To Maintain the “Distinctiveness” of Hmong Culture: Opinions of the “Insiders”

Abstract

Like the other ethnic cultures in Vietnam, the “distinctiveness” of Hmong culture also has been changing in direction of that it becomes more difficult to identify with every passing day, especially for non-Hmong people or “outsiders”. Since a long time ago, the change in “faided” direction of the “distinctiveness” of Hmong culture has made Hmong people anxious. They are people, who have understood deepest the “distinctiveness” of their culture, the elememts, which have authentic values making up this “distinctiveness” and the ways of preservation of it. But their understandings have not been interested and afforded in full by “outsiders”, especially researchers and policy makers. Therefore, the solutions to preserve the “distinctiveness” of their culture provided by the “outsiders” often have a few practical values. So, what are Hmong people’ above concrete understandings? The author’s writing presents this question. The aim is to show the perception of Hmong people or subjects of a specific culture of ethnic identity and the ways of preservation in its on-changing context.