The Change of Kin Relationship of the Hmong Migrants Converting to Protestantism (Baptism) in Dien Bien Province

Abstract

The writing analyses the changes of kin relationship of Hmong Protestant migrants in the fives villages belonging to two districts of Muong Nhe and Nam Po of Dien Bien province. It shows that in the community of Hmong Protestants, its traditional institution of lineages in social management still has been maintained and brought into play but in combination with Protestantism’s the new social institution. The heads (chief and deputy chief) of Protestant groups often “make use of” prestige of the heads of lineages to indoctrinate Protestantism, educate youth generation, and solve contradictions, conflicts and so on in their villages. The current new tendency is reconciliatory, close with each other, sympathetic and respectful in the religious choice of individuals. However, in some areas and lineages, the internal contradiction of lineages (between the Protestant followers and the non-Protestant followers) still has existed in form of disagreement or potential disagreement due to the difference of world view expressing mainly in wedding and funeral ceremonies. In the Hmong Protestant communities, the role of lineages only has been reduced in aspect of spiritual beliefs because it is replaced by the role of the heads of Protestant sites and groups