Students will be able to analyze differences between the major religions in Vietnam, including Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Caodaism, Hòa Hảo Buddhism, and Chăm Islam, by conducting research and creating a poster.
Students will learn the complex history of Hmong people as a ‘stateless’ people, having no geographical homeland to call their own. Students will explore how statelessness has affected Hmong people’s desire and search for sovereignty and homeland and dive into how being stateless has affected their conception of home-making, sense of belonging and community building.
Through oral storytelling and text, students will learn about the diasporic history and experience of the Hmong people, where they settled after being displaced, what hopes and dreams they had of traveling to new unknown places, and challenges they faced coping with life in their new homes. Students will create an Accordion Book to demonstrate their learning(s) of the Hmong diasporic experience.
Students will be able to define the term "Laotian" and differentiate between the three groups (Lao Loum, Lao Theung, and Lao Sung) that make up the ethnic diversity of Laos through collaborative group research projects. By the end of the lesson, students will understand that ‘Laotian’ includes, but is not limited to, the Lao, Iu Mien, Khmu, Phutai, Tai Lue, Tai Dam, and Tai Deng ethnic groups.
Students will trace the origin of Hmong Romanized Popular Alphabet (written language script) to the Catholic Church in Laos and Father Yves Bertrais and its influences. By practicing the Hmong alphabet and common words/phrases, students will be able to create a Personal Dictionary and share their understanding with the class.
Students will gain an understanding of Shamanism in Hmong communities and analyze the challenges to cultural identity and cultural preservation amidst diasporic experiences.
