http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.hmong/about

This newsgroup (SCH) comes into existence with the AIM to be the main
domain for ALL
TO CONGREGATE,
TO LEARN,
TO DEEVELOP FELLOWSHIP.

All issues related to Hmong may be discussed in this forum. It is
expected that although this newsgroup will not be moderated, it will
be a platform for a lively discussion about the culture, politics and
social issues relating to Hmong at home and abroad. We welcome all
netters to learn more about people and culture.

THE VISION FOR THE FUTURE

It is the dream that the soc.culture.hmong that this will be a lively
forum for all people across the globe
to DISCUSS,
TO DEBATE &
TO SHARE ALL POSITIVE ASPECTS of Hmong issues.

As each and everyone of us come from different background, different
experience, different
philosophy of life and different expectation, let this to be the forum
for all of us TO LEARN ABOUT ONE ANOTHER,
TO SEEK UNDERSTANDING &
TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

There will be many issues that we cannot agree but we
can always LEARN TO RSPECT EACH OTHER'S VIEW POINT and we can learn
TO AGREE TO DISAGREE and
SEEK COMMON LINKS and
WORK TOGETHER.

Let us all meet in this forum in the atmosphere of MUTUAL TRUST,
RESPECT and LOVE>

Finally, it is hoped that this forum will also be the beginning for
the Hmong people who have been scattered around the world to COME
TOGHETHER , not in one place but through cyberspace!

After more than one decade of SCH, there are more than 18640 posts
from all over the world, covering ALL hmong contemporary issues.

So far, SCH is a true HMONG VIRTUAL home!!!!

Pao

======================================================

THE INTRODUCTORY POST TO LAUNCH SCH IN NOV 1996:

From: Paul Tallon rigel.oac.uci.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.hmong
Subject: Welcome to soc.culture.hmong
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 22:26:34 -0800
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Lines: 143
Message-ID: 100...@rigel.oac.uci.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: rigel.oac.uci.edu
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On behalf of Dr. Pao Saykao, who help draft this welcoming letter, I
would like to welcome you to the brand new soc.culture.hmong (SCHM)

As the proponent of the soc.culture.hmong, I like to thank all the
people around the world who have voted to support the creation of the
schm. It is timely that this forum has been created to focus on many
of the Hmong issues (1) with wide implications.

BACKGROUND

The Hmong have a rich and long history stretch back some 5000 years in
China. Over the centuries, the Hmong have been migrating from China
and they reached Laos, North Vietnam and Thailand in the early 1880's
and they have reached the four corners of the world since 1975.

In Laos, they have been actively participate in the building of the
country and they were involved on both side of politics during the
Vietnam War (2,3). When the Vietnamese War ended in 1975, about one
third of the Hmong in Laos found themselves on the wrong side and were
forced to leave the country with many of other Laotians (4). Since
then, more than 100,000 of them have been resettled in USA (5),
Canada. France (6), South America, Australia (7) and New Zealand.
Over 100,000 remain in Laos.

Currently, there are probably close to 10 million Hmong with the bulk
of the population in China. North Vietnam has over 200,000 and
Thailand with 60,000 plus a few thousands of the residual Hmong
refugees (11). Hence the Hmong is a scattered group of people whose
history is driven by the desire to be free and to remain together as a
group. Now with the internet and this newsgroup, the Hmong are once
gain connected through cyberspace.

INTEREST IN THE HMONG

There has been a considerable interest in the Hmong since their
resettlement in the West (8,9,10). Many scholars from all fields
find the Hmong to be a fascinating group of people. Here is a group
of Hmong who have telescoping from a pre-illiterate society to a
cyberspace society in a matters of less that 20 years. Their history
is fascinating. Their culture is quite unique and provide a
kaleidoscopic topic for anthropologist, medical scholars and other
social scientists. Their bright clothes and their unique handicraft
have cause a resurgence of interest in the Hmong arts across the globe
(13,14).

Their settlement in the West has provide and endless research topic
for social science. But it has been a concern to some governments.

In the last few years, the Hmong refugees issue has become a sensitive
issue (12)

RATIONALE FOR SOC.CULTURE.HMONG

The purpose of the newsgroup "soc.culture.hmong" is to provide a forum
for discussion on issues related to the Hmong generally. Presently,
more and more Hmong students and professionals and scholars and
others who have access to the Internet. This newsgroup will provide
the main domain for them to congregate, to learn, to share and to
develop fellowship.

The "soc.culture.hmong" will an extension and complimentary to the
"soc.culture.laos" and all other existing discussion groups including
the Hmoob Ntsis Tshiab listserv.oit.unc.edu>, Hmong Higher
Education Network ucdavis.edu>, WWW Hmong
stolaf.edu>, Hmong Language User Group
ix.netcom.com> and Hmong Studies Journal
gold.tc.umn.edu> and Lao Global Network
zac.lao.net>.

SOC.CULTURE.HMONG CHARTER

All issues related to Hmong may be discussed in this forum. It is
expected that although this newsgroup will not be moderated, it will
be a platform for a lively discussion about the culture, politics and
social issues relating to Hmong at home and abroad. We welcome all
netters to learn more about people and culture.

THE VISION FOR THE FUTURE

It is the dream that the soc.culture.hmong that this will be a lively
forum for all people across the globe to discuss, to debate and to
share all the positive aspects of Hmong issues. As each and everyone
of us come from different background, different experience, different
philosophy of life and different expectation, let this to be the forum
for all of us to learn about one another, to seek understanding and to
be understood. There will be many issues that we cannot agree but we
can always learn to respect each other's view point and we can learn
to agree to disagree and seek common links and work together. Let us
all meet in this forum in the atmosphere of mutual trust, respect and
love.

Finally, it is hoped that this forum will also be the beginning for
the Hmong people who have been scattered around the world to come
together, not in one place but through cyberspace!

References:

1. Cultural Identity In Post-Modern Society: Reflections on What is a
Hmong?

http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g450/vueb0001/HER/HSJVolumeOne.html

2. The Hmong in Laos - 1982

http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/hmong-au/hmong82a.htm

3. National-building in Laos: The Hmong in the Lao State
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/hmong-au/hmonglao.htm

4. Refugees from Laos: Historical background and cause
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/hmong-au/refugee.htm

5. Hmong People in the U.S.
http://minerva.athenet.net/~jlindsay/Hmong_tragedy.html

6. Hmong in France: The Hmong's Corner
http://lennon.pub.csufresno.edu/~cy011/

7. The Hmong in Australia
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/hmong-au/ozhmong1.htm

8. Recent Research and Publications on the Hmong (1994-1996)
http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g450/vueb0001/HER/HSJv1n1Frank.html

9. Report on the Hmong in Tasmania
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/hmong-au/hm_tas95.htm

10. Hmong funeral :Upon Meeting the Ancestors
http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g450/vueb0001/HER/HSJv1n1Falk.html

11. Minority Politics in Thailand: A Hmong Perspective.
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/hmong-au/thaihmg.htm

12. Forced Repatriation of the Hmong Mentioned in the News
http://minerva.athenet.net/~jlindsay/HmongPC.shtml

13. Hmong Textile
http://www.lib.uci.edu/sea/hmong.html

14. Hmong Handicraft Exhibition
http://www.lexicon.net.au/~drpao/hmong/

Sinererly,
Kag Khetsavanh

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