Tradition
noun tra·di·tion \trə-ˈdi-shən\: a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time
: the stories, beliefs, etc., that have been part of the culture of a group of people for a long time
© 2015 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
: the stories, beliefs, etc., that have been part of the culture of a group of people for a long time
© 2015 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Transmitting Hmong Cultural Traditions in Washington Park
Cultural traditions are shared,
explored and transmitted within multiple contexts. They are learned by
observing others, transmitted through language and other communicative skills
or imbued via the teachings of elders. Communicating traditions, values and
practices may not happen naturally; it is learned or adapted from the
surrounding environment or from others. Spoken language may be the primary
communicative medium that allows one to share their thoughts and feelings and
transmit traditions. Nevertheless, there are other forms of nonverbal
interaction, many transmitted through one's senses. They include smells, sounds
and sights that may awaken memories, induce a behavioral or habitual response.
The Hmong families in the Washington Park neighborhood have retained their cultural traditions in multiple ways. They continue to speak Hmong, a language that has two different dialects (Hmong Green and Hmong White). Mychoua Vang, a Hmong worker at HAFA (Hmong-American Friendship Association), a non-profit organization, points out that “language is one of the few common things that the entire Hmong population has in common. I think being able to meet someone who speaks the same language as you is a relief if you’re in a strange place or if you come here (America) for the first time it’s like great, I can talk to you, I don’t feel like a stranger or that I don’t belong here.” Hmong residents also communicate their traditions through music, dance, art, singing, body language, and food. Nurturing their common Hmong identity allows individuals to feel part of a larger community and collaborate with other in-group members. Dr. Chia Youyee Vang, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, speaks of this sense of communal fellowship “The fact that I am Hmong and that I am speaking Hmong to these elders I am not treated as an outsider, I am just like a daughter to them even though I have no relation to them. But because I can engage with them, I can understand some of their life experiences through my own background I’m not an outsider. I’m always treated as a family member because of the shared Hmong identity." What about those from the first generation who may not know how to speak Hmong language? We experienced non-verbal communication through music, art, singing, dancing, food and body language among youth at HAFA. Painted murals depicting memories of home and life of the Hmong people in Laos/Thailand during the Vietnam War adorn the walls of HAFA. Machoua Vang explains that the "integration of people coming together and painting and leaving something artful behind of their time together.” is what the murals are about. Getting people together to interact with one another is exactly what those murals did In addition to painted mural on the walls, there are huge decorative quilts that tell myriad stories. Mychoua states that "“some of them [Hmong refugees] when they first came to the U.S. didn’t really have any income and so people were interested in the Hmong history so they started doing storytelling cloths, Paj ntaub [Quilts].” These quilts share the Hmong culture and history thru beautifully hand crafted works of art. Making quilts is a Hmong cultural tradition which shows the journey of Hmong people through the hardship of war. There are “a lot of them [Hmong refugees] that have different depictions about life back in Laos and some of them have an actual storyline. One part of the cloth will be about what life was like before the war, next part will be what happened during the war and then after the war.” Pictures speak a thousand words and these quilts speak for themselves. Music, dance, and singing are popular cultural forms in the Hmong culture. They hold lessons in order to teach Hmong youth how to dance, sing, and make music like their ancestors. Hmong people dance in the order to narrate a story that has a lesson, moral or a meaning behind it. Every dance move and even every flick of the wrist needs to be precise. The posture and the body language of the dancers need to fit the story and the emotions that pertain to the story. Music and singing flow hand in hand in the Hmong culture because there are ways of singing and playing an instrument at the same time. The qeej is an old traditional Hmong instrument which is played by “singing a song through it” — that is, words are sung through an instrument and that produces beautiful sounds. Another mode of communication that remains popular is food. Eating or preparing meals together communicates traditions in powerful ways. In some families food is the only cultural tradition that remains. As newer generations become more westernized their palate changes as well. In addition comestibles are not as accessible to Hmong people as it is in Laos or Thailand. Many improvise, although, the basic types of Hmong food remain the same. Chia Youyee Vang explained, “that is one thing we are so Hmong. My husband is so Hmong. You won’t know it’s a Hmong house, but when you eat with us you will know we are Hmong. My kids are pretty Hmong in terms of Hmong food.” Sitting together in a setting with food can help people bond together and can also keep the traditions alive. Philosopher Hannah Arendt once said that “to live together in the world means essentially that a world of things is between those who have it in common, as a table is located between who sit around it; the world, like every in-between, relates and separates men at the same time.” Our time with the Hmong American community in Washington Park gave us a glimpse into ways such shared common world is reconstructed, maintained, and nurtured by people. However, Arendt also reminds us that this world we share between us is never interpreted as the same by each of us. Rather we all approach it from different perspectives, bring our unique worldviews and “differences of position and the resulting variety of perspectives.” As we studied how everyday activities, architecture, gardens, and the networks of relationships that connect them helped reproduce and transmit Hmong traditions in the New World. We were also cognizant of the multiple perspectives, point of views and positions from which different Hmong individuals approach this common project. |