Discovering Hmong: Language Stories

[@LinVaj]

I’m Hmong American and this was awesome to watch! Very informative and very interesting.

[@superdeluxesmell]

Terrific vid. That lady acquiring that level of English just from chatting with tourists is genuinely inspiring!

[@vozreni]

Growing up in Minnesota I had many Hmong classmates but I never knew much about their native countries or languages!

[@hmongb9656]

Hmong coming mongolia isnt a thing we didnt come from the mongols we are from the southern area china near yunnan guizhou and other southern provinces miao-yao is a languge group hmong is apart of the miao-yao which also includes mien languge but besides that hmoob is a branch of the miao ethnic group you can tell where ever hmong/miao go you will see or hear a qeej or lusheng 蘆笙 and that instument is an important piece to the identity of the hmong/miao i dont know why some hmong people think we came from Mongolia the hmoob black lady seems nice and all but the Mongolia hmong part of it threw me off because its not true alot of people think oh hmong sounds like Mongolian so they must be the same but its not we are 2 completely different groups I have been a researching hmong history topic for 2 to 3 years and there are no signs pointing the hmong ethnic group originating from Mongolia

[@LindsayDowLanguages]

Hello! Thanks for your comment. Yes, I did a lot more research into this after our interview and discovered the Hmong/Mongolian thing is a common mistake. In the podcast for this episode, I do mention this. In the video here I let Chua tell her own story in her words. I hope you enjoy the podcast too! It's here if you'd like to listen: languagestories.fireside.fm/16

[@kayredeemed116]

I don't really know where hmoob comes from because based on a DNA test no trace of Hmong in our blood. Chinese, Vietnamese, Polynesian and Tibet were found in the DNA information. Interesting. I know that Christ made us all. I just don't know how hmoob truly came about.

[@JasonBechtelTeaches]

Thanks for sharing this. I also took a trek with the Sapa Sisters when I was in Sapa. My guide also spoke excellent English, which she had learned from just speaking w/ tourists -- and she was young, maybe 16(?). (Impressive!) I got to stay in Black Hmong homes for two nights, learn about their culture (stories, games, traditions), enjoy their friendly and easy-going nature, and soak up that amazingly beautiful scenery. It was one of the best parts of my time in northern Vietnam. Strangely, I didn't learn anything about their language when I was there, though, so this video is a nice beginning exploration of that aspect of their culture, and brought back some nice memories. Thanks again. :)

[@elizabethperfectlyimparfai7174]

Fascinating. I knew nothing about Hmong before this video. Beautiful countryside, too.

[@digimon916]

We dont have reading and writing the sense of our own original characters, but do have a system (now) that uses english letter, which was not created by us but outsiders. Some words we have sound like certain chinese words. Like how we say the numer 1 and 2 sounds sort of like the chinese 1 and 2. Thank you for this.

[@czteroznakowiec]

As a minority language nerd I always watch your language stories videos with an enormous wow face

[@YangRiderInc]

If you get the chance to visit MN in the US, stop by and see the hmong culture at the Hmong Freedom Festival in the summer or Hmong New Year in the winter.

[@LindsayDowLanguages]

Oh I would love to! Sounds amazing! :)

[@thunderthao]

Thank you for the awesome video. Hmong history, cultural, language and identity can be as sophisticated as the other beautiful minority groups around the world. You really have just touched the surface. I just want to correct Mrs. Choua that though there is a rich Hmong history in present day China, Hmong and Mongolian's origins are unrelated. The name is truly a coincidence.

[@OfficialJasmineTierra]

❤️ Thank you Lindsay! Was a pleasure :)

[@YangRiderInc]

You need to do a "es koj puas cas" song. If you have, I would like to see it. You're pretty good.

[@lifeyang2]

I am a California born Hmong American. My parents were from Laos, but even seeing this video of Hmong in Vietnam is very inspiring for me.

[@txiabneeb]

Thanks for showcasing our heritage language and tradition Ms Williams. If you're ever in MN, please let me know. Ua tsaug - Thanks, Ua koj tsaug - Thank you, Ua meb/neb tsaug - Thank you both, Ua mej/nej tsaug - Thank you all, -Tzianeng/Txiabneeb Vaj, Hmong Language and Tradition Generalist

[@LindsayDowLanguages]

Thank you so much! Ua koj tsaug :)

[@AsianAmericanGuy]

Also hmong blue who are mostly in thailand, red hmong that are in vietnam and the hmong shee but those are the hmong who mainly live on the borders of china, myanmar, laos and vietnam. Hmong green/white were the ones who established the written hmong language in the 1980s and the red/black hmong were the ones known to fought for the vietnamese communist.

[@aliasdoe007]

If you are Hmong then sadly you know next to nothing about Hmong period given what your just spewed. The written Hmong language at least what most like 99.99% SE Asian and Western Hmong know is RPA Hmong (Ntawv Hmoob Las Tees). It was in fact developed by W A Smalley, G Barney, and Yves Bertrais around 1965-67 in Laos. Arguably it is the most popular easily recognized heavily utilized and most learned of any and all known Hmong written languages to date. Nej cov menyuam Hmoob yuav tsum paub txog nej caj ce keeb kwm dab qhua kev cai txheej lus. Txhob lam hais lwj hais liam li ib tug neeg tsis paub qab hau.

[@RobertHeslop]

Fascinating! Plus I'm very impressed with her English.

[@xamneua]

Lovely, well recorded! Thank you for this special video from us Hmong. I am White Stripe rooting for your channel!

[@soupsoua]

Love this.

[@efahngon]

Thank you 😀

[@DUDEfreestyle]

Best way to learn Hmong is by watching Hmong music videos with translation. Trust me ;)

[@동휘김-j7q]

흥미롭네요ㅎㅎ 항상 좋은 동영상 만들어주셔서 감사해요^^ 한국어 배우고 있으시니깐~ㅎ 한국어도 항상 화이팅!!

[@SteveMoua]

김동휘 are Hmong

[@kayredeemed116]

There is writing and reading for the hmoob people. Unfortunately, many of us haven't learned it.

[@tjvaj113]

awesome video.

[@gumonmyshu]

She must have learned her English from Australian tourists.

[@norpoulor4594]

Goodones

[@fuethao1393]

Moob ni Moob Zootxuj uanoj uahaus De Mong

[@aliasdoe007]

Hmong did not originate from Mongolia nor does it have any historical lineage to the country and the Mongols whatsoever. This is a deeply flawed and incorrect presumption despite Hmong and Mongolia sounding somewhat similar in English pronunciation. As a matter of fact Hmong do not even know who are the Mongols much less where they are from nor the country of Mongolia. Additionally there is no Hmong oral stories tales or cultural references to the Mongols and Mongolia whatsoever throughout Hmong's history dating back to 5000+ years. Mongolia and the Mongols only became known to the Hmong when and after they immigrated to the West due to world history education and pop culture specifically movies about Genghis Khan and his Mongol warriors. The Hmong language is in fact comprehensible between all the various dialects Green White and Black at or over 99% specifically in the West and SE Asia. This is not inclusive to China's Miao (Hmong) due to their heavily influenced Chinese accent for over 1000+ of years. What Choua was talking about @5:15 is the fact that there are different tribes/ethnicities (Thai, Mien etc.) within her village who do not speak the same language.