What is hmong religion called

For more than three decades, the Hmong who lived in Laos fought the Vietnamese communists. After Laos collapsed, they fled in great numbers to Thailand, and between and , thousands of Hmong came to the United States. Even as late as , several thousand Hmong refugees entered the United States. Presently, there are between , and , Hmong in this country of which an estimated ten percent are Catholics. Although they are spread out in twenty-four states, the majority of Hmong are in California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

In other states like North and South Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, there are Hmong communities numbering between two and three thousand persons. To understand Hmong Catholics, one must remember that in general, as far as their religious background is concerned, the Hmong are animists. According to their beliefs, for instance, the reason one becomes ill or suffers misfortune is because a spirit has left the person's body.

It is necessary, then, to offer some sacrifice and to call in the shaman who may be a man or woman who will invite the spirit to return. Consequently, a shaman's role is very important in the village and also in the adopted country of the refugee or immigrant. The shaman will keep the peoples' lives filled with harmony with nature and with the real world of the spirits. The wedding, birth, and funeral customs of the Hmong are quite different from the usual American customs. The Hmong usually marry at a very early age and must marry a person of another clan.

It is their custom that after a brief courtship, the boy, with his companions, "kidnaps" the girl and after a time together will negotiate the bridal price which his family is obliged to pay along with the wedding expenses.

This kidnapping is an accepted custom and not rare even among the Hmong in the United States. Shamanism is a way to maintain communication with the spiritual world. Spirits of nature are believed to possibly cause physical and mental harm to Hmong in the disguise of illness, nightmares, and even death. To figure out the illness shamans perform rituals so they can find a proper treatment. The other healers are those who are ordinary men and women who learn from others.

They do not need to be shamans in order to do these rituals. They can also khi tes tying of red and white strings , and bless people. The homes of traditional Hmong families are connected to their religion, Hmong Shamanism. The house is a representation of the cosmos. Carole and Melvin Ember Boston: Springer What Is Hmong Shamanism?

In Laos, the Hmong lived more closely to each other and learned to communicate and understand each other across the dialects. The differences between White and Green Hmong can be compared to the kinds that exist between British and American English. Many older Hmong do not speak English and may not be literate in the Hmong language.

Increasingly, American-born Hmong are not fluent speakers of Hmong. Some efforts are made mainly in states with high concentration of Hmong such as California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to stem the loss by offering language classes to younger people and preserving language in writing. There are some university-level courses offered in the language. However, in relation to the overall Hmong population across the US there are few resources available to preserve Hmong language due to barriers in planning and funding language and cultural classes.

Traditionally a Hmong name was simply the given name. People would introduce themselves using their given name and by telling which clan they were from. Eventually, the clan became included in the name. The Green Hmong and White Hmong share some clan names. Hmong Cultural Center, Traditionally in Asia, the clan name would be spoken first followed by the given name.

Many children born in the US are given a Hmong name with an American nickname, or an American name and a Hmong nickname. If later on, the child is ill or has misfortune, a shaman may determine that the wrong name was given and give another one.

It is common for the same names to be used by both genders. Married men and fathers usually receive an adult name added to the name they were given as a child.

Traditionally, Hmong men receive their adult names after the first child is born. If his last name is Vue, his full name would then be Nao Vang Vue. In the US, changing a name can be complicated and so male babies are more commonly given their adult name at birth. Most Hmong men prefer to be called by their adult name. For example, status comes with roles like mayor of the village, district chief, shaman, herbalist or clan leader.

Within a lineage, there is an elder man, usually the oldest living descendant, who is the head leader, assuming major responsibilities over his lineage, resolving problems and conducting group ceremonies. Elders, shamans and spiritual leaders are held in very high regard.

While having a big family is valued, it does not necessarily lead to higher status. Traditionally a woman has prestige because her husband has social status.

Secondly, she gains status by having lots of sons. If she has only daughters, then she does not gain prestige. As she ages, a woman may lose some status with more marital conflicts.

In the United States, the changing roles between the young and the old has altered the traditional social structure, with older members relying on the younger people for language and income assistance.

Older Hmong males, especially, may suffer loss of social status and feelings of family fragmentation and isolation, leading to loss of self esteem and despair.

Older Hmong females may feel helpless because they are uneducated, do not have job skills, experience a language barrier, and therefore are unable to earn enough income to support their children and family. People greet each other verbally and men shake hands. Shaking hands is a new behavior for Hmong women and they may be embarrassed shaking hands with a male or holding hands too tightly during a handshake.

Traditionally, Hmong women who are close to each other share hugs as that of American greetings. Hmong Cultural Center, To be respectful, one must ask to speak with the head of the household, usually the father, when conversing with a Hmong family.

Hmong people tend to be humble and may not want to express their emotions in front of others. For traditional Hmong, making direct eye contact is considered inappropriate and rude. A person may look down or away rather than looking directly at the other person or into their eyes while talking or listening.

To smile when meeting a Hmong person is considered warm, welcoming and friendly, though laughing or speaking roughly may be considered a sign of insincerity and rudeness. It is very common for Hmong families to visit one another without setting up an appointment. A family may show up unexpectedly and still be warmly welcomed inside. It is considered inappropriate to tell the visitors there is no time to visit. When entering a Hmong home, a seat or chair will be offered. It is considered to be impolite to simply decline a drink, food or gift offered to you.

When entering a Hmong home during mealtime, guests will be invited to join the family in eating. Whether the guest wants to eat or not, he or she should take part in the meal, just taking a bite or two will make the family happy. Otherwise, the family will stop eating and will talk to the guest until he or she leaves. The Hmong place of honor at the table is midway on the side. For important ceremonies, the head of the table in not on midway on the side but is at the end corner of the side that is closest to where the altar is placed.

It is standard etiquette after dinner not to linger at the table. It is traditional and good manners to send guests away from a meal with food, leftovers, to take home with them. Before entering a Hmong home, ask if visitors are allowed to enter. Traditional families may have just had a shaman perform a ritual when a woman has given birth, or a ritual to get rid of bad spirits. For a period of time following this ritual, visitors are not allowed to come into the house, wear shoes and carry handbags into the house.

Watch for a taboo sign outside the front of the house indicating the family should not be disturbed because the house is being protected from evil spirits. The sign may look like a cross, made of sticks with some green leaves, or may consist of a simple cluster of green leaves.

A white or black woven octagon shaped basket made of bamboo or plastic may be placed next to the leaves. Upon observing this sign, do not knock or enter the house. Most traditional Hmong elders, especially men, do not want strangers to touch their heads, or those of their children, due to their religious beliefs and personal values.

This is still practiced by some clan members. Hmong Cultural Center, As well as uniting a man and a woman, the Hmong marriage rituals unite 2 families in a formal relationship. The couple may come together in various ways, including mutual consent, elopement, or parental arrangement. Force or bride-capture is becoming rare these days in Laos and almost unheard of in the United States.

Hmong are restricted from marrying someone in their same clan. A person can marry someone in any of the other clans as well. Marrying someone who a family disapproves of can bring shame and bad reputation not just for the individual but for the family too.

The negotiation and gift of bride wealth is a tradition still practiced by most Hmong in the United States, and can amount to a large sum of money and other gifts. The groom enlists the help of his male clan relatives to raise the dowry. A couple may elope if the girl is trying to avoid an unwanted union or when the parents do not consent to the union of a couple who wish to be together.

Catch-hand marriages are somewhat controversial in the US and are cases in which the male and his relatives take the girl, either willingly or by force to be married. To make elopements and catch-hand marriages legitimate, the bride price would be negotiated and paid afterward. In Laos, men may marry multiple wives, but due to the custom of bride price, polygamy has been mostly restricted to wealthy men.

The husband traditionally gets custody of the children in cases of splits or divorce this is still the norm in the US , though traditionally divorce is not common. It was somewhat common in Laos and Thailand for a younger woman to marry an older man. Many youth, especially girls, would be married by the time they were In the United States, Hmong men often wait to marry until their late teens or early twenties when they are finished with their education, though it is still relatively common for girls to marry in their middle teens.

Traditionally, the stigma of being called an old maid is a factor for girls marrying very young. In general, Hmong believe a couple is ready for marriage when they are able to handle the responsibilities, socially and economically, of having a family.

A strict protocol is to be followed for the marriage ceremony, which centers on showing respect to both families. If the formalities are not followed disrespect is shown to both sets of parents, and can bring shame to the families. A wedding serves to honor the couple and their families and to preserve a continuation of Hmong culture and community. The marriage event is the creation of a new family, a bond between the couple and the families, and a strengthening of past family and community connections in the people present.

The traditional wedding itself can last days, with chant readings and feasting. In marriage, a young couple maintains a deep connection with family, often finding among kin financial assistance, shared living space, childcare, and guidance. Powerful roles exist for men and women in Hmong culture, though in the US there is disruption in gender roles based on economic need and acceptance of American ways. Hmong women in the US are more active and in positions of power outside the home than they traditionally have been.

In some cases, marriages have broken up and the risk of domestic violence has increased in the face of pressure brought by changes in gender status. Traditionally, girls had a lower status than boys. Men have a higher status than women publicly, while women hold their power more privately.

Traditionally, women are hard working and hospitable, primarily caring for the household and raising children, not going to school or holding a job outside the home. The head of the household in a Hmong family is usually the father, though the mother also has a highly respected role at home and in some ways, especially in child rearing and daily household affairs, she is the leader of the family.

Women gain more power in the household as they age. Usually the father makes most of the important decisions for the family. But sometimes, the male head of the immediate household involves relatives including uncles, cousins, or even clan leaders in important decisions. Men are entrusted with performing rituals of ancestor worship, such as calling the names of ancestors during occasions like New Year, weddings, christenings, new harvests, and family feasts, invoking the dead kin to take part in these events and bring protection and good fortune to the family and household.

When a man and woman grow old and unable to perform all the responsibilities as heads of household, their son and his wife assume the roles. Traditionally, it is considered inappropriate for the opposite genders to sit too close to one another when conversing.

To avoid misinterpretations, a male should keep a distance between himself and a female when in conversation or in any type of encounter. Kinship is based on marriage and descent. Hmong people are traditionally not individualistically oriented, but identify the self as a member of the family, clan and community. Hmong culture emphasizes relationships between relatives and clan members, with respect for elders and strong families.

Remembering ancestors, their accomplishments and their sufferings, and preserving traditional ways are highly important. Traditionally the Hmong are a patrilineal society with extended households of married sons and their families. The clan is the primary organization of the Hmong who gain lifetime clan membership and relations passed from father to children through birth or adoption. Members of the same clan accept and assist each other, and clan loyalty is practiced in political and justice issues.

If a person is of a particular clan, he is automatically welcomed into the house of another clan member, even if they do not personally know each other. In general, people are compelled to support members of the same clan more than their in-laws or other non-related clan.

The number of clans is commonly said to be 18, though 12 may be considered the main clans. Traditionally, the clans provided any social services required of their members.

Every clan possessed skilled persons who served as healers, marriage brokers, teachers, and disciplinarians. Fellow clan members regard each other as brother and sister. Marriage between members of the same clan — no matter how distant the relationship — is strictly forbidden. In a time of need, an individual will first turn to the clan.

The clan is obligated to respond. Clans offer security. The larger the clan the more services it is able to offer its members including help finding jobs and apartments.

In the United States, clans and extended families have often drawn their dispersed members to larger enclave communities of Hmong. Sub clan is a sub unit of the clan whose members are made of many families who may or may not share the same ancestor but who subscribe to a particular religious practice or ritual, for example certain post-partum, funeral, or taboo rituals. The affinity of sub clan members to each other is great. Persons of the same clan or sub-clan without any known blood relationship refer to one another as relatives.

The sub clan is divided into smaller groups of families, or ceremonial households, who share the same ancestor. Family members are bound by bloodline and share the responsibility and name for the family. The family is divided into individual extended families consisting of spouses, children, parents and siblings. Extended families often live together under the same roof, though may separate to different dwellings as siblings marry and have children.

Traditionally, a large number of relatives that could be readily called upon provided an element of security to farmers who had to move periodically.