In the distant United States of America, there are nearly 200,000 Hmong compatriots? As a Chinese nation with a long history, the Miao people have been distributed in southwest and south China since ancient times, and after wars and turmoil, some Miao people have been forced to move south to Southeast Asia, and even to the ocean, to the strange land of the United States.
As the years go by, the Hmong people can be seen everywhere in the United States today. Some of them have three generations living together and live a familiar extended family life; Some have fully integrated into mainstream society, but still consciously retain the imprint of their ancestral culture. How did this particular group of people travel thousands of miles to get here? How do you adhere to the national tradition and continue to write the long-standing bloodline?
Judging from historical records, the ancestors of the Miao nationality cultivated and cultivated in the hinterland of the Central Plains as early as the Neolithic Age, and lived a settled agricultural and pastoral life. With the passage of time, they continued to spread and migrate in all directions, and eventually settled in Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, Guangxi and other places. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, in order to escape the war and enslavement, some Miao people started a journey to the south, crossing the Nanling Mountains and coming to the vast land of the Indochina Peninsula.
Today, these early descendants of the Miao people have spread all over Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, with a total population of more than one million, and still have close cultural ties with their compatriots in their ancestral countries. It can be seen that the territory of the Miao people, an ancient nation, has already broken through the narrow national boundaries.
In the United States, most of the first Hmong immigrants came from the war-torn years of the last century. In the face of many difficulties, they received strong support from the local government, were arranged with jobs, language skills training, etc., and soon settled in this strange land. Over time, they gradually adapted and integrated into the local society, although they retained some of their unique living customs and cultural traditions.
In remote rural areas, many Miao people have cultivated their own farms and built their brands with the long-standing farming wisdom of their ancestors. Some people of insight have devoted themselves to the cultivation of specialty crops and have reaped huge profits. In urban communities, Miao restaurants are blooming everywhere, known as "simple and elegant, with endless aftertaste". Wherever they go, the Miao people are always obsessed with passing on their cooking skills and tastes.
And what the Miao people adhere to most is the traditional concept of family and clan. The extended family model can be seen everywhere in their communities, and the patriarchal rules of old and young living together and male superiority and inferiority of women have been perpetuated. Clan relations are also highly valued, and the concept of clan is deeply rooted. The family and clan became an important force in restraining the Miao group.
In terms of religious beliefs, the Miao people abide by the worship of natural gods, and in birth, old age, sickness and death, major festivals, etc., they have to hold various ceremonies in accordance with the national ancestral system, such as cremation and memorial, which is very different from the mainstream society. In addition, the Miao costumes, music, dance and other art forms are also pleasing to the eye. The blue cloth clothes outline the delicate posture of the girls; The high-pitched and loud singing resounded in the sky at the celebration; Intangible cultural heritage, such as embroidery, batik, and dyek is wonderful.
This cultural treasure originating from the land of China has become an important symbol of identity for Miao immigrants in the United States. During major festivals, various folk activities and family customs have become an important link in cultural inheritance, stringing together their nostalgia and pride in their homeland.
Despite this, the inheritance of Miao culture in the United States has not been satisfactory. With the passage of time and environmental changes, many of the unique heritage of the Hmong people are on the verge of being lost, and only a small part remains intact.
The younger generation, in particular, has become more and more intimately attached to the fashionable and diverse mainstream American culture, and their enthusiasm for Hmong customs has begun to wane. It is more important to maintain the vitality of the culture by some elderly Miao elders and a small number of enthusiastic people.
But even those who are integrated into mainstream society are inevitably drawn to their ancestral culture during major holidays. For example, on the occasion of the arrival of the Miao year, every household will prepare festival supplies according to the ancestral system, and the old folks will gather together, sing and dance, and return with fun. This vivid scene is the best witness to the continuation of national culture.
Looking at today's society, in addition to the Miao people, the descendants of Chinese who have emigrated to other countries are all like this, hovering between assimilation and identity. Many people deliberately give up the learning and inheritance of Chinese culture in order to integrate their children and grandchildren into the mainstream culture. Until one day, perhaps after attending the New Year's reunion dinner or watching the lion dance performance, those cultural genes that were almost forgotten suddenly awakened and made them realize the unique charm of their ancestral culture.
As a result, preserving the ancestral culture has become a conscious and challenging process. Overseas, they have slowly established language classes, dance classes, cultural festivals, etc., and have done their best to pass on the national culture.
Even Native Americans have developed a great interest in the unique culture of the East. Chinese culture has gone global and has been more and more welcomed and loved. For example, during the festive season, the song and dance performances of the Miao people always attract a large number of spectators to stop and watch. The national costumes and handicrafts of the Miao nationality have been widely sought after, and some goods have set off a boom overseas.
What is commendable is that at a time when the urbanization process in the United States is accelerating, there are still some Miao people, no matter where they go, they are trying their best to maintain the legacy of farming. They toiled in the inhospitable lands of the American West, nurturing rows of verdant crops with their hands. The occasional singing voice from the farmhouse sings about the love and attachment to the fields of the homeland.
In addition, the Miao people's adherence to family and clan is itself a continuation of cultural traditions. In their homes, ancestral shrines are always placed in the most prominent position, and the rules of the clan are observed from generation to generation. To this day, parents still educate their children with strict clan rules, requiring them to follow the ancestral teachings and carry on the lineage.
It can be seen that no matter where they live, the Miao people have not forgotten their roots. That unique and precious national culture is like a brilliant pearl, embedded in their blood, shining brightly.
Although the road to preserving the ancestral culture is tortuous and arduous, as long as there is a group of people with a heart of nostalgia who persists, this precious heritage from the land of China will never disappear. Let's look forward to the fact that the flower of Miao culture can bloom forever in a foreign country!
epilogue
Hmong immigrants have put down roots in this strange land of the United States and have not forgotten their cultural roots. Although they face many challenges, they are persisting in inheriting and carrying forward this precious heritage from the land of China in their own way.
Whether it is agricultural production, food customs, family concepts, religious ceremonies, or clothing, music, and handicrafts, Miao culture has found its own outlet overseas. Generation after generation of Miao people have defended their national identity and cultural self-confidence with practical actions.
Nowadays, when this cultural flower from the East blooms in a foreign country, it not only adds a unique charm to the local culture, but also allows the world to see the tenacious vitality of an ancient nation. We look forward to the day when Miao culture will take root in the world and continue to bloom with vitality!