Who would have thought that history and culture can be passed down through a textile art. According to Ava L. McCall in "Speaking through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Art," "Hmong women's voices and perspectives on history and culture is conveyed through the paj ntaub" (230). It is amazing how the intricate embroideries on the story cloth can explain the everyday life and the history of the Hmong people in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, thus, preserving Hmong culture. The complexity of the paj ntaub textile art "incorporated different signs representing cultural beliefs, important symbols, physical environment, and geometric patterns," (McCall 232). The stories told through the paj ntaub allowed women to have a voice in a patriarchal society. I see it as a way of preservation of history and culture for strong family bonds because older female members of the family teach the younger members of the family. Therefore, it fortifies family orientations and establishing "cultural identification of the family" (McCall 232).


As for the Compact Challenge, I'm starting to save money!! I'm really surprised considering how I the tendency to splurge money just because it makes me happy. I'm cooking at home more and I am able to resist the urges of splurging. Unfortunately Valentine's Day is coming up, and the only way I can celebrate it is with food. This year's Valentine's Day will be very different.

<3 Annie Tan

Blog #4

Works Cited:
McCall, Ava L. "Speaking through Cloth:Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Art." The Social Studies; Sep/Oct 1999; 90, 5; Ethnic NewsWatch (ENW) pg. 230-236.

Images:
http://visualculture09.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/detail-hmong-story-cloth5.jpg
http://www.getrichslowly.org/images/habit-saving-money.jpg