Finding Me

The Hmong -

The Unknown Victim,

The Unsung Hero,

of the Vietnam Conflict

Multi-genre ProjectReading 5130 Spring

Dr. C. Ulmer

Penny Icard

Interview with Mr. Kuoa XiongBy Penny W. Icard

April 20, 2005Icard Elementary SchoolMrs. Penny Icard’s Class

Mrs. Icard: It is nice to meet you, and so good of you to come and allow me to interview you.

Mr. Xiong: It my pleasure. I alway ready to tell of my people.

Icard: Were you ever in one of the camps in Thailand?

Xiong: I knew when boy I would carry gun and protect my family. I go to camp when I 10 to train with gun.

Icard: Did all boys have to do this?

Xiong: Yes, before U.S. came to war, government ask we fight communist.

Icard: We had a Hmong gentlemen visit our church one Sunday morning. He had a copy of a document from the CIA promising the Hmong people free passage to the US and land if they would fight for the US. Do you know anything about this or where I might find a copy of this?

Xiong: Yes, Hmong have been told when I was a boy. We would go to US with soldiers. It is in book, in library, not know the number. It name Tragic Mountain. I not know where to find in library, not remember number. It tell about war, children fighting, people sent back to Laos and kill. Government know this.

Icard: Did all your family make it out?

Xiong: I not know. Family and friend separated. First two years I not want to be here.

Icard: How did you get out?

Xiong: I go back to camp ‘83. Come here ’89. I not like it here.

Icard: How did you know that you could come here?

Xiong: I interview with U.N. committee. I wait. I get sponsor. Nother family sponsor me. I live in California for 6 year. I come here ’97.

Icard: How did you get to North Carolina? To Icard?

Xiong: I hear from man come to U.S. with me. He call and say that North Carolina good. Have job, have weather like Laos.

Icard: You said when you came here that you did not like the U.S. Do you like it now?

Xiong: Government get me out. I don’t know about family, friend. I alone. Now I wonder ‘bout parent, family, friend. But now, too, I have my family, my children, wife. Life good to me.

Icard: Where did you work?

Xiong: First come, I work with lumber. I small man. Work too hard, I can not do it. I go nother job. Work hard, pay not good. Pay not good for family. I work now at Dublin. I work second shift. Can bring children to school, be with them in summer when wife work. Work at Dublin is good. Children at good school.

Icard: Mr. Xiong I really appreciate you coming. I also appreciate what you and the Hmong people did for me and my country. When I look at your

children and Alexander and Po, I am so glad you made it to the US.

Xiong: Thank you, I glad. Here picture of cousin and me. We train same time. I not see him after fight. You use picture too.

Icard: I will use the picture. Thank you again.

Xiong: I sad for Hmong still there. They will not live if not get out. If I help More will come. Thank you. Good-bye.

Whereas since the 1975 overthrow of the existing Royal Lao Government, Laos has been under the sole control of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)

HRES 169 EH

H. Res. 169In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

November 16, 1999.

Whereas since the 1975 overthrow of the existing Royal Lao Government, Laos has been under the sole control of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party;

Whereas the present Lao constitution provides for a wide range of freedoms for the Lao people, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion, and Laos is a signatory to international conventions on genocide, racial discrimination, discrimination against women, war crimes, and rights of the child;

Whereas since July 1997, Laos has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an organization which has set forth a vision for the year 2020 of a membership consisting of `open societies * * * governed with the consent and greater participation of the people' and `focus(ed) on the welfare and dignity of the human person and the good of the community';

Whereas, despite the Lao constitution and the membership by Laos in ASEAN, the Department of State's Laos Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1998 states that the Lao Government's human rights record deteriorated and that the Lao Government restricts freedom of speech, assembly, association, and religion;

Whereas Amnesty International reports that serious problems persist in the Lao Government's performance in the area of human rights, including the continued detention of prisoners of conscience in extremely harsh conditions, and that in one case a prisoner of conscience held without trial since 1996 was chained and locked in wooden stocks for a period of 20 days;

Whereas Thongsouk Saysangkhi, a political prisoner sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in November 1992 after a grossly unfair trial, died in February 1998 due to complications of diabetes after having been detained in harsh conditions with no medical facilities;

Whereas there are at least 5 identified, long-term political prisoners inside the Lao Government's prison system and the possibility of others whose names are not known;

Whereas there continue to be credible reports that some members of the Lao Government's security forces commit human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and intimidation;

Whereas two United States citizens, Mr. Houa Ly, a resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Mr. Michael Vang, a resident of Fresno, California, were traveling along the border between Laos and Thailand on April 19, 1999;

Whereas the families of Messrs. Ly and Vang have been able to learn very little from the United States Government regarding the whereabouts or current circumstances of their loved ones; and

Whereas the Congress will not tolerate any unjustified arrest, abduction, imprisonment, disappearance, or other act of aggression against United States citizens by a foreign government: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--(1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the present Government of Laos should--

(A) respect internationally recognized norms of human rights and the democratic freedoms of the people of Laos and honor in full its commitments to those norms and freedoms as embodied in its constitution and its participation in international organizations and agreements;(B) issue a public statement specifically reaffirming its commitment to protecting religious freedom and other basic human rights;(C) institute fully a democratic electoral system, with openly contested, free, and fair elections by secret ballot, beginning no later than the next National Assembly elections, currently scheduled to be held in 2002; and(D) allow unrestricted access by international human rights monitors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International, to all prisons and to all regions of the country to investigate alleged abuses of human rights, including those against the Hmong minority; and

(2) the House of Representatives--(A) decries the disappearance of Houa Ly and Michael Vang, recognizing it as an incident worthy of congressional attention;(B) urges the Lao Government to return Messrs. Ly and Vang, or their remains, to United States authorities and their families in America at once, if it is determined that the Lao Government is responsible for the disappearance of Messrs. Ly and Vang;(C) warns the Lao Government of the serious consequences, including sanctions, of any unjustified arrest, abduction, imprisonment, disappearance, or other act of aggression against United States citizens; and(D) urges the Department of State and other appropriate United States agencies to share the maximum amount of information regarding the disappearance of Messrs. Ly and Vang.

Press Release

Washington, D.C.For Immediate Release: June 21, 2004

Tonight the first of 15,000 Hmong refugees will begin arriving in the United States. Over the next six months, about 5,000 refugees will make their way to Minnesota. Most will live with families that already live in the state.

U.S. Embassy officials said about 4,000 Hmong are expected to arrive in the United States by September 30, and that the remaining refugees approved for resettlement will arrive by the end of the calendar year.

“We expect that approximately 15,000 will be admitted to the United States under this resettlement program,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

About 1,600 of the Hmong want to go to Wisconsin, while smaller numbers have indicated they would go to North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Michigan, Oregon and Washington State.

The Hmong immigrants – more than half of them children – were driven from their camp at a Buddhist temple near Bangkok.

Thousands more remain in Thailand in fear of being sent back to Laos, their homeland. There are credible reports that the Lao government wants the Hmong killed in retaliation for the help the Hmong gave to the United States during the Vietnam conflict.

Captain Carl BernardU.S. Army Special ForcesFort BraggFayetteville, North Carolina 27555November 17, 1999

Captain Harmon RabbJudge Advocate GeneralWest Haven, Virginia 55555

Captain Rabb:

I do not know what I can tell you tha t has not already been told in the movies, The Killing Fields and Apocalypse Now. These tend to express the media view of the Vietnam Conflict. Most military prefer this idea of the conflict as they do not want to face the fact that the news that came out of Nam during war time was one sided. However, I will give it a shot and tell you my perspective of those times, times I would like to forget.

In 1961, I was posted to Laos with the “White Star Mobile Training Team. At that time I was the point man on the CIA-US Army’s official mission to recruit and train the Hmong to fight against the Communist Viet Cong. The CIA trained these rugged mountain people during the 1960s and 1970s. At that time during the conflict it was imperative that we have the support of the ethnic hill tribes of Indochina to win.

It was believed by Army officials that Laos would be the first domino in the line to be taken by the Communist. I was assigned the northern section of the country with the Hmong overlooking the Plain of Jars.

I had the honor and privilege to travel extensively with General Vang Pao. The General had always served as the chief of the Hmong forces. I found it very interesting that when the General was approached to fight with the United States, that while he felt it was in the best interest of Hmong freedom to do so, he would have to take it before the elders of the Hmong tribes. The elders main concern was if we could be trusted to carry out the promises made. The elders had heard how the U.S. government had made promises to the Native Americans and had not carried through with them. Could the United States be trusted to carry through for them, the Hmong?

The CIA had approached the Hmong earlier, telling them that if the United States won the war, and if the Hmong helped, all of their lands in Laos would be returned to them. If defeated, the Hmong would be granted full citizenship to the United States with free passage to the states and land that would be theirs to settle. Little did any of us know at the time that the CIA representatives that made these promises did not have the authority to do so.

The news media sent unfavorable reports of the war. These reports were fractured and flawed. No official reports from the troops contradicted them. Washington believed that a successful and inexpensive war effort was being waged by using ignorant and innocent mountain people.

Each death of a Hmong in the “secret war” of Laos, meant one less body bag sent back to the U.S. This was important since Washington viewed these body bags as political price tags.

As the war dragged on, it became evident that it was bringing in big money for several U.S. based companies. Bell Helicopter and Dow Chemical were making millions in aircraft and Agent Orange. The idea of these “half-assed mountain boys” turning the tide of the war and bringing it to an end was not what the elites running the war wanted to accept. The truth is that at least half of all Soviet and Red Chinese supplies headed for the Viet Cong along the Ho Chi Min trail was being taken out by the Hmong forces.

The Hmong paid a tremendous price for their allegiance to America. One quarter of their population was lost. They knew nothing about the politics that were evolving. They did not know that eventually the U.S. would betray them and that the goal was to fight a losing war and to negotiate a “peace” and eventual withdrawal. May I add here that I did not know of this nor did any of the U.S. Special Forces that had the privilege to fight along side these brave men.

“The Hmong were expecting that their combat support of the Laos government American allies would earn them treatment as full citizens. They did not fail as Special Forces soldiers in the field. Their only ‘failure’ was believing in the Americans’ ability to win the war and keep their word. The Hmong thought of themselves as an American army and believed they would be taken care of.”

The U.N. High Commission stated that by December 31 of 1999 two “final redeployments” are expected. The Hmong chosen by the U.N. High Commission will be sent to agreeing countries, such as the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and France. The Hmong that remain will be sent back to Laos where they will face certain death.

The Communist government of Laos consider the Hmong a threat, war criminals. Their death is the main goal of many of the leaders in Laos.

“The disgraceful repatriation of the Hmong to Laos has shamed our nation since its beginning. It is not a secret, only proof of the power of inertia.”

Captain Rabb, I pray that any information I have given you will help your client. Toua Thao. If you need more in-depth information please feel free to contract me. I would prefer to give specifics to you face to face.

As I write, I can tell you that there is proof of assassins using the cover of the night to visit the refugee camps and ridding themselves of would be trouble. The “enforced curfew” is only observed by the honest. Many sleep in shifts, keeping watch over beloved Hmong leaders, and the few press that dare to go into the camps at night.

I am proud to have served along side of these honorable men. They taught our men much more about fighting the Viet Cong than we ever taught them. I am in their debt.

Sincerely,

Retired, Captain Carl BernardU.S. Army Special Forces

End Notes

I chose the interview genre since this was the mode in which this information was gathered. Mr. Kuoa Xiong’s words and his willingness to be interviewed shows his sincerity in wanting the story of his people told. His childhood was taken from him before he was born by both the communist and the United States government. He lost his family and friends by trying to protect them from the communist because his ancestors protected American soldiers.

The picture of the two Hmong soldiers is of Mr. Kuoa Xiong and his cousin (name not given). He does not know where his cousin is. I chose to use the picture because it show the lost of innocence for the Hmong as they had to grow up learning to protect the things they love with guns. They were taught at an early age to kill. It was important to Mr. Xiong that I use the picture with his story. He loved his cousin and he was proud of what he had done for his family and for the United States. He is proud that he and his family fought for the US. He is proud too that he as well as his family is citizens of the United States. In his words, “Life is good here for his children. They get good education and they know peace – life with out fighting.”

House Resolution 169, November 16, 1999, was used to acknowledge that as recent as 1999 the Hmongs were seeking fulfillment of the promises made to them for their assistance to the United States during the Viet Nam War. They also show that the killings continue.www.laoveterans.com/press.htm

The Press Release was used to demonstrate the urgent need to be in the United States, out of the reach of the Laotian government. It also demonstrates the fear or dread that some United States citizens have concerning the arrival of the immigrants. http://kstptv5.com/article/stories/S661.html

The letter to Captain Harmon Rabb from Captain Bernard is fictitious. Captain Rabb is a fictitious lawyer from the CBS television show JAG (Judge Advocate Office). Captain Carl Bernard and the information in the letter are factual. The words in quotations are quotes from Captain Bernard as cited on the WorldNet Daily, Wednesday, November 11, 1999. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=17252. The information can also be found in the book, Tragic Mountains The HMONG, the AMERICANS, and the SECRET WARS for LAOS, 1942-1992. Jane Hamilton-Merritt (1993). Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. This genre was chosen because it lends itself to defending the Hmong against the injustice that has been done to them as seen by author of this multi genre paper, Penny Icard. After reading the books mentioned in the End Notes, talking with Rexanna Rhoney and Blia Vue, English Language Learners Teachers, interviewing several Hmong, two cited, others not, and various articles from the internet, I have come to believe that the United States owe the Hmong at least the same rights and recognition as other United States Veterans. Because they fought not only for the ideas that the United States held, but for their own freedom and homeland, with the understanding that the United States would defend them to the

end and that they would be given United States citizenship if the war effort failed, I also believe that the United States should grant them citizenship and sanctuary from the Communist countries that consider them enemies. The United States fights for human rights all over the world. It seems only noble and right that the United States defend the lives of the remaining Hmong (in Thailand and the Communist countries), our proven allies.

Story cloths or PaNdaus were the only way the Hmong could pass on stories orally. The Hmong had no written language until the 1950’s. Story Cloth or PaNdau is an ancient way of preserving the history and folk lore. While in the Thai refugee’s camps the Hmong women began making this form of PaNdau to preserve the plight of the Hmong people. The PaNdau can only be made in the United States and in Thailand. If any one is caught making a PaNdau in Laos, the penalty is death. As they lived peacefully in the mountains, the communist government bombed and raided their villages because they dared to help the United States government during the Viet Nam war. The Hmong’s were hunted down and killed for their action. The Hmong packed their belongings and fled from Laos to Thailand. Many died on the way. I bought the story cloth at K Oriental Market in Longview, North Carolina. The Hmong lady that helped me at the store told me that she was five when she began the journey. They would walk at night and hide during the day. Her grandfather carried her on his back. Many children were left behind because they would cry. If the Communist heard them they would be found or shot. Many times the army would be near, the teenagers and young children would run, just run. This led to many being separated from their family and friends. At one time they wanted to leave her behind because she had a cough. Her grandfather was determined to get her out. One of her last memories of the trip was a small dirt road. She remembered being on her grandfather’s back and he jumped into the ditch as a truck of soldiers rode past looking for Hmongs trying to get out.This PaNdau tells of that flight. It took five days and nights to get from their villages to the Mekong River. Many of the people starved on the journey. Her father planned well and they did not.Once at the river others drowned. Some people had bamboo “floaties.” These were rubber inner tubes under a bamboo float. Others did not. Many babies and children drowned as the river swept them and their parents away. If they made it across the river it was another five days to the Thai camps. Many of them were in Thai for a long time. She and her family were one of the last out. Once they got to this country they had to be processed to see where they could go live. The boarder around this and many other PaNdau’s represent the mountains from which the Hmong lived and travel.

NINE-IN-ONE Although this is book genre, it is also a Hmong folk tale. This story of the tiger is one of the favorite folk tales that is frequently done as a story cloth. Nancy Hom uses the story cloth form to illustration this book. Blia Xiong, the author of this book, was one of the first Hmong to settle in Seattle. She helped to form the Hmong Association in an effort to preserve their rich heritage.

Finding Me. The book shows the importance to the Hmong people of holding on to their heritage. They are proud of their past and who they are. It is this pride of who they are that encouraged them to fight on the side of the U.S. during the Viet Nam War. The word Hmong means freedom. That is a value that these people hold dear. It can be seen in their willingness to help each other and in their work ethics. To be independent and free is to be Hmong.

Multi-genre Project OutlineFifth Grade

Penny Icard

RE 5130Spring 2005

Dr. C. Ulmer

Multi-genre Project OutlineFifth Grade

I. Introduce students to multi-genre paper A. Show example of a multi-genre paper B. Give example of different types of genre

II. Assign multi-genre paper A. Allow students to choose subject B. Give students rubric to use as guideline

Example of Genres

Newspaper article: obituary, wedding announcement, personalor want ad, feature story, news story, column, review of

movie, book, poem, television showMagazine article: interview, cover, news story, review of book, movie, poem, art work, television Tabloid: article, coverPlayPoemLetters: personal, formalMemoJournal/diary entryPosterQuotesTrivia factsReport cards (fact or fictional) Greeting CardsBook CoverMemoMusic EulogyEtc.

If you have a question concerning what you think may or may not be a genre, ask.

Rubric for Multi-genre ProjectFifth Grade

Title page: Title of your paper 5 points Date Turned In

Class Teacher’s name

Multiple Sources for Research 20 points Use at least 5 different resources Examples: Newspapers, magazines, interviews, maps, journals,

internet, text books, resource books (other then encyclopedias)

Genres used: Use at least 5 different genres Information left in original genre 5 points each

Examples: article clipped from Newspaper or magazine, Interviews from newspapers, Magazines, internet, copy of original documents, etc.

Information put into your choice of genre (have to have at least three) 15 points each

End Notes: Cite Sources 20 points Explain why genre was chosen

Give thoughts to information given Example: This surprises me because…. This explains …… This was interesting ……..

Total 100+