03/23/2026
Here’s me in some Hmong-Vietnamese clothes from Hmong New Year last year in Minnesota. Been thinking a lot about culture lately and how I embody it, how to pass it on to future generations, what it’s given me, how I share it with others unapologetically, what I no longer owe to it, and how it’s shaped my community-the good and the bad.
Being a Hmong woman used to mean a life of struggle and long days, sacrificing and supporting the patriarchy that kept women silent, not having access to education, and being married off early as a child bride or a second or third wife if you were lucky enough to not be kidnapped. It meant knowing gardening and cooking secrets, keeping your children, in-laws, and if you were lucky, yourself, healthy and safe. It meant being smart to survive. My grandma, born in Laos and now passed, would always look at my life - full of modern stories in countries around the world, boys, life milestones like getting my driver’s license and going to college, living on my own - with such pride and wonder having been a woman kidnapped herself. Never knowing how to drive. Barely being able to read. And yet so kind, sharp, and strong.
Hmong women still live like this all over the world. So to walk in the world as a Hmong woman today with a voice, ideas, and means with all of our grandmas and aunties stories on my back, is my blessing. I’ve been reflecting on what I am adding to the legacy of our women and truly, the best thing we can do for our people is to live the most authentic way we can and remember to give back and support our communities.
Now living in the United States, my community has grown and I’ve found myself in other women whose skin and stories are different and yet the same as mine. I couldn’t be more excited to see what happens when we all have the means to dream big together. This is what it’s all about. If you have also been reflecting on your culture, send me a DM with a photo and I’d love to share it on our page!
