For this weeks reading I was really interested in the Hmong
homeland politics. The dynamics surrounding the aftermath of the secret-war in
Laos and the treatment of the Hmong people in Thailand was interesting to read
about. The issue of the Hmong graves-desecration
in Thailand and the work out cry from the Hmong Community in America was
interesting to learn. I think this type
of translational politics is not uniquely Hmong but is one that addresses the
political positions of many marginalized groups of people around the world,
diasporic communities with a strong connection to there people and are
constantly fighting to be treated fairly. However in the reading it seemed that
there was a slight rift between the religious entities in the Hmong community verses
the political machine that represents the community. This dynamic between the religious importance
of the graves and the political interest speaks to how the community related to
itself.
Another
part of the political dynamics in the US is how the Asian American community as
a whole is addressed and clumped into one body of people. In the case involving
Chai Soua Vang, the default reaction by the greater American public was to give
face to a whole community based on the actions of one man. This mentality is so common in American
society and is an issue that every community has had to deal with in one form
or another. It shows a strong disconnect
and the perpetuation of ignorance among the greater American society, which
makes one question if there has been any progress in trying to move away from
that. So then the role of political activism becomes critical in how the
general public views a community and how that community wishes to define
themselves.
Chai Soua Vang
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