The book, I Begin My Life All Over, is a collection of oral histories provided by 36 Hmong immigrants in the United States. The book was written by the professor/author, Lillian Faderman, with the help of Ghia Xiong as her translator and gateway into Hmong culture. This compilation of first-person accounts provides a view into the reasons the Hmong have increasingly immigrated to the United States, what life was like in Laos, and the experiences and difficulties of their new lives in the United States.
In the first part of the book, we are introduced to the Hmong, an ethnic group that for many years lived in the mountains of Laos. Although they lived for many years in Laos, “where the Hmong came from originally is a mystery” (1). After we are introduced to the people who will be guiding us through the Hmong immigrant experience, we soon learn that life in Laos was difficult and the country’s communists were intent on removing and killing the Hmong. Although some men stayed and joined opposition forces, many families fled to nearby jungles and began a dangerous journey to the Mekong River where they could cross into Thailand. During this time, families were separated and many people died.
Those who survived and were able to immigrate to the United States, found that life was difficult in ways they could never have imagined. Although some camps provided instructional videos on the difficulties they would have in America, none of the refugees were prepared for the culture shock they received in America. In Laos, polygamy and “kidnap marriage” were norms. Traditionally, men were able to kidnap women and then negotiate a dowry with the woman’s parents. This was often successful, as the woman’s family was concerned about saving face for themselves and their daughter. Also, “fourteen was not too young to get married for the Hmong—it was just the right age” (148). Not only did women marry young, they were expected to immediately start having children. These customs could not be more different than what they encountered in the United States. Once in America, the Hmong found that many of their traditions were actually considered illegal activities in their new homes.
Many of the second generation of Hmong immigrants found it increasingly difficult to feel connected to their ethnic traditions. While other American youngsters enjoyed much more freedoms, the Hmong households were very restrictive. Many young women were not allowed to have a social life, and when they could, it was supervised by a family member. For others, like Pao Her, they did not visit their friends for fear their friends’ families would stereotype them or view them as different. Sadly, for many of the younger generation, their restrictions and difficulties within the education system led them to pursue life in gangs. Some accounts explain that gangs were the only place they felt they were understood and could be cared for.
The accounts in the book also demonstrate that there was a widening gulf between the generations of Hmong immigrants. Many of the first generation did not learn English when they came to America, which caused them to be in an uncomfortable position of relying on their children. Many of the second generation learned much more English and had to translate for their parents. As the younger generation became more American, they let go of many of their Hmong traditions. This often shocked and caused the older generation much grief.
Overall, this book provides a lot of insight into the lives of the Hmong—an ethnic group which I, myself, had no prior knowledge. The only place I found the text to fall short, was the author’s inclusion of her own family’s personal immigration experience. Although I found her accounts to be interesting, they often times became a distraction and did not quite fit with the rest of the text. Still, through the oral histories provided I was able to find many similarities between their lives and those profiled in the previous texts we have read. Like in the Takaki texts, older generations had to rely on the younger generation to survive in the U.S. Some customs had to be given up while new ones had to be adopted.