Just another MINORITY

Speaking through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Art discuss, address, and educate readers about the under-recognized minority ethnic group of Hmong American. I admit, I knew very little about Hmong history, culture and the event that led to their migration. But ever since I came to Davis, I have met and made a few Hmong friends. From them I have learn to be more aware of this minority group and their cultures. However, this article has helped me recognize the events that led to their migration and social status, apart from the social norms. Being a minority and Vietnamese Asian-American myself, I could understand and sympathize the hardships this group has struggled with. Furthermore, I admired their efforts and survivance(survival and resistance)through the form of textile art and oral culture. Of course histories and traditions are of primary importance to any possible cultures. Therefore, it's depressing to see histories goes unrecognized and unwritten. Eventhough the Hmongs were limited by formal education and income, they still manages to maintain a distinctive cultures and traditions of their own through their ways of pure talents and capabilities. The Hmongs not only survived a cultural oppression but had also displayed a form of resistance through the adaptations of a migratory lifestyle. Each and every individual/member from a Hmong family all contributed a little something to their culture and traditions. Like other Asian-American minorities, the Hmongs has worked hard to earn a living and keeping their culture alive, despite not having a country to declare their own.

I am inspired by their story cloth and the extraordinary beauty being preserved and recorded in thread. Through this article, I am reminded of my own struggles as a minority and how my own cultures and traditions became about. The Hmong's expereience and struggle had influenced me to be even more proud of who I am and also encouraged me to keep on fighting for my own beliefs. It's true that a picture do indeed speaks a thousand words, but you must listen and pay close attention to what it has to offer or else you will miss out on important details.


About the compact challenge, I haven't had much to say for the past couple of posts mainly because I haven't had any problems with not shopping. I mean, I like shopping a whole lot but it haven't really bother me much before when I do not shop. However, I have been wanting to shop for new boots for the cold winter and a pair of rain boot to help me cope with the rain and puddles. Well, if you haven't notice the rain then it's a good sign you need to start waking up for those lectures! heheh. But seriously, I recently contracted a cold and I usually don't get sick for the past few years I've been at Davis. The rain is good for the Earth because we need it to avoid having issues such of a drought but it is such a struggle being drench, wet, and cold all day long. It makes me feel miserable and uncomfortable to be wearing wet socks and wet jeans as walking around campus. Not having to shop or spend money on new clothes is not much of a challenge for me because I already have financial issues else where, such as textbooks money, tuition money, food money, rent money, gas money, etc. But what bugs me is not being able to find a perfect pair of boots/rainboots for this weather when I do get the opportunity to shop. And as much as I would love to make my own clothes and shoes, it's a really difficult task to accomplish on top of my college life because my daily schedule is too busy with assignments and exams to study for. Not to mention, I have even thought of wearing plastic bags over my old pair of BearPaw boots to school in the rain. It may sound silly and probably even look silly too but as long as it's effective at keeping my feet warm and dry then I'm happy with that.

By Thuy Duong

McCall, Ava. Speaking Through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture Through Textile Art. The Social Studies. Sept/Oct 1999. Ethnic News Watch.