Suab Hmong Broadcasting, The communication sources for Hmong worldwide
Hmong Leader Gen. Vang Pao talked about domestic violence
Created on Monday, 20 July 2009 12:00
Hmong Leader general Vang Pao was a keynote speaker at a Domestic Violence prevention event hosted by Hmong Women of Wisconsin in Wausau, WI on July 11, 2009. There were more than 200 people attended the event.
The event focused on the recent Hmong couples domestic violences in Marathon County, La Cross, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Click here to read Pheng Yang killed Bao Vang in Milwaukee, WI
Click here to read Dan Xiong killed Pa Hou Vang in La Cross, WI then killed him self
Click here to read Chor Thao killed Pa Houa in Weston (Marathon County), WI then killed him self
Brief history of Hmong society
Hmong came from a society that there is no such thing as divorce. Issues between marriage couple resolved within the clan system. Arguments between husband and wife do not fall into domestic violence and misconduct but as a normal life situation. The husband has a responsibility role (power of control to make decision and lead the family to the future) in the family and the same to the wife. Marriage is a life-bonded for a Hmong man and a Hmong woman when they got married, they both belong to each other for life.
Law and Culture conflict
In the United States, life lives by laws and regulations. Anyone can do whatever they wanted as long as they do not violated the law which means a wife could take a man to have sex with her in front of her husband and the law cannot do anything about it because that is what the wife wanted. In some cases the husband gots angry to the situation and the police arrested the husband by putting him in jail and put restrain orders to not let him talk and see his wife and his children. This life style turns the world upside down for Hmong men.
Some facts involved the killing
Most of the killing cases of Hmong married couples were involved when the wives wanted to divorce their husbands to go to their new boyfriends and their husbands did not wanted to divorce their wives. Arguments and frustrations raised then the police involved and the police put the husbands in jail. Hmong community sees US law helps and favors women more than men in domestic violence cases. Now the law put restrained orders to not let the husbands to go home to talk to their wives and their children. The law separated the family and created a very extreme mental illness to the husbands. At this level, anything could happen because the illness is the law. This is one of the reason of the killing.
Address to prevent domestic violence
Hmong leader Gen. Vang Pao talked about what are the culture differences and how to prevent the killing in Hmong community. He said "In the Hmong culture, Hmong men can give you almost anything you wanted but his wife. He can not see even a fly land on any part of his wife body. This is how extreme Hmong culture is all about".
Click links below to watch Hmong leader Gen. Vang Pao talked about domestice violence prevention.
Watch Hmong leader Gen. Vang Pao addressed Domestic Violence issue part 1
Watch Hmong leader Gen. Vang Pao addressed Domestic Violence issue part 2
Stay tune for Suab Hmong News lived interviewed with Paula Yang, Yer Yang, and Naoshoua Xiong.