The Spirit Catches You And You FAll Down

While I was reading Anne Fediman's book "The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down", I became interested to learn more and more about Hmong culture. These people had very rich history, a complex culture, a sufficient social system, and enviable family values. I think that Hmong people deserved the right to be treated with respect, but I found through the readings that they were not accepted very well from the American society.

In chapter 14 of Anne Fediman's book I was shocked to find that Hmong people were called "the most primitive refugee group in America". I do not think that this phrase was appropriate to be used toward them, because they fight as proxies for United States troops in the war in Laos. These people need to be respected even though only for the fact they helped Americans in the war. The other thing which disappointed me was the part where a woman was kicked in the thighs, face, and kidneys, purse, and her family's entire savings were stolen. I cannot believe that the attention which Hmong had from the other people was so cruel. Everyone knows that America is the country of humans' free rights and as such, it has to respect its citizens and give them the chance to experience their lives.

In this chapter I was also shocked of the detail about the refugees who had lived in the United States for more than eighteenth months and after that, they stopped receiving Refugee Cash Assistance. Many Hmong did not have jobs and prospects which was impossible for them to provide their families' welfare. We all know when Hmong came to America for the first time, they were not educated and had a lot of problems with the language. First, I think that these people should receive more understanding from the society, and second they also should be supported by the Government. In this particular chapter we became witnesses of the unethical attitude with which Hmong were welcomed to America. I think that these people deserved the right to live free and happy as American citizens. Today, the stance which international people experience in America is totally different than it was for Hmong.