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Did you know?
The Hmong of
Laos fought
on behalf of
the United
States during
the Vietnam
War, and over
100,000 died as
a result. Hmong
refugees began
arriving in the
U.S. in 1975.
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Mai Youa Moua
Oakdale, Minnesota
Asian Studies, Psychology
Toward the end of our semester in Nanjing, China, a good friend
and I decided to make a weekend trip to Beijing. We saw so
much, but before returning to Nanjing we couldn’t resist having
some Peking roast duck, a delicacy of the ancient city. After our
feast we rushed to catch our overnight train, but missed it by a
mere three minutes; we had underestimated the size of Beijing.
All we could get were standing tickets on a 15-hour overnight
train. I was scared, tired, and frustrated.
Growing up Hmong
in America, I never
knew what it was
like to be in the
majority until
I was mistaken for
Chinese … in China
—Mai Youa
Moua
As we entered the train, all eyes were on us, especially my white
American friend. It must have been rare to see a laowai on such a
crowded train. People were sitting face to face, knee to knee and
there was no place to stand except in the aisle. Fortunately, two
girls offered to let us squeeze in with them and soon they helped
us find seats in the dining car. By the next morning I was able get
us hard sleeper tickets after being seen as a “stupid Chinese” for
not understanding the guard with a thick Beijing accent.
Studying abroad I realized how many things I took for granted—
clear blue skies, open green lawns, the quiet and orderliness of
the streets, the freedom of speech, the openness of the Web,
and much more. Growing up Hmong in America, I never knew
what it was like to be in the majority until I was mistaken for
Chinese and blended in with my black hair and dark brown eyes.
The sense of comfort I found in China has reassured me that I
could survive in and do psychological research in China, an
ambitious dream of mine.
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