Hmong Us Trivia Quiz

Answer: Laos

Originally, the Hmong had their own kingdom in the fourth century. It was located in China in the Yellow River valley. Over the next centuries, they were forced to move several times as Chinese dynasties fought them. By the tenth century, the Hmong were a migratory civilization.

They were often forced out of their Chinese locales due to religious persecution. Finally, by the 1800s they moved south and out of China and into Laos and surrounding areas.

Answer: False

When the war spread to Laos in the 1960s, the Hmong saw Communism as a threat to their autonomy. The culture was recruited by the United States and used in both combat missions and intelligence gathering. Both soldiers and civilians suffered heavy casualties.

After the war, with their land controlled by Communist North Vietnam, many sought refuge in camps in Thailand and then moved to America.

Answer: Minneapolis/St. Paul

When the Hmong first came to America after the Vietnam War, the State Department utilized volunteer agencies to place them where there were churches for them and families to sponsor them. They also went to where jobs were plentiful. Being from a collective society, many families followed one another. California, as of 2010, has the largest state-wide population of Hmong with over 95,000 individuals.

As far as metropolitan areas, the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) of Minnesota has the largest concentration with around 65,000 out of the state's 66,000.

Answer: Must marry outside one's own clan

There are 18 clans in the Hmong culture, each with a different last name. Children are members of the father's clan and women, after marriage, are part of their husband's clan but keep their maiden name. Since the clans are exogamous, a marriage partner must be found from another clan. Members of the same clan consider themselves a large family. Examples of clans/surnames are Pha, Moua, Xiong, Cha, etc.

Answer: Language dialects

The Hmong language has two major dialects called White (Hmong Daw) and Green (Mong Njua). Whereas the Miao language is the same, accents and some words create a difference between the two dialects. It is similar to British English and American English.

The names are inspired by the colors of the traditional women's attire in each of the group. Hmong Green is the culture's first accent and has a low tone and soft voice. White Hmong has a higher tone with rougher voice.

Answer: Shamanism

Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a person, in this case a shaman, who interacts with the spirit world. It is very closely tied to nature itself and focuses on health of individuals and the community (people, plants, and animals) as a whole.

The Hmong shaman aids in maintaining good relations with the spirit world, showing respect for ancestors, and the caring of souls. The Hmong who practice this religion will have alters or shrines in their home but have no traditional temples or churches for mass gatherings.

Answer: Dessert drink

Naab Vaam is a sweetened coconut dessert drink. It is made up of colorful layers. It contains tapioca pearls, coconut, sugar, and cendol (rice flour based jelly). The main colors are usually red and green. However, traditionally it has many colored layers and each layer has a different difficulty.

The dish is usually topped with things such as colored nuts, sweet fruits, and other homemade delicacies. It is tradition to serve it during Hmong New Year or special events.

Answer: 3 days

The Hmong New Year celebration was historically done to give thanks to ancestors and welcome a new beginning. It is when families and friends from other regions and clans meet. There is a "in house" period which lasts for three days followed by "outside" events that occur after the New Year festivities.

The three days consist of eating ten dishes of food each day, Shamanistic rituals, physical and spiritual cleansing, and other special events.

Answer: True

Traditional Hmong clothing is very distinctive for its needlework known as paj ntaub, or flower cloth. It is extremely detailed and has complicated pleats and intricate designs. During Hmong New Year celebrations, tradition states that people will wear new outfits each day with the women wearing traditional garments.

The headwear are hats shaped like a rooster's comb and multicolored panels. Hmong girls are taught from a young age how to sew and use motifs from their mother's ancestral line.

Answer: A three day/three night funeral

Death, to the Hmong, marks a transition of the soul. The funeral lasts for three days and nights with the family members there the entire duration. Different people have different roles and includes such things as cooking, musical recitations, and chanting.

The belief is that the deceased will go back and visit each place they have been to, ending up at their original birthplace. The shaman will act as a medium and will pass along words from the deceased to the family (these could be blessings or condemnations). Mourning involves not only staying at the funeral but crying or making sounds of sadness to show respect.

After the funeral, the person is buried and decorative paper money burned to travel with him/her.