Critical Hope of Hmong People in Thailand Refugee Camps

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Critical Hope of Hmong People in Thailand Refugee Camps 

The gated entrance to Nam Yao Camp in Nan taken by Paul Paquette in 1980.

Author: Caroline Thao 
Grades: 11-12

Suggested Amount of Time: 180 Minutes
Area of Study: Hmong Refugee Experiences 

Compelling Question

  • How do Hmong communities experience displacement, refugee camps, and resettlement?

Lesson Questions
  • What were the living conditions of the refugee camps?
  • What were the living conditions of the refugee camps? 
  • What did daily life look like in the refugee camps? 
  • How did Hmong adapt socially and economically within the confines of the refugee camps?
  • How did Hmong cope with the trauma of war, displacement, and living conditions during their time in the refugee camps?
  • How do you continue to thrive despite the hardships in your own community? 
  • What does refugee experiences teach us about resilience and agency? 
Lesson Objective

Students will develop a deep understanding of life in the refugee camps by examining primary source documents, images, and interviews. Students will be able to identify how Hmong socially and economically created a camp culture of hope and resilience that allowed them to cope with the poor human conditions of the camp, the traumas of war, and separation through group discussions and share outs. 

Lesson Background

Background For Day 1: This lesson comes after students have learned about escaping war in Laos and refugee policies that created refugee camps all throughout Thailand. If not, consider teaching the following lessons found in the curriculum:

  • Lesson on Refugee Policies and Trauma: “Contextualizing the Hmong Refugee Experience: Policies and Impacts”

  • Lesson on Map and Camp Statistics: “Portrait of a Refugee Camp”

According to Dr. Ma Vang and Dr. Chia Vang, after crossing the border, border patrols or Hmong guides took Hmong people to designated camps. They were then registered by camp authorities and given camp identification materials. They were also provided with essential needs support (food, blankets, etc.) while they waited for resettlement opportunities in third countries. The latter process consists of applying for resettlement, being interviewed to determine eligibility, and if accepted, then prepared for departure to the host country. This process took anywhere from six months to one year. 

Since most Hmong lived in the northern part of Laos, they registered at one of the camps set up on the Thai side. From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, Hmong entered one of eight camps: Chiang Khong, Chiang Kham, Ban Nam Yao, Sob Tuang, Ban Vinai, Nong Khai, Ban Napho, or Ubon Thani. Over time, Ban Vinai housed the largest number of refugees. When refugees were approved for resettlement to a third country, they were transported to the transition center at Phanat Nikhom. When Ban Vinai was closed in 1992, those who either did not want to repatriate to Laos or resettle in a third country, were allowed to create a refugee camp on the grounds of the Buddhist Monastery, Wat Tham Krabok. From 2004-2006, most of its nearly 15,000 inhabitants were resettled to the United States. Note here that the whole refugee experience lasted from 1975 to 2006. 

-Presentation from Dr. Ma Vang & Dr. Chia Vang (2023)

This lesson contains content that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether the resources are suitable for their class and provide a content warning to their students at the beginning of the lesson.

What did Hmong do in refugee camps?

  • Children attended school—Thai ministry provided elementary education
  • Some refugees, mainly men, were able to serve as interpreters, medical assistants, food distributors, etc.
  • Many women sewed pa ndau (paaj ntaub or paj ntaub) to be sold to Westerners and others made Hmong clothes to be sold to co-ethnics in western countries
  • Blacksmiths made knives, hoes, and other utensils for co-ethnics in western countries to purchase
  • Some men and women would work as day laborers on nearby Thai farms
  • Most, however, lived day to day with minimal activities
  • Many relied on money sent from their relatives who had resettled in third countries for survival

In general, normal life activities continued: children are born, people get married and divorced, the sick and elderly die, funeral ceremonies take place, and families are torn apart due to refugee resettlement in third countries.

Background for Day 3: On the third day, students will learn about the concept of Critical Hope. Duncan-Andrade (2009) uses rap artist Tupac Sukar’s poem “Roses that grow from Concrete” to illustrate that despite growing up in harsh conditions, urban youth are still capable of growing into something as beautiful as a rose. A common thread among those in power is the ability to control and shape the environment. Duncan Andrade (2009) maintains that Hope gives people the strength to keep going. Without Hope, there will be stagnation and people lose their sense of agency. Bishundat et. al (2018) outline four concepts that align with the idea of hope. These four concepts include love, anger, community, and struggle. Love encourages people to solve issues instead of running away from them. Anger, when used productively, initiates actions. Community, organizes people together, fostering healthy and lasting relationships. Lastly, Struggle is the idea that the fight is often bigger than what people are immediately going through. There are others who experience the same struggles and it is important to build solidarity to dismantle and disrupt systems that harm communities of color. While there are four allies of hope concepts, there are also four concepts that are considered enemies of Hope. These enemies of hope are fear, apathy, isolation, and despair. Enemies of Hope are debilitating and cause an array of pain and discomfort for communities of color. 

One last concept to know (but may not need to be discussed with students) comes from Yosso’s (2005) research on Community Culture Wealth. In the face of war, loss, separation, and death, the Hmong is rich in Yosso's (2005) aspirational capital, which is the ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the future, even in the face of real and perceived barriers. This resiliency is evident in those who allow themselves and their children to dream of possibilities beyond their present circumstances, often without the objective means to attain those goals. 

Image Citation: Paquette, P. (2015). Naam Yao, Nam camp gate (1980) [Photograph]. Paul Paquette Collection / Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University / Hmongstory Legacy.

Historical Thinking Skill

This lesson will facilitate student proficiency in evidence, one of Seixas’ historical thinking skills (Seixas & Morton, 2013). To encourage students to observe closely and make inferences. Students consider that inferences made from a source can never stand alone. They should always be corroborated-checked against other sources (primary or secondary); in this case videos, photograph collections, and songs.

Ethnic Studies Theme

This lesson connects to the ethnic studies theme of reclamation and joy from the Asian American Studies Curriculum Framework (Asian American Research Initiative, 2022). Students explore the ways that communities reclaim histories through art, cultural expression, and counternarratives. Students discuss how Hmong communities create a collective space of resilience and hope and express their own struggles, resilience, and hopes through music and other creative expressions.

For additional guidance around ethnic studies implementation, refer to the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (2021)  https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp.

Supplies
  • Access to laptop device
  • Whiteboard/markers
  • Teacher Background on the following (in procedures):
    • What did Hmong do in refugee camps?
    • Critical Hope
  • Images of the following (in procedures): 
    • Picture of Nam Yao Refugee Camp Gate 
    • Map of Thailand Refugee Camps  
    • Erica Hagen Collections
    • Paul Paquette Collections
  • Library of Congress Teacher Resources
    • Teacher’s Guide Analyzing Primary Sources
    • Primary Source Analysis Tool
  • Google slides, canvas, or prezi for interactive playlist
Readings
  • Formation of the Thailand Refugee Camps article
  • You Are On Your Way orientation booklet
  • Poem “The Rose that Grew From Concrete” 
  • Assigned group readings (in procedures):
    • Group 1: Camp conditions
    • Group 2: Continuing traditional practices 
    • Group 3: Hmong Economy in the camps 
    • Group 4: Music 
    • Group 5: Education in the camps 
Videos
  • Becoming American (2005) on YouTube  
  • Hmongstory 40 - Refugee Forum on YouTube
  • Hnub Tim 15 - Classic Hmong Song on YouTube
  • Audio Recordings:
    • Recording of a little girl leaving her father
    • Kids sing in camp
  • Bee Yang - Camp 9 on YouTube
  • nkauj zoo mloog nkauj qubqub 1975-2021 on YouTube

Day One: (60 minutes)  

  1. WARM UP (15 minutes) 

    Show a picture of Nam Yao Refugee Camp Gate (the gated entrance to Nam Yao Camp in Nan taken by Paul Paquette in 1980) https://ucdavis.box.com/s/fgh1zxnbyq4qb86qvxflh33eu5vin4h4. 

    On a piece of paper, ask students to use the Primary Source Analysis Tool from the Library of Congress to Observe, Reflect, and Question (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/f7e1ve2mt0fprcs79bvq1iibxvrgahvq). If this is their first time using this form of analysis, take some time to go over it as they will be doing this in small groups later. Ask the students to share their answers with a partner and then share them with the whole class. 

  2. Provide Context: (10 minutes) 

    Situate this lesson under the geopolitical consequences of the Vietnam War. Hmong people were displaced after the United States had recruited the Hmong to fight a Secret War in neighboring Laos. Show a “Map of Thailand Refugee Camps” (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/u30eyjxolxtngdlzpnubuih8dxtobmvm). 

    Then use the “Formation of the Thailand Refugee Camps” (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/d6xq8o6rfhofc1cr2xcws51eo6dqwo46) to talk about the placement of people in isolated and crowded spaces. 

    Ask students: How do you think Hmong people were valued, given their poor human conditions? Also, get students to think about what sort of impact these spaces and conditions have on people over time. Allow students some time to process these questions and the teacher can write keywords on the board. Write down anything that highlights the trauma of war, separation, condition of camps, emotions, hope, and resilience. 

  3. Group Work: (30 minutes) 
    1. Pose the essential questions for this lesson: 
      1. What were the living conditions of the refugee camps? 
      2. What did daily life look like in the refugee camps? 
      3. How did Hmong adapt socially and economically within the confines of the refugee camps? 
      4. How did Hmong cope with the trauma of war, displacement, and living conditions during their time in the refugee camps?
    2. Explain that the students will be working in groups to explore the conditions of Camp Life and what life was like living in the Refugee camps. They will need to be the experts on the information in each group and then be ready to share their answers with the class on the next day. Students will use Primary Source Analysis Tool (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/ppm6it2azcdtwya9ellvfrczdaw3e4f5) from the Library of Congress in each group. In their groups, the students will need to Observe, Reflect and Question (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/f7e1ve2mt0fprcs79bvq1iibxvrgahvq) each primary source individually. Once they complete the worksheet, they can synthesize the information and prepare for a share out with the class.  
      1. Group 1: Camp Conditions 
      2. Group 2: Continuing Traditional Practices 
      3. Group 3: Hmong Economy in the Camps 
      4. Group 4: Music 
      5.  Group 5: Education in the Camps 

Check In: Inform students that once they have gone through the sources in their group, they need to synthesize the information. To synthesize the information from each group, students need to refer back to the essential questions for this lesson and discuss which questions they think their group can best answer based on the information they discovered. 

  • What were the living conditions of the refugee camps? 
  • What did daily life look like in the refugee camps? 
  • How did Hmong adapt socially and economically within the confines of the refugee camps?
  • How did Hmong cope with the trauma of war, displacement, and living conditions during their time in the refugee camps?
  • How do you continue to thrive despite the hardships in your own community? 
  • What does refugee experiences teach us about resilience and agency? 

Exit Ticket: Teachers can call on students or they can share their answers: What was one thing about camp life that you didn’t expect to find? How does that make you feel?

 

Day Two: (60 minutes)

Teachers create short slidedeck or write the Allies of Hope on the board. Concepts of Critical Hope: Love, Struggle, Anger, and Community. (See lesson background for more info).  

  1. WARM UP Play the first five to seven minutes of nkauj zoo mloog nkauj qubqub 1975-2021 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToRbTS2gjaA, which are songs of Vinai, as students are walking to their seats. (Note: songs are in Hmong language.) 

    Students are listening to classic songs created in the refugee camps. On a piece of paper, ask students to use the Primary source analysis tool from the Library of Congress to Observe, Reflect, and Question. 

    • Observe:  
      • What do you notice first? 
      • What do you think the song is about?
    • Reflect: 
      •  Where do you think this came from? 
      •  Why do you think somebody made this?  
      • What do you think was happening when this was made? 
    • Question: 
      • What do you wonder about... who? · what? · when? · where? · why? · how?

Ask students to share in pairs and then discuss the role of music in one’s life as a whole class. 

  1. Direct Instructions: (15 minutes) 

Go over the Allies of Hope with the students. Teachers use a self created short slide deck or write the Allies of Hope on the board. Go over concepts of Critical Hope: Love, Struggle, Anger, and Community (see Lesson background for more info). Explain how Bishundat et. al (2018) use these four concepts to understand what critical hope looks like. 

  1. Group Work: (25 minutes)  

Using the notes that students took from yesterday’s group share outs, the students will need to get into groups again and discuss how the Hmong people displayed allies of hope while living in the refugee camps. Once the students have examples for each concept of critical hope (Love, Struggle, Anger, and Community), they can begin to reflect on their own communities. What is the concrete that hinders your potential for greatness? How can you overcome these struggles?  

  1. Cultural Production/Assessment: Create a playlist 

Create an interactive written or recorded playlist (Google slides, Canva, Prezi) to illustrate the different allies of Hope (Love, Struggle, Community, and Anger). This playlist will need to include four songs of your choosing to give others a glimpse into the Hmong refugee experience. At the same time, these songs need to be what you find inspirational or soothing for your own situation. Use images, lyrics, and/or a short paragraph to explain your choice of song. Allow for students to create a playlist artifact using physical objects as an alternative to a digital product.

Checklist for Assessment:

  1. Create a slide deck using Google slides, Canva or Prezi or other equivalent web application.
  2. Find four different songs that illustrate Love, Struggle, Anger, and Community.
  3. Find images/quotes from your notes and group discussions about the Hmong refugee experience.
  4. Use pictures/lyrics from the song which speak to your own struggles or overcoming your struggles.
  5. Write a short paragraph for each slide/song explaining your song choice. 

 

  1. Circular Exchange/Sharing: Allow for students to play and share their playlist with a small group. 

Students will create a written or recorded interactive playlist on (Canvas, Google slides, or Prezi) that reflects the four allies of Critical Hope (Love, Struggle, Community, and Anger) and explain how each song relates to the Hmong refugee experience and students overcoming struggles in their own communities. 

  • Engagement: Consider the following method to support with lesson engagement:
    • Create cooperative learning groups with clear goals, roles, and responsibilities
    • Vary the level of sensory stimulation
      • Variation in the presence of background noise or visual stimulation, noise buffers, number of features or items presented at a time
      • Variation in pace of work, length of work sessions, availability of breaks or time-outs, or timing or sequence of activities

 

  • Representation: Consider the following method to support with multiple means of representation:
    • Make all key information in the dominant language (e.g., English) also available in first languages (e.g., Spanish) for learners with limited-English proficiency and in ASL for learners who are deaf
    • Provide electronic translation tools or links to multilingual glossaries on the web

 

  • Action and Expression: Consider the following method to support in presenting their learning in multiple ways:
    • Provide prompts and scaffolds to estimate effort, resources, and difficulty
    • Provide models or examples of the process and product of goal-setting

 

For additional ideas to support your students, check out the UDL Guidelines at CAST (2018)  http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

  • Emerging: Consider the following method to support with emerging students:
    • Listening: Use physical gestures to accompany oral directives

 

  • Expanding: Consider the following method to support with expanding students:
    • Listening: Give two step contextualized directions 

 

  • Bridging: Consider the following method to support with bridging students:
    • Listening: Confirm students’ prior knowledge of content topics 
      • With a focus on meaning­-making, students are prompted to think about what they already know in effort to help them learn something new.
      • Students find connections between familiar vocabulary related to content learning, explaining how their words are connected. (Our words are connected/linked/related because __________.)

 

For additional guidance around scaffolding for multilingual learners, please consult the following resources:

  1. In a Hmong language classroom, students are encouraged to explore Hmong poetry such as kwv txhiaj/lug txaj. One of the little girls singing from the primary sources, her mom is encouraging her to speak poetry. 

 

  1. An extension of this lesson could be exploring the concept of solidarity and identifying how other communities of color are forced to separate from their families or be unlawfully detained. For these lessons, make sure to have healing practices and protocols in place to provide students with the support they need to cope with these horrific events.  

 

  1. Students can create an oral history project by interviewing their family members to corroborate what they see and hear from their group work. 

 

  1. Have students analyze the poem, “The Rose that Grew From Concrete” by Tupac Shakur and connect how it might relate to the Hmong refugee experience. 

 

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk without having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

American Initiative. 2022. Asian American Studies K-12 Framework.  https://asianamericanresearchinitiative.org/asian-american-studies-curriculum-framework/

Britt, K. 2020c, May 11. English learner toolkit of strategies. California County Superintendents.  https://cacountysupts.org/english-learner-toolkit-of-strategies/

California Department of Education. 2021. Ethnic studies model curriculum. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp 

California Department of Education & English Learner Support Division. 2012. California English Language Development standards (Electronic Edition) kindergarten through grade 12 (F. Ong & J. McLean, Eds.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf

California Educators Together. (n.d.). ELA / ELD framework. https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/6537/ela-eld-framework 

CAST. 2018. The UDL guidelines. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Day, C. 2015. American aid workers buying textiles in Hmong paj ntaub story cloth market in Vinai [Photograph]. Charlene Day Collection, Hmongstory Legacy. https://ucdavis.box.com/s/lpsfdyg27scwu6tidpres744v3r0yr79 

Fleming, J. 2016, April 17. Central high senior’s words win place on Chipotle Cups, bags. Twin Cities.  https://www.twincities.com/2016/04/17/chipotle-contest-winner-minneapolis 

Hagen, E. 2015. Erica Hagen Collection: Hmong New Year 1981-1982 Vinai Camp [Photographs]. Hmongstory Legacy, Fresno, CA. https://ucdavis.box.com/s/w0o3ad83uc9sce7fjl6tq1j7nk9v7hxd  

Hagen, E. 2015. Erica Hagen Collection: Paj Ntaub Story Cloth [Photographs]. Hmongstory Legacy, Fresno, CA.  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/223qo9csuo2dcq3k3gd8vuqnm5x9mvvy 

Hagen, E. 2015. Erica Hagen’s Collection: Vinai Camp 1981-1987 [Photographs]. Hmongstory Legacy, Fresno, CA.  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/4o8gt7maqhnbujvrvfr056qiqv1wawwn 

Hmoob Movie News. 2015, July 20. Ciaj tuag tsis mus part 1.6 [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ncyf55QRQ 

Hmongstory Legacy. 2023, July 12. Bee Yang - Camp 9 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgAQuvLqjQk 

Hmongstory Legacy. 2023, July 10. Hmongstory 40 - Refugee forum [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TbCEZ9-hR8   

Hmongstory Legacy. 1980. Vinai kids singing [Audio].   https://ucdavis.box.com/s/176afs32nzcc8gq9vuzqyns4i7i0l8er 

Hmongstory 40 Project. 2015. Formation of the Thailand refugee camps. HS40 Exhibit Panels 2015, Fresno, CA.  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/d6xq8o6rfhofc1cr2xcws51eo6dqwo46  

Hmongstory 40 Project. 2015. Map of Thailand refugee camps. HS40 Exhibit Panels 2015, Fresno, CA.  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/u30eyjxolxtngdlzpnubuih8dxtobmvm 

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Teacher’s Guides and Analysis Tool. Library of Congress.  https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/guides/

Paquette, P. 2015. Naam Yao, Nam camp gate (1980) [Photograph]. Paul Paquette Collection, Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University, Hmongstory Legacy,  Fresno, CA.  https://ucdavis.box.com/s/fgh1zxnbyq4qb86qvxflh33eu5vin4h4 

Paquette, P. 2015. Nam Yao 1981 [Photograph]. Paul Paquette Collection, Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University, Hmongstory Legacy, Fresno, CA. https://ucdavis.box.com/s/vbsqzui6xjl65yp8bs6nlh7d7rsvwu33  

San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Providing appropriate scaffolding.  https://www.sdcoe.net/educators/multilingual-education-and-global-achievement/oracy-toolkit/providing-appropriate-scaffolding#scaffolding

Sexias, P. & Morton, T. 2013. The big six: Historical thinking concepts. Nelson Education.

Shakur, T. 1989. The rose that grew from concrete. CommonLit. https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/the-rose-that-grew-from-concrete 

Tojsiab Song. 2021, December. nkauj zoo mloog nkauj qubqub 1975-2021 (Hmong old songs collection). YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToRbTS2gjaA 

TSMA Hmong Archive. 2018, October 5. Becoming American (2005) [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-xzabMwgVU 

Tulare County Office of Education. (n.d.). Strategies for ELD. https://commoncore.tcoe.org/Content/Public/doc/Alpha-CollectionofELDStrategies.pdf 

World Education, Inc. 1980, May 1. You are on your way [Refugee handbook]. V. Earle (Ed.). Ford Foundation Office for Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand. https://ucdavis.box.com/s/i1vhyqd47fi83w2r84tayywef4m3h3lh 

Supplementary Sources

Bishundat, D., Phillip, D. V., & Gore, W. 2018. Cultivating critical hope: The too often forgotten dimension of critical leadership development. New Directions for Student Leadership, 159, 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20300 

Yosso, T. J. 2005. Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 8, 69–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006 

Model Curriculum

Hmong History and Cultural Studies

Standard(s)

HSS 11.9.3 RI.11-12.7 W.11-12.4 SL.11-12.1

Grade(s)

Grade 11 Grade 12