Vang Pao case helps bridge the Hmong generational divide

FRESNO -- Around 7 a.m. on June 11, one week after Gen. Vang Pao and nine of his alleged associates were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the Lao government, I received an agitated phone call from my father. In my half-awake stupor, I heard him urging me to attend that day's demonstration in support of Vang Pao.

Even before his frantic reminder, I had planned to attend. I wondered, "Could Vang Pao do under indictment what he couldn't do all those years as a revered Hmong leader -- unite the generations?"

My father shares the view of many Hmong elders -- that Vang Pao's arrest represents a turning point for the Hmong people, and that our very legacy is at stake.

Most of the elders believe Vang Pao had a legitimate motive, that Laos was once our country too, and that the ongoing genocidal acts against Hmong in Laos must cease.

Many young Hmong, on the other hand, fear the charges against Vang Pao will tarnish the community's reputation for generations to come. Many were born and raised in this country, and identify America as their primary homeland. Some shun Vang Pao for creating a new label for Hmong people -- "terrorist."

I, too, am a young Hmong born and raised in this country. If you ask me, the generations are not as far apart as they appear to be. If young Hmong had more knowledge of Hmong history, they might be better able to empathize with the concerns and views of the older generation.

Many have never heard the war stories of parents, aunts and uncles having to trek through dark and dangerous jungles in order to reach safety in Thailand. Many do not know about the treacherous Secret War, when the United States recruited Hmong men to fight against communism in Laos. They do not know that for every American soldier who died in that war, 10 Hmong soldiers' lives were lost.

Sadly, many young Hmong are not aware of the sacrifices made by parents and elders. Perhaps this is due to the lack of dialogue between parents and children. I have struggled in communication with my elders, sometimes going months without meaningful conversation with my parents or grandparents, despite living under the same roof for much of my life.

The pressure to adapt, to change ourselves and conform to American ideals, is an ever-present challenge in young Hmong people's lives. Some say we have to leave the past behind in order to move forward. But I believe the Vang Pao case offers a chance to resurrect our past in order to achieve reconciliation and closure, which could ultimately help us move forward for good.

I believe much of our past is linked to our present state, which cannot be ignored in the case of the Hmong in Laos who continue to endure genocidal acts and extreme human rights abuses at the hands of the Lao military. Many young Hmong do not realize these current political conditions were created by a war that the United States started decades ago, but never seemed to finish.

From the elders' perspective, our past evokes memories of a lost motherland and the continued search for a place to call home. I recently asked my mother what she would do if the opportunity to return to Laos was presented. If political conditions improved, she responded, she would choose to return. The terrain of the United States, she explained, could never compare to the natural beauty of the Lao highlands.

Now, as hearings for the Vang Pao case begin, many young Hmong may continue to linger in apathy -- the past remains something to be left behind. It disheartens me that they fail to realize the implications this case has for their culture and their history.

Yet the views of young and old both are necessary to create the momentum for a real intergenerational dialogue. Parents and elders need to make a concerted effort to tell the history and stories to their children, and children should feel inclined to ask, listen and learn.

Since the arrests, I have been asking my parents more questions, wanting to know their side of the story, and where they stand on the issues the case has raised. I am also taking the initiative to educate the younger generation of my clan by bringing them together to dialogue and learn about our history.

Speaking on the phone with my father that morning, we both realized this was a fragile situation for both generations, and thus we began our dialogue.

About the writer:

• Mai Der Vang, a youth media coordinator in Fresno, is a commentator for New America Media, www.newamericamedia.org