The spirit catches you, and you fall down: A Hmong Child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures

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8th September 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

The Hmong cultural transition in the United States shows the change in values, beliefs, and gender roles. Cultural shock and socialization of the Hmong people impacted their socio-economic activities in the United States. The paper converse the essential duties and obligations of the Hmong as well as the impact of role loss in the group. The paper discusses the concepts and significance of the cultural dynamics of the Hmong, for instance, fish soup and social problems faced in the diaspora by the group. The cultural and social barriers, in most cases, influences traditional cultural processes, way of life, and aspects in the diaspora affects their transition.

Hmong most important duties and obligations

The Hmong are a very traditionally cultured group as they value freedom, one of the essential duties. It is imperative to understand that Hmong’s perceptions and reality of their homeland are advocated to live free without restricting social and cultural aspects. The Hmong culture’s maintenance, which includes farming activities, was one of their economic strongholds in which the group depended. Additionally, the Hmong family life obligations protect the heritage and way of life—the Laos preservation of the family ties in an essential factor for the group.

Hmong’s transition in the United States

Hmong’s cultural transition in the United States led to cultural and social assimilation among individuals. This group had to assimilate, and also, through acculturation, they had to live like Americans. Sacrifices were one of the main religious activity that brings them closer to spirits and ancestors; it is vital to state that migration from Lao reduced such rituals and rites in America. Another concept that impacted the transition process in the United States was hospitalization and modern medication in America in which it was a different comparison doctor-patient relationship ( Fadiman, 2012).

According to American medical doctors, the Hmong patients’ health care was lower than other communities due to the cultural barriers. In the US, the language barrier was a huge issue that led to Hmong’s wrong diagnosis since western doctors do not understand them. An example is the misdiagnosis of epilepsy as bronchial pneumonia that led to antibiotics instead of anticonvulsants. According to the book, epileptic patients were viewed as emotional healers who get chosen by the healing spirit (Fadiman 28). It is a fact to state that the Hmong traditional healing methods concerning seizures in epileptic patients varied from modern doctors. The high unprofessionalism methods used by the Hmong and their misconception of the disease proved that their transition in the US was difficult.

The ‘ role loss’  Hmong faced in the US.

“Role loss” usually happens when certain individuals lose their families and society’s roles, responsible for giving them their identity. In this context, the Hmong family roles were important as fathers could not continue with agricultural productivity, which sustained their families. It is imperative to comprehend that the Hmong gender roles are what defined them, and that is how men provided for their families from the mountains of Laos. In the US, the available jobs for immigrants were mostly manual labor and casual work. Moreover, the US’s farming sector is largely owned by private ranchers who provide large scale food production for their families or the nations. The gender and family roles of Laos people who migrated in the US were different due to the job description and racial inequality that impacted minority groups. Their moves to America highly influenced hmong men as they had to find new means of work other than farming. These factors of language and cultural barriers affected Hmong men in finding jobs in the US to provide and sustain their families.

How does this loss affect their adjustment to the US?

The role loss of the Hmong during their adjustment in the US resulted in depression and loss of masculinity in the family. Besides, Hmong people’s economic and social struggle created a sense of poverty that highly diminished Hmong masculinity. As the head of the family, the family had the role of providing and protecting their families. Acculturation of the Hmong into the US culture adversely impacted their livelihoods as farmers, giving them their masculinity and their identities in society. The respect for the young and older adults’ roles decreased due to the eroding of the Hmong’s traditional culture in America. Changing roles among the Hmong led to the loss of prestige in both women and men as the group’s younger generation embarked on new American lifestyles and cultures. Assimilation and acculturation play a significant role in eroding Hmong’s traditional culture, beliefs, and way of life in the US.

The concept of “fish soup” is central to the author’s understanding of the Hmong. What does it mean, and how is it reflected in the structure of the book?

According to the author, Fadiman further explained the significance of fish soup through a metaphor narrated a story about a young Hmong man who created a dish in his French class presentation. This story describes how Hmong usually chooses the correct and precise hook in catching the fish and the detailed recipe. It is also essential for Fadiman to contend that her book’s fish soup was more of the Hmong conception of life’s symbolic religious aspect. The fish soup also gives the Hmong the idea that everything is connected and related spiritually and physically. The understanding of the Hmong culture, there is a reason for choosing the right hook, specific recipe since the fish are usually different in terms of mouth shapes and sizes. The Hmong’s cultural belief, the fish soup, represents spiritual and cosmic elements that influence life. For example, stomach ache is viewed as a form of ‘unbalanced ‘in the universe.

 Hmong refugees in America noted the most severe problem for them in the US was having ‘ difficulty with American Agencies’

Furthermore, the lack of understanding of the Americans’ Hmong culture is expressed in humans. In the book, the authors say that  treatment in Americans is worse than “war memories” or “separation from family.” The Hmong people migrated to the US not to look for work but to run from imminent death and persecution during the Vietnam  War. Lia’s health management issue showed how the American health care system was inconsiderate. The misconception of the Americans concerning the Hmong culture prevented better health care solutions and interventions. Most American agencies can avoid such confrontations by learning and appreciating other cultures since the Hmong group views themselves as having seniority as proved to have strong culture and values. Cultural diversity in the healthcare sectors and the educational system have to accommodate other minority groups with fairness and equity.

Emotional response to the book

The most meaningful part or section of the book was about the core theme, an epileptic seizure, and how the Hmong people dedicated their lives to their families. The westernized doctors’ understanding of the epileptic seizures was different compared to how Hmong viewed the condition. In this book, I view the Hmong journey to the United States, and their cultural and economic struggles show how they were dedicated people.  The Hmong people tend to believe in power over life and explain that everything is related to the cosmic world. Western medicines and health care often is perceived as an orthodox to Asian traditional cultures, which shows significant cultural and procedural barriers in many fields. This book’s reading would positively impact my professional life as health care conditions for other cultures can be different. Still, it should not give others the right to discriminates or get biased.

Hmong and American cultures

There is a significant difference in both the  Hmong and American cultures regarding customs, beliefs, and way of life. American culture is dynamic and always changing since people have vast economic, social, and cultural dynamics. It is essential to understand that traditional Hmong culture has unique languages, as Americans have many linguistic dialects in mostly English, French, and Chinese. The relationship between American and Hmong culture is solidarity and a sense of belonging that surrounds the groups. The preservation of Hmong heritage and way of life tend to get assimilated into the American way of life, leading to acculturation and diversity in many aspects.

Conclusively, the Hmong’s cultural shock in their arrival in America made their integration to modern society harder. The modern hospitals were an issue in which many Hmong individuals did not embrace, for instance, the treating seizures in which this group viewed and perceived seizures of epileptic patients to be spiritual signs and significance of divinity. Cultural beliefs influence medical care and diagnosis, as in this book explains the indifference of understanding epileptic seizures on westernized culture’s perspective. The cultural and social barriers, in most cases, influences traditional cultural processes, way of life, and aspects in the diaspora affects their transition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Fadiman, A. (2012). The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. Macmillan.