culture, that's why I want to stay a Shamanist so I can stay connected to my roots. 3/12/04 Vang Many think we will loose our culture and adopt others into their own. Well, I personally think that perhaps the least important parts, or the parts of our culture that are least convinience to practice might in time disappear from our tradition. Other parts such as shamanism and funeral will remain in practice for generations to come. The way we practice will change due the life style we live here in the United States of course, but the basic idea will remains the same. Some of us younger generation will loose interest on practicing our tradition and move on to adopt the more convinience way of life from other culture. These people have no idea they are loosing a very important piece of themselves. 3/12/04 I am a Christian but does that make me any less of a "hmong" person? I guess the real question is, "What defines a hmong person?" It this a contest about who more knowledgable about Hmong history? Maybe I might define myself with religion but the next person might define him/herself with another factor? Is shamanism considered a religion or just part of a cultural practice? For those who do not understand God, I'd like to explain it this way: "Faith". Sure, we have never seen God with our own eyes but we have faith. Its powers are like love, you can't physically see love but you know what the concept is and you believe in it. If anything, this is what tears Hmong people apart. I have nothing against those who practice Shamanism but it's when they put me or my family down for being Christians. They have this false belief that everyone who attends Church should be "perfect" in everything they do but it's like going to school, some kids get it and some don't. My input is this, that even though my family and I have never practiced Shamanism (ever since Laos), we will still firmly answer, "Yes, we are Hmong" when asked what our nationlity is. Don't discount me just because I kneel down and pray for direction and motivation from God instead of practicing Shamanism. If I speak Hmong, am from a Hmong family but do not practice it, that does not mean I've lost my embrace or love for my culture. Absolutely not! I'm proud to be a Christian and proud to be Hmong. 2/23/04 Mayli Thao lilo_melissa@asianavenue.com after reading these passage, i know more about the hmong culture. my family is a real hmong family. they think that us kids should learn the culture of who we are before wanting to go into another. i think that kids my age (which i am a teenage) will never get about hmong. they think that it is a waste of time to learn about our hmong cultrue. some say they ain't proud to be hmong, well, i am. i think that in the future, the hmong american generation will forget about all this culture thing. people might think that it isn't important because hmong doesn't have a country, but if you understand what our relatives and family member went through, you would understand that it is very important for us to know about our own culture and don't think that we are in a free country that you can forget were you really come from. we are hmong, i think that we should get to know our hmoob culture better to help us hmoob out. 2/13/04 mEnGo LeE kaliboi209@hotmail.com i think tat in a few generations shamanism will die and christianity is going to increase..got questions e-mail me i want to know who knows dem people..i want to interview them for my research..hit me bakk if someone out there knows Paja's Family!! 2/13/04 bub rub vang We must never forget who we are! We are hmong! There are many evil people who would just love to see our culture destroyed, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! We must preserve every bit and pieces of our culture for the future generation. Peace 2/9/04 susie yang wofford I really don't think that we can have both the Hmong and American cultures clashing. I mean, here it is one or the other. There's nothing really wrong with what you want to be. I know that I don't know alot of the Hmong culture. I was borned and raised in the United States, but I do try and learn about my people. Sure everything is different here in the US and in Thailand. I can't really say I myself follow tradition. I left my parents house not to go to school but to join the United States Marine Corps. Being a female, that is pretty hard to do especially if you had parents that were still old fashion. Who can say anyone else had... and if you were to look at my last name, it's "Yang Wofford". Yes, this mean that I am married to a white man, but that doesn't mean anything. I still remember my roots and that first of all, that I am Hmong. 2/9/04 Txia I read your detailed comment about what you thought about the Hmong people on the Hmongonline website and I just had to say something. First of all, for someone who is all about embracing the Hmong culture, you sure make a lot of criticisms about how the Hmong people and the stereotypes that surrounds us, which also happens to be true in some parts. You should know that some of the younger generations who make foolish decisions at young ages don't know any better because they're still kids of course. Wouldn't that make us typical teenagers? Anyways... you need to learn how to structure your sentences a little better especially when you promote education as the biggest factor in people's lives for success. So, are you trying to say that all uneducated Hmong people are inferior to you just because you believe in education? Well, according to the Hmong culture, education wasn't even an option for Hmong girls so what do you say to that? You shouldn't talk so much especially if you're so full of Hmong pride and freedom. You sound even more ignorant when you criticize other people, esp with the way things happened. If you think you are so much more educated and wiser than Hmong generations nowadays, put yourself to some good use and preach to the ignorant ones with your mediocre un-orignial wisdom because we've all been there hunny! More... |
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