Hmong Culture
Being Hmong Means Being Free
The Hmong, who migrated hundreds of years ago from China to the mountainous regions of Laos, Thailand and
Vietnam, have their own ancient language, culture, traditions and heritage. Throughout their history, the
Hmong have fiercely defended their right to be an independent people. Indicative of their passion for
freedom, the name Hmong is believed by many to mean "free people."
Being Hmong Means Being Free is an in-depth look at the culture, ritual and ceremonies at the heart of the
Hmong people. This 60-minute video documentary takes you into the lives of the Hmong in America, explains
why they are in the United States, the problems they are facing here, how they are overcoming these
difficulties and how they are adapting their culture to their new home. Closed captioned. $195 (rental $50)
60 minutes.
"...recommended, particularly for libraries with a Hmong constituency."
--Video Librarian
"Colorful but also thoughtful, probing rather than mindlessly upbeat, it's greatly enhanced
by the candor and energy of its young narrator, Lia Vang."
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"The sixty-minute documentary takes you into the lives of the Hmong in America, explains
why they are in the United States, the problems they are facing, how they are overcoming these difficulties
and how their culture is adapting to their new home."
--Kaleidoscope II, University of Wisconsin System
Excerpted below are comments from viewers who watched the statewide broadcast in Wisconsin on 8/28/00 and 9/1/00:
... Thank you, thank you, thank you. The quality of that program was awesome. We have so much
to learn from each other and hopefully that film will help remove some of the barriers of communication.
Congratulations to all involved in doing this and God bless the courage of our Hmong neighbors.
What a wonderful program. This was so well done; it will surely help to break down prejudices
against Hmong people. Thank you for an educational and interesting presentation.
I greatly enjoyed the program on the Hmong. It was jam-packed with important information that
I felt I had heard before but resonated in a new way for me. Maybe it was the fact that the narrator was a junior
in high school. She was very articulate, very believable. Her explanation was heartfelt and sincere. I also think
the program soared because there so many Hmong individuals interviewed -- not just one or two so-called experts.
The segments on intolerance and racism were profound without being preachy or exaggerated.
CINE Golden Eagle
CINDY Silver Award
INTERCOM Silver Plaque
Gabriel Certificate of Merit
CEN Public Affairs Programming
8th Annual Chicago Asian American Film Festival Screening
Skipping Stones Award Finalist
Media & Methods Healthy Living Award
