The Hmong civilization has existed since before 300 A.D. (Dao 3). The Hmong culture has evolved and changed as the Hmong civilization has gone through different stages in their history. The Hmong in the United States of America , including those in Winona , Minnesota , have a rich cultural history. It is important to understand how the Hmong culture differs from that of mainstream American culture to gain an understanding and appreciation of this people.

Perhaps the starkest difference between Hmong marital customs and those of the mainstream U.S. . Hmong marriages are usually arranged by a go-between. This person negotiates wedding arrangements as well as the cost the groom pays for the bride which is called the bride price (Vang 34). During the wedding, the groom will often get back twice what he gave up for the bride cost in gifts. He must then bow three times to each person who gave the couple a gift starting with the bride's parents. They also have been known to practice polygamy, but only men can have multiple wives (Vang 37). There are, however, two more paths which can be followed if the go-between fails. The groom can kidnap the bride, or the bride can follow the groom back to his home (Vang 42).

The Hmong people only recognize and celebrate one holiday. That holiday is the New Year which is celebrated on December 22. This event usually includes traditional dancing and food. The Hmong feel it is very important for them to celebrate the New Year as a way to keep their cultural heritage strong in a new land (Faruque 125).

The Hmong also enjoy sports, but they have one sport that is not very common in the US ; it is called Kato. Kato is played with a small woven ball and is sort of like volleyball except you can hit the ball using only your feet, shoulders, head, arms, and legs. Using your hands is against the rules (Hmong par. 31).

The Hmong believe in something called the Life Circle . In the Life Circle there are two worlds. They are the land of light which consists of the living and the land of dark which consists of the dead. They believe that a person travels between these worlds through gateways which are birth to enter the land of light and death to enter the land of dark. They believe that a person's soul is reincarnated so it passes through both worlds multiple times (Culhane 31).

Another belief that they have that is different than mainstream American culture is that there is a spirit in most things. There are two types of spirits, the wild spirits and the tame spirits. The wild spirits are in people, trees, rocks, valleys, rivers, and other inanimate objects. The tame spirits are the house spirits, the healing spirits, and the ancestral spirits (Culhane 32). The Hmong believe that some of their illness is caused by spirits. Ancestral or house spirits will cause illness because they desire something. If a person becomes sick with this type of illness, the shaman will come and divine the reason for it and a ceremony will be arranged to appease them. There are other types of illness caused by evil wild spirits. The Hmong believe that these spirits will steal the soul of anyone who trespasses on their land. The shamans' powers cannot match those of the evil spirits and these types of illness usually lead to death (Culhane 38).

The Hmong elders are having a difficult time adjusting to the culture in the US . The children, on the other hand, are picking it up just fine. This can cause problems in the family because the elders are supposed to be the most respected members of their families. Unfortunately, in this new land many Hmong children are losing respect for their elders because the elders know very little about this culture (Chan 53).

The Hmong culture differs in many ways than that of the US . Some of these differences can lead to problems. It is imperative that American society not reject these differences, but rather embrace them and respect them. If this were done I believe that there would be fewer misunderstandings between the Hmong and their neighbors.

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