As you know, if following this site, I will be off soon to be engulfed in experiencing a new country, new teaching position, new people, new culture and overall new everything.

Years ago for my teenage overseas ventures (age 16 to Germany as a summer exchange student; age 18 to Tunisia on an archeological dig), technology was not advanced enough with today’s computers and cell phones. I had to go to outdated book encyclopedias for most of my information.

But now we have incredible resources at our fingertips that give us the most updated information possible about every area of the world. We can easily learn about all kinds of people: their stories, their cultures, their heartaches, their personal struggles. . . . Searches on the Internet reveal inspiring and informative documentaries, personal blog sites, Youtube video tours, hourly published articles and even give us the ability to actually connect via email or text message with anyone anywhere in the world.

A Hmong Connection

For my future home in Laos, I discovered of the roughly 7 million people in the country, “the Lao people comprise four main ethno-linguistic families: Lao-Tai (62.4 percent), Mon-Khmer (23.7 percent), Hmong-Iu Mien (9.7 percent), and Chine-Tibetan (2.9 percent), which are officially divided into 50 ethnic groups. The 50 ethnic groups in the country can be further broken down into more than 200 ethnic subgroups.” Each has its own language, tradition, culture, traditional dress and way of life.

When I read this, the Hmong stood out immediately. This group I have encountered in several areas of China on my different teaching placements. Guangxi Province, where I spent 3 years, had many of my students being of the Miao minority peoples, with a subdivision being Hmong. Sad to say, my contact was limited to only the classroom and campus activities. I learned very little of their special traditions or lifestyles in their small-town homes or villages.

With my upcoming departure to Vientiane, the Lao capital city, I looked into what brings people to this metropolis. Many Hmong and others come from poverty-stricken villages to find work or sell goods. Others stay contained in their village environments, never receiving much education beyond 3rd grade, getting married as early as 14 with children quickly following. Farming is the life of many and making ends meet is a challenge.

An Eye-opening Documentary of a Hmong Girl in Vietnam

It was just by chance my mom and I tuned into PBS on Monday evening to watch the Point of View (POV) segment. Every week, an independent documentary is chosen which illustrates a fascinating personal story of families, cultures, countries or individual people. I share with you the below, which gives a very raw view of a young girl’s carefree life thrown into turmoil as she navigates her teenage years.

I’ve also linked an interview with the director far below. Such a bright, sensitive young woman.

Both make for an enlightening viewing. I found the documentary to be heartbreaking at points, sometimes disturbing and difficult to watch. If you take the time to view either one, let me know your thoughts.

Interview tied Ha Le Diem, the Director