Analysis of Political Transmigrants: Rethinking Hmong Political Activism in America

Analysis of Political Transmigrants:

Rethinking Hmong Political Activism in America

In the essay “Political Transmigrants: Rethinking Hmong Political Activism in America,” Nengher N. Vang discusses Hmong Americans political involvement with U.S. Lao Relations and fight for the people being prosecuted in Laos today. Vang starts out by going over the Hmong’s initial involvement with the U.S. and the cause of their diaspora which is the Secret War. After the background knowledge of the Secret War, Vang goes into detail about the transnational politics, the policies that transcend the country of settlement and refers to a home country, during the cold war era and today and the organizations formed by Hmong Americans to improve the human rights in Laos. Despite multiple protests by pro-Hmong organizations the U.S. government successfully closed refugee camps in Thailand and gave normal trade regulations on Laos.

While Vang does pose valid arguments with the U.S.’s policy contested by the Hmong people, he presents certain information that has been debated by other sources. One of these points is the use of “Yellow Rain” which is a chemical spray that was supposedly used against Hmong in Laos has not been 100% proven. Vang Pao, a Hmong activist, claims that, “50,000 Hmong had died from exposure to Yellow Rain between 1975 and 1978” (14). While Pao states this a happened, there is not enough sufficient evidence to prove that there was even the use of Yellow Rain in Laos.  The essay defiantly hints toward this use of this chemical that has me believe that it is a somewhat bias essay in favor toward the Hmong.