Students will learn from first-hand accounts of the chemical warfare that occurred after the Secret War and how it impacted Hmong people. Students will have the opportunity to weigh in and decide for themselves whether the struggles the Hmong people faced can be considered a genocide.
After students learn about what the Cold War is and how it was carried out in Southeast Asia through the Vietnam War, students will analyze the Secret War that took place in Laos, the role that Hmong played, and the impact it had on Hmong people.
Through analyzing primary sources and historical documents, students will learn about the ‘Secret War’ in Laos in which Laotian civilians and the Royal Lao Army special forces, known as the ‘Special Guerrilla Units,’ supported the American covert war efforts in Laos. Students will share their viewpoints about secret bombings and US’s involvement in collaborative activities and a Four Corner Discussion.
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 learn the roots of the Hmong people in China and how displacement through persecution and war has led to the Hmong migrating south to Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Through a platform of their choice, students will summarize and express the origin and identity of Hmong people and how it has been impacted by a history of being colonized, persecuted, and stateless.
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 gather that HMoob New Year is interconnected to spirituality and the significance of community and family and fosters an appreciation for the richness and uniqueness of culture and traditions sustained throughout the many displacements and oppressions HMoob people experienced. By learning about the purpose and aspects of the HMoob New Year Celebration (as a public event in the United States), students will compare and contrast their own new year celebrations.
Students will be able to understand the importance of intergenerational storytelling by listening and discussing with an elder family or community member. Students will explain and describe their own migration and/or daily life story as a way to practice narrating their own stories.
Students will learn about the history of the story cloth and its importance in communicating Hmong history, refugee and migration experience, and preservation of culture. Students will analyze a paj ntaub, and interpret the message, story or feeling that the artist is trying to convey.
Students will explore traditional Hmong musical instruments and learn about the purpose of each instrument and the instrument’s relationship to Hmong histories and communities.
