Hmong in Minnesota or As It Was in the Beginning

Hmong in Minnesota

Author: Chia Youyee Vang

Minnesota has always been a land of immigrants. Successive waves have each made their own way, found their place, and made it their home. The Hmong are one of the most recent immigrant groups, and their remarkable and moving story is told in Hmong in Minnesota. Chia Youyee Vang reveals the colorful, intricate history of Hmong Minnesotans, many of whom were forced to flee their homeland of Laos when the communists seized power during the Vietnam War. Having assisted U.S. troops in the “Secret War,” Hmong soldiers and civilians were eligible to settle in the United States. Vang offers a unique window into the lives of the Minnesota Hmong through the stories of individuals who represent the experiences of many. One voice is that of Mao Heu Thao, one of the first refugees to come to Minnesota, sponsored by Catholic Charities in 1976. She tells of the unexpectedly cold weather, the strange food, and the kindness of her hosts. By introducing readers to the immigrants themselves, Hmong in Minnesota conveys a population’s struggle to adjust to new environments, build communities, maintain cultural practices, and make its mark on government policies and programs. Chia Youyee Vang was born in Laos and as a child escaped with her family to the United States. An assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, she specializes in the study of Hmong community-building efforts.

Table of Contents:

Foreword   Bill Holm     v
Hmong in Minnesota     1
A Brief History of the Hmong in Laos     1
Refugee Resettlement in the United States     9
Adjusting to Modern Life     21
Building Community     30
Cultural Practices     39
Achievements     54
Challenges     69
Conclusion     75
Personal Account: Reflections   Mao Heu Thao     77
For Further Reading     81
Notes     83
Index     87
Acknowledgments     92

New interesting book: Assault on Reason or Prince of the City

As It Was in the Beginning: The Coming Democratization of the Catholic Church

Author: McClory

Many assume the Catholic Church has always functioned with a top-down leadership model. But in this well-researched book, Robert McClory reveals that there have been long periods where lay people were consulted and had strong, leading voices. McClory also explains that a decentralized Chruch is around the corner and is inevitable. The books helps readers read the signs of the times to identify what is to come for the world's longest running corporation.

Bread Rising

As a church historian I enthusiastically recommend this book to inform and stimulate your late-night discussions about where the church has been and where and how it can possibly go. Here is your opportunity to pick a real winner!

Anna M. Donnelly - Library Journal

McClory (journalism, emeritus, Northwestern Univ.), who resigned from the priesthood in 1970, has published numerous articles (in the National Catholic Reporter, the Chicago Tribune, U.S. Catholic, and elsewhere) and several books on contemporary social issues debated within the Roman Catholic Church. Here, he handily documents lay movements developed since the 1960s and Vatican II to transition within the church from the traditional top-down leadership model toward a system of collaborative decision making. He recalls historical church councils and cites authorities such as Cyprian, third-century bishop of Carthage, who urged decisions to be made with the consent of the people, and 19th-century philosopher John Henry Cardinal Newman, who stressed the need for incorporating the sense and agreement of the faithful in matters of doctrine. He further documents the consequences of papal emphasis on ecumenism and the principle of subsidiarity, the growth of lay influence, and priest abuse scandals. Overall, McClory feels the time is now for a more democratized church. Recommended for public, academic, and religious collections.