18XEEM July 2007 Promotional Issue by Mai Xiong

18XEEM

TRADITIONAL & MODERN CLOTHING

YIA "THE BULL" MUA

DELICIOUS VENOM

FOLKLORE STUDIO

NIDA XIONG

PROMOTIONAL ISSUE

CULTURAL HMONG MAGAZINE

JULY ISSUE US $3.99 CAN $5.99

Great Prices. Great Things. Get it all online now! www.TajLajHmong.com

18XEEM is looking for passionate writers, artists, photographers, and contributors. Join us today and be compensated for your ideas. Email us at info@18XEEM.com for more or visit our website!

18XEEM President Kay Yang Editor in Chief Creative Director Hlee Xiong Publishing Director Vue Ci Executive Editor Blia Xiong Associate Editor Nikki Hang Contributing Writer Kao Lee Thao Contributing Photographers Thai Xiong Megan Miller Tony Vue

Information Subscribe online at WWW.18XEEM.COM or call: 586 216 8256 18XEEM is published four times a year. Contact / Advertising 18XEEM P.O. Box 404 Cedarburg, WI 53012 PH 586 216 8256 Special Thanks Vaj Shua Xiong Der Vang Xiong Akron New Year Participants Lansing New Year Participants Hmong National Development Fact Finding Commission Folklore Studio Michael Carian Yia Mua Vong Lee Tou Saiko Lee Nida Xiong

18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

Hello. nyob zoo

Something exciting happens everyday. Today, you just happened to pick up the latest magazine. It just happens to be called 18XEEM. You ask yourself, 'What is it? What does it mean, who created it?' And I say, 'Finally, the work has almost paid off.' Until you decide to get the next issue in the future --the work is still in progress. Today we are proud to celebrate the Hmong Culture. Today we are proud to be Hmong. Hmong-Americans. Whatever you want to call it. We all came from the same tree right? In the end, what matters is that we will remember who we are when the world has changed completely. So incase you pick this up and you still don't know what it's about (because most likely you will have never even heard of the term: Hmong), today is your lucky day --and I, along with the thousands of others like myself, thank you, for asking. Our first issue ever begins with a legendary story about the Hmong who conquered modern-day China, who failed, and tried again, only to be persecuted again and again, even today. But we've grown to be strong, with our culture, our art, our music, our education, our knowledge, and our children, through our hardships. Find out why Delicious Venom is no ordinary rap group, like the ones that always seem to rap about sex and drugs. Read about a girl named Nida, who is extraordinary and down-to-earth like the sister or cousin you know. Feel the emotion and effort that Kao Lee put into her beautiful paintings, and hear the rhythm of the Qeej. See how Hmong clothing styles have changed through the years and learn the rules to wearing it. Read about the experiences of the Hmong, and how one poet transcribes it into a few graceful lines. As you turn to each page, I encourage you to dive into the rich history and culture of the Hmong.

Contents MUSIC

LEGEND

The Prehistoric Period: Legends from China

FASHION

INFO

Q&A with Knowstalgic of Delicious Venom

What is 18XEEM? The 18 Clans: Our Inspiration

Traditional & Modern Styles of Clothing

PROFILES

14 40

Q&A with Nida Xiong Yia Mua “The Bull”

ART & POETRY

30 34

Poetry by Mai Xiong The Language of an Artist by Kao Lee

MEMOIRS

Photos of the Past: Submissions from our readers 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

INFO Yog dabtsis?

What is 18XEEM

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The unique element that binds the Hmong people together is in their tightly-knitted blood line. Of the hundreds of thousands of Hmong who live around the world, only a total of 18 clans exist. Every Hmong is bound to carry one of these clan names, regardless of how it is spelled or has been mispronounced through the centuries. Even today, one of the most frequently asked questions among the Hmong and their new acquaintances is, 'Koj yog xeem dabtsis?' --'What is your lastname?' Since the earliest time in their history, the Hmong people were known to be made up of only 18 clans, or 18 xeem.

These 'last names' or clan names with the Hmong spelling in parenthesis are as follows:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Chang (Tsaab) Chue (Tswb) Cheng (Tsheej) Fang (Faj) Her (Hawj) Hang (Haam) Khang (Khaab) Kong (Koo) Kue (Kwm)

10. Lee (Lis) 11. Lor (Lauj) 12. Moua (Muas) 13. Pha (Phab) 14. Thao (Thoj) 15. Vang (Vaj) 16. Vue (Vwj) 17. Xiong (Xyooj) 18. Yang (Yaj)

The Hmong refer to the relationship existing between members of a clan as kwv tij, or in English, 'brothers'. Members of a clan are expected to provide mutual assistance to one another. Traditionally, a Hmong passing through a village may present himself at the house of any clansman, even a person completely unknown, and expect hospitality. Even today in America, this tradition is continued. Clans also serves legal functions. Disputes between two different clans will typically be settled by clan leaders. Such matters as reconciling a quarreling couple, and ensuring that individuals fulfil ritual obligations are also responsibilities of the clan leaders. This magazine about the history and culture of the Hmong, is a tribute to the 18 clans that still exist today.

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LEGEND

lub neeg thaum ub

the prehistoric period

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Legend has it that, between five and six thousand years ago, the Hmong people lived in the Hebei (modern-day) province. Back then, they were known as the Jiuli tribes, and were under one ruler: Chiyou. Northwest of the Jiuli Kingdom, lived the ancestors of the Han Chinese, ruled by leaders Huang Di and Yan Di. As their population grew, they expanded southward into Hmong territory. Battles broke out between the two sides on the northwestern part of modern-day Beijing. According to legends and folk songs, “the Hmong won nine battles but lost on the tenth.” Approximately four thousand years ago, after being defeated by the Han, the Jiuli tribe began to move southward again, into the lower areas of the Yellow River where they began to establish a new kingdom: The San-Miao Kingdom, led by Tao Tie and Huan Tuo. Once again, the Han Chinese expanded into their territory and around 2200 B.C., the San-Miao Kingdom and its people were defeated again and ‘largely exterminated’ by Yu the Great. From then on, “the Hmong people could never be united again, and be strong as a nation.”

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3000 B.C. The Hmong were believed to have first settled on the upper Yellow River, known as the Jiuli tribe, and ruled much of northeastern China under the leadership of King Chiyou in modern-day Hebei.

2700 B.C. The Hmong in Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hebei province, led by the first Hmong warrior king, Chiyou, won nine battles against the Chinese. They lost the 10th battle, and moved to the lower Yellow River.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS AS DISCUSSED IN THE ARTICLE

Hebei Province (Modern day China) The Hmong lived in this region in 3000 B.C.

Map of China (modern-day)

Hebei (Huang He) Yellow River

Sichuan

Guizhou Yunnan Guanxi

Story Cloths of the Hmong People: Paj Ntaub "Flower Cloth"

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The Hmong have no written history of their origins and therefore rely heavily on oral tradition and through their art. Hmong women are especially skilled in sewing story clothes - Paj Ntaub. Some are elaborately complex in their storyline while others are simple. In this story cloth, the Hmong farmers are harvesting in the rice fields. The clothing of the Hmong is dictated by which part of the world they originated from. In this case, the Hmong in Laos, are wearing velvet black shirts; pants for men, and decorative skirts hand-stitched for women.

A.D. 400-900 The Hmong began to rebuild their kingdom in southern China, near the border.

A.D. 500 Tang Dynasty armies killed the Hmong king and forced many Hmong into slavery; the Hmong broke into 18 clans and fled to the mountains of Guangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

It was believed that the Chinese brand the Jiuli “miao” or savages; the Jiuli called themselves “Hmong,” meaning “people who love freedom, justice and loyalty.”

If the Hmong found any kind of peace, it never lasted long.

They became disintegrated and lived dispersedly in China’s south and southwest corners; continuing to migrate southward into what is known today as the Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces in China. A fully preserved female corpse, named Xin Zhui, the wife of Li Cang, the Marquis of Dai, was discovered in 1972 in Changsa, Hunan. In remarkable condition, from skin to inner organs her tomb was believed to have been buried during the Chu Kingdom, and led many scholars, both Hmong and non-Hmong, to argue that the state of Chu was a Hmong kingdom and perhaps that “If it was not Hmong, it certainly was not Chinese.” Conrad Schirokauer, a published scholar of Chinese history, referred to the Chu state as a “semi-Chinese.” Researchers argued that the intact female corpse was Hmong because the drawings on her caskets and on the piece of silk covering her coffin are designs unique to the Hmong. Buried with Xin Zhui were all the elegant trappings of her noble existence, perfectly preserved in a timber-lined tomb the size of a swimming pool and buried to make her stay in the afterlife a more pleasant one. Carved wooden figurines, painted and clothed in silk garments, include butlers, handmaidens, and an entire troupe of musicians to keep Xin Zhui entertained. A set of twelve pitch

pipes, bamboo flutes of various sizes, a 32pipe mouth organ, and a large 25-stringed Zheng, or zither. Among the 3,000 relics, ranging from the agricultural seeds, combs, mittens, stockings, shoes, gowns, wooden dolls, and instruments buried with her, laid a splendid and exquisite T-shaped painting on silk, found on top of the innermost coffin. The painting details a person’s three souls - one which remains to watch over the body, the second which goes in search of the ancestors and the third which just wanders. This belief in three separate souls and their duties upon death exist today. Having published a paper on this unique piece of painting, Professor Tongjiang Yang, a 33 year-old Hmong-Chinese historian and author or co-author of more than 20 titles, believes this old pictorial lends even greater evidence to the claim that the corpse and the Chu Kingdom were Hmong. He argued that except for a few minor illustrations on the top left, the rest of the intricate illustrations coincided with legends and folk stories of the Hmong. Throughout history, if the Hmong people found any kind of peace, it never lasted long. They had been forced to emigrate from northeastern China into the country’s southwestern corner. Attempts to separate the Hmong into groups and to destroy 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

legend

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There are 7,398,035 Hmong scattered in southwestern China. Tseem muaj Hmoob nyob rau hauv Suav teb Hmong culture were to some large degree, very effective. Eventually, Chinese generals, assigned to subdue the Hmong, split them into smaller groups to weaker them. The Hmong were also forced to wear identifying clothing--in a sense branding them. Hmong folk stories share these same explanations as to why they are categorized with different names even though they may share the same clan names: Green Hmong, White Hmong, Black Hmong, Flowery Hmong, and Striped Hmong and also have dialectic and sartorial differences. During the Qing Dynasty, several major battles pushed hundreds of thousands of Hmong further into Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Thailand. This separation of a people led them to become more vulnerable and less unified. Of these battles, three significantly large and brutal wars defined the future for the Hmong and their relocation and separation into other countries.

The first war against the Qing Dynasty was fought in 1735 in southeastern Guizhou province. Eight counties and 1,224 villages were believed to be involved in this war. According to Professor Xin-fu Wu, when the Hmong were finally suppressed three years later, a total of 17,670 Hmong had been killed in combat, 11,130 were captured, and executed; 13,600 were forced into slavery. Sixty years later, after the start of the first war, the Hmong, led by Ba-yue Wu, Liu-deng Shi, San-bao Shi and Tian-ban Shi, tried to resist the Qing government from taking over more of their land. A second war (1795-1806) broke out in three provinces - southeast of Sichuan, east of Guizhou and west of Hunan, As a result of the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing government demanded more taxes and labor from the Hmong. The Hmong, led by Xiu-mei Zhang and other leaders, revolted in southeastern Guizhou in 1854 and fought until 1873. An excess of one million people were involved in this third war, which spread to cover hundreds of cities and counties. According to Professor Wu, only 30 percent of the Hmong survived the war; the other 70 percent were either killed or ran away. Zhang, a native of Taijiang, Guizhou, was captured and taken to Changsa, Hunan where his life ended under cruel tortures. 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

Although a major portion of the Hmong emigrated to Southeast Asia during periods of the last two wars, hundreds of thousands remained living in China. According to the 1990 Chinese census, there are still 7,398,035 Hmong scattered in China’s southwestern provinces - roughly 3,686,900 in Guizhou; 1,557,073 in Hunan; 896,712 in Yunnan, 535,923 in Sichuan, 425,137 in Guangxi, 200,702 in Hupei, 52,044 in Hainan Island, and 43,544 in other provinces. Because of the many years of warfare and assimilation, the Hmong in China have been divided into five main branches: 1. Bai “White” Dawb 2. Qing “Green” Ntsuab 3. Hong “Red” Liab 4. Hei “Black” Dub 5. Hua “Flowery” Paj They have also been separated linguistically into three main dialects: Eastern, Central and Western. One group cannot understand the other two’s dialects. Fortunately, all three groups pay respect to the same ancestry, the legendary Chiyou.

Legends, folk tales and folk songs are similar in many ways between the three groups. All of the groups regardless of which country they reside, have continued to practice qhuab ke a funeral song sung to the deceased in hopes of ‘showing the way’. Qhuab ke precisely guides the deceased individual’s soul from his or her present location to the original homeland of his or her ancestors, tracing backward the migration route from village-to-village, city-to-city northeast towards the Beijing area. Besides written materials, Hmong scholars have been using qhuab ke as a major source to help them relearn and interpret Hmong history. This article is largely indebt to the research done by Yuepheng Xiong. A full and original text version can be found by logging on to the web at:

http://www.hmongnet.org/hmong-au/chmong.htm

For more information regarding the history of the Hmong in China as well as Laos, Thailand and the current issues in America, log on to these sites: http://www.hmongabc.com http://www.yogtiag.com http://www.garyyialee.com

Differences and similarities in and out of China Although their culture and tradition are similar in many ways, a few major cultural practices are different between those in China and those outside China. Unlike the Hmong in and from Southeast Asia, those in China standardize how a person is called. In the Hmong-Chinese community, the Hmong traditionally call each other and oneself by the given name first, followed by the family or last name. Unless one is talking to Chinese people (who go by last name followed by first name), or putting down his name on official document, he would never go by the family name first. In short, inside the Hmong-Chinese community, one is always called by the given name first. On the contrary, a minority but growing percentage of Hmong from Southeast Asia prefer to be called by their last name first. Additionally, the Hmong in China do not toss cloth balls during the largely celebrated New Year’s Festival. According to Professor Wu and Yang, Hmong in and from Southeast Asia may have adopted this practice from the Zhuang or other nationalities in southwest China before entering Southeast Asian countries. A one-year-old committee of Hmong scholars and leaders was organized and is in the process of trying to erect a statue of Chiyou in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou. If this happens, this single statue may become a symbol of national pride, identity, unity and commonality for the Hmong people, regardless of where we’re all living on the surface of this world. 12 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

14 Nida Xiong Hometown Girl Where were you born? Where were you raised? I was born in Ohio where I was raised in a small and peculiar city called Akron. How did you get the name Vanida & what other names do you go by? When my parents moved to America, my father began working at a company where he met a few Caucasians. Not a lot of Hmong lived in the area back then, and most of them had never even heard of Hmong; so it was on rare occasions that my parents would interact with other races. My father eventually befriended a few people at his work place. One of his co-workers, in particular, was very friendly and so kind to my parents that when I was born, my father decided to name me after that woman, so that I'd be as friendly and kind as her. I also go by Nida which is the shortened version, and Blia, my Hmong name. How many siblings do you have? I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the youngest girl and one of my brothers is younger than me.

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How do you like living in a small town? The Hmong populace is quite small in Akron. Nothing in comparison to the cities filled with Hmong people like St. Paul, MN or Sheboygan, WI. Regardless, I'm fine with the fact that I live in a small town. The atmosphere here is home to me. I've grown to love Akron - it's never extremely busy and cluttered with lots of people. It's really relaxing and peaceful. What was it like growing up? Like the majority, I've had my ups and downs. I had aspects that I had to overcome and blissful days that I've cherished 'til now. Everything that has happened in my life has shaped me to be the person I am now. What do you do for fun? For fun, I engage myself in many activities. I doodle on paper, paint, write, access the internet to read current events or researches or update my website, play soccer, go jogging, fiddle on the keyboard, and if I get lucky --I'll pull off a game or two on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 on Xbox 360.

What's your favorite food? Rice --I can't live without it because it goes with almost anything! On the other hand, I'm also a great fan of ice cream. What is your belief? Your Religion? My belief would have to lie on my own doings. It's as if I'm a seedling, ready to be watered to sprout and thrive. Anything I do now will affect tomorrow and definitely the future. If I water my seed benevolently well, then surely I become the blossom of a beautiful organism. If I water the seed malevolently, then the seed grows into something vicious and problematic. My religion may outcast me --I'm a Scientologist, but my family still practices Shamanism, although, I still fully and willingly support them. Do you think you will ever get married? Some day I will; I'm determined to do so after I've obtained my BA in Media Arts and Effects --first, I'd like to know that I'm physically and emotionally stabilized to live a prosperous life here in America. Do you feel a lot of pressure from the community to get married at a young age? Pressured? Not one bit. If the community believes in marriage at a young age --then so be it. I've got many tasks to carry on and obstacles to learn to overcome before I get married. What do you think about young Hmong girls who rush to get married at a young age? No offense, but it's not necessary at all and it shows that they may be naive. There are so many things to do, to accomplish and definitely a lot to learn before you become a daughter-in-law. Where do you want to go to college? Right now I am thinking about Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA. They have nice selections of classes that I'm intensely passionate and very interested in studying. What do you want to study? Media Arts and Effects, Literature, Psychology, and Creative Writing. There's just so much to learn! Do you think you'd want to travel someday? Well, I would love to visit Laos where my parents were born and raised to see what it's like. Maybe someday. Guess what? We met Nida in Akron, at the Hmong New Year; she was the sweetest girl ever. She's also featured on our front cover wearing her very expensive and beautiful Hmong-Chinese outfit. Nida had no idea we photographed her because she was so busy ball-tossing with her boyfriend! 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

MUSIC Knowstalgic of Delicious Venom

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18XEEM caught up with Vong Lee, aka "Knowstalgic" from the duo group Delicious Venom, a young, emerging Hip-Hop rapper with strong ties to his history and culture. Delicious Venom is known for their unique lyrics about social and cultural issues in songs such as "30 Year Secret" and "Genocide in Laos". What is Delicious Venom?

Delicious Venom --the cure for venom is venom, it kinda cancels out poison. Growing up in a venomous neighborhood, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like, now that we know what was going on; we know the right route, we're coming back as the positive venom to cancel out the bad venom. That's why we called ourselves --- my older brother Tou Saiko and me, Delicious Venom Where were you born? I was born in providence Rhode Island, my brother was born in a refugee camp; we came here around 1979. I have another brother who was born a year before me, and my sister, who was born after me, in Syracuse. They are the total opposites of me and Tou. As far as personalities go, the things we are into, are different, but we get along pretty well. Where did you grow up? We lived in New York for about 10 years, and then we moved here to St, Paul, MN. In New York, we lived in Syracuse, the forgotten city, all of these abandoned homes, no one cared about, it was just a crumbling city, lots of corruption, we didn't realize how bad it was when we were little, until now. Why Hmong history & Hip Hop? For me, first of all, Hip Hop has such a huge influence on pretty much the whole globe, but a lot of people are misinformed as to what it is: Hip Hop is like a culture that started out in pretty much, the poorest neighborhoods, in 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

People came up to us and told us that they cried listening to it. New York City, where everyone was oppressed. The type of neighborhood we grew up in, that was pretty much the only type of music that hit home with me, you can listen to music about being mad or being sad, but Hip Hop, you know they talk about things that are happening currently, in the neighborhoods. What's a typical day like for you? Pretty busy, tonight we have a show at Concordia University, afterwards it's straight to the Turf Club and then Saturday we'll be performing at the Lucy's Moonlight Sports Bar. In between all that I got all these other things goin' on like school, and trying to get this job [he's fumbling to find an important document]. What's your plan for the future? I really want to teach Hmong History and Hip Hop history one day, at first I wanted to do it inside of a school, but I don't know, I guess we'll see if there's any where else I can teach it.

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Who were some of your friends growing up? In New York, the only Hmong people we knew were our cousins, mostly my dad's side. My mom's side lived in MN. Everyone else was just white, or black, Latino kids. Back then I didn't really know how to differentiate races, some of them were just my friends, I didn't really see them as black, white or significantly different from me, they were just my friends, it didn't matter. Now I'm more aware of the differences. How did your family, particularly your parent's feel about you and your brother rapping? They weren't really supportive at first. They used to tease us a lot, like my dad would always imitate us, there is a song from the 80s called, Whip it. He would always say that line â&#x20AC;&#x153;It's not to late to whip it, whip it goodâ&#x20AC;? to us over and over every time he heard us rapping. It was pretty funny.

Who wrote 30 Year Secret? My brother Tou, Doua, a guest rapper, and me. We each wrote our own verses. The inspiration was from a group from Minnesota called H3 (Hmong Hlub Hmong). At that time, they were going around doing rallies and informing the community about the situation in Laos, ongoing war with the communist Laos and the Hmong people living in the jungle, the genocides of some of the Hmong victims. They opened a lot of eyes, including ours. They were doing a candle light vigil where they showed video footages of what was going on in Laos. It inspired us to do something about it. If this is really happening, people need to know. This can't be just be pushed aside. We were trying to think of a way as to how we could make other people see the problems going on, without hurting anyone or doing anything violent. What could we do with our abilities? We looked at each other and said, “Alright we're all musicians, artists, and there is a big Hmong artist community in the country. We're all disconnected from each other, but how about we do a collaboration of all Hmong artists out there, and let’s get together and write songs about the situation, raise awareness; get people to start talking about it.” So we worked with H3, and got them to donate DVD's so we could do a callout, to artists who wanted to help with the project, and anyone who was interested, we mailed them each a DVD of the presentation, a documentary of what was going on in Laos, to educate them, and hopefully inspire them. We did that, then in MN, we did a lot of promoting, telling people about it, pretty much, it came together a lot better than we ever imagined. This became known as the H Project. What did you want people to take back from listening to your music? When I was writing, it was just mainly to spark up a conversation, move somebody, to make them angry, sad or just to feel somethin’ about it, you know... hopefully, it will lead them to something good. What were some reactions? People really responded well to the song, some even came up to us and told us that they cried listening to it. What kind of feeling does that give you? It makes me feel good because it lets me know that, we still do, there is still Hmong people out there who care about Hmong

people. It makes me realize how close we really are even though we are all far apart. It gives me a great feeling that there's still hope out there. When was the first performance? In 1999, when I was 17 and Tou was 21. Our first performance was infront of a Hmong audience at a party in MN. It was kinda crazy. We were doing all these crazy things on stage and I think we kinda scared 'em. A lot of our songs, when we first started out we didn't have a studio, a mic or speakers, or anything, we started performing before we ever had any equipment. Our first song was just a performance song; we never recorded it. We always rapped on the mic live. We had a friend who did shows, and he liked our style, so he wanted us to go out there, and so the majority of our songs became performance songs. A lot of it is about social issues, reflecting our feelings, and the way we feel about life, and how we grew up. Who usually comes to the shows? The majority is the younger generation, but we have a pretty good number of older generation that show up as well. We had a performance in WI and it was pretty much just senior citizens, and they really felt for our music, and praised us in the end. We don't have a limit to our audience because even if they don't like it, maybe they can respect or like it for what it is. Do you write poetry? We started writing poetry before we started rapping, when I was in 4th or 5th grade, and my brother was in Junior High. What influenced you? It was my brother, when he started getting into it, I was getting into it. Why did you pick Hip-Hop and Rapping over Country, Rock or Hmong music? Well, my brother and I are definitely working towards writing Hmong music. What happened during the Vietnam War, devastated our parents. Basically, they thought their lives were done, everything that had worked for was gone. So, when we came here to America and they had heard that this was the land of opportunity and you won’t make it if you don't know English, they taught us the basics of Hmong, just enough to understand people and communicate, and then rest was just English. Even in preschool, they had these books where they sat down with us, played tapes while we read along with the tapes. 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

So they got us on a good start with English. Even in our English classes, we were kinda ahead of the American kids, and so that's why our English is such a big part of our music. It's been a big part of us growing up. How do you spend your weekends besides performing? I try to hang out with my friends but I barely ever see them, almost every time we have a date set to hang out, I always say I wanna go but usually something always comes up. It's more like catching up days, everything I pushed back during the week, I just catch up on it, like homework, but the majority of it has to do with music; organizing shows, there’s always so much stuff going on with our music. If we ever say we have nothing to do, we're lying. Because we have all these shows that are pending, a lot of things we still have to do as far as getting things done.

just figuring out how big of a part it will be in my life, is the hard thing. If we get signed with a huge deal then we'll def pursue music all the way, but until then, I want to keep workin’ on my other goals like learning as much as I can about the Hmong history, push as much as I can in every direction, until it takes off. Do you want to travel somewhere? Traveling is def on our agenda, especially Laos and Thailand. We've discussed performing there. We'd love to do that. There really is no limit as to where we will perform. Do you think you'll ever get married? Laughs. Well. [Pause] Well, I'm def not in a rush to get married, but if I find someone, like me, and our lives are compatible, and our personalities click, and, you know [pause] everything works out then, yeah. I'm not saying this isn't ever gonna happen.

As performed & written by Delicious Venom

“30 Year Secret” ft. Ly Vangsoua: Where are these shows at usually? Everywhere. Clubs, community centers, bars, school, elementary, middle, high school, universities, everywhere you can think of. We don't have a specific audience that we target, we make our music, and if you want us to be there, we'll perform infront of any type of audience, any race, age. Basically, anyone who wants to listen. Who else is a musician in your family? My older brother Sy and my Dad used to be in a band called Demix. They used to play at Hmong parties, weddings, New Years. They were a really popular band; a lot of people requested them. This was way before we started rapping. It was fun, but not something that really influenced us to be in the music scene. It wasn't our thing, but we liked it. What do you think the future hold for you? You know, [sigh] every couple of days, I sit here and ask me that same question. I really don't have a def answer. I really want music to be a big part of my life. But there are so many other things I want to do in life, I do know that music will always be a part of it,

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Thirty years of war Persecuted and scorned Behind enemy lines A small child is born What will he live for Fighting for the rest of his life Gunshots, chemical bombs Or sliced with a knife Shrapnel within flesh Children poisoned to death Defend the villages Soldiers killed in combat A contract that's been cracked Split up, attacked With no tracks And they only fight back For survival reasons And they wish to the sky For the will to keep breathing The jungles are a prison Scarred into our visions Now I want you to listen Cause our people have risen Starving for any meal They kept it concealed

Their blood spills All over the rice fields For real A tragic massacre Of tears and emotions That can flood The Mekong River To be an ocean Our people are suffering And time is running out I see my mother working late again Father hold paper tens Drama on the corner We ignore but we relate to them Stay within the circle Representing every state we in Penetrate the system Now the prison wants to take us in Listen to my elder folks Cousin loves to sell us smoke Sisters in the kitchen Cooking breakfast to the smell of smoke Flea market weekend Sleeping sixty minutes Two, two hours Been working overtime Ain't had no time to take a shower Family business slow Still on the go Blow for blow We slug it out Against the winter and snow Ever since existence We have been survivors

Download this song and other FREE tracks by Delicious Venom on their page: www.myspace.com/deliciousvenom

Neglected Never claim a country Just want to live and let live Now its been thirty years Since imprisonment in the jungle For the Hmong Remind your elders And educate the young Laotian government, genocide Human rights and violation Clock is running down To total annihilation Lift a finger now Stop procrastinating Save a child Save a mother Throw your clock And watch away The time is now Stop searching for time Time is running out Stop searching for time Time is running out Chorus: Don't let our people die, save our people, Save our people, Gooo, Listen to their cries, Voices of Sorrow, Ohhh Don't let our people die, save our people, Gooo, Gooo, Gooooooo

Images like this one below, inspired artists like Delicious Venom to write songs about the Secret War in Laos and the current conflicts going on right now!

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACTFINDING.ORG

Fashion khaub ncaws qub thiab tshiab

traditional & modern style

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Illustrations by Hlee Xiong website portfolio: http://hleex.com

Dont be caught wearing this to a Hmong New Year. Is there a wrong way to wear clothing? Well, you’ve got your pants, to cover your lower body, and your shirt, to cover your upper body. You’ve got a hat for your head, if you're having a bad hair day, and shoes for your feet. So is there really a wrong way to wear clothes? If you are wearing Hmong clothes, then yes, some may say there is a wrong and a right. As a culture that is continuously developing, there really is no wrong or right, but rather: a traditional and modern way. Of course, everyone knows not to wear your pants so that they drape over your shoulders and around your chest (that might not even be possible), but if you're a fashion guru then you might just come up with a clever way of doing that! However, to wear Hmong clothes the 'traditional way' there are certain rules you have to follow. If you're planning on attending a Hmong New Year or an event exclusively celebrating a Hmong occasion, then you better make sure your mom helps you dress, otherwise you might just be the laughing stock of the village! The next few pages will highlight the basic pieces of clothing that the Hmong Dawb (White) people wear. There are a variety of styles and every year more styles emerge, but for the sake of keeping this short and sweet, we’ve condensed the garments to the bare essentials that make up an outfit.

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Hats reminiscent of Chinese fashion Note that the hair is now tucked behind the ears and in the hat; this an important appearance factor for the Hmong who have little concern with extravagant hairstyles.

Traditional Style for Males

Let's start with the guys: as always, plain and simple define the look for males. Whether you're a child or an elderly male, the outfit is pretty much the same from head to toe. Unlike the ladies, guys do not have to wear a green sash --one hot pink one is enough. The outfit shown to the left, has no jewelry or accessories, such as the silver piece necklace, accompanying it. The garment is entirely handmade and typically of velvet fabric. The blue trimming around the arms are optional and do not have to be sewn on the shirt but typically it is.

Shoes are optional Back in the old days in Laos and Thailand, the Hmong could not afford to wear shoes, therefore, many adapted to living without them, even treading as far as five miles to their farmlands.

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Hats remain the same The hats for males has not changed, other than the patterns and colors that are sewn onto it. Most of the young and newer generation in America prefer not to wear the hat as they prefer western hats and caps --which can then look strange to the elderly.

Western style shirts and ties The Hmong have adapted to wearing a tie and white collared shirts underneath. The black sleeve shirt (like the one on previous page), can also be worn in place of the vest.

Modern Style for Males

This second look, though not very much different in the pants, is more of a modern style for males. The inside shirt and the tie are very western-style. The hat has remained much the same. The shirt is now adorned with beautifully hand-sewn patterns and French coins. The hot pink sash is silk and adorns gold patterns. As long as the sash is hot pink and tied at the front, it doesn't matter if it has different types of prints on it. There are a variety of prints available in the silk fabric.

Sashes made of silk Sashes are always hot pink and worn in the front. Males do not have to wear a green one like females.

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Fashion Embellishments on the Hats When the Hmong lived in Laos before the 70s, only unmarried females wore the black and white strips on the purple cloth. This was in order for male suitors to distinguish an unmarried female from a married female. Now all women of different statuses wear it.

Traditional Style 1 for Females

Again, as always, plain and simple define the traditional style. Whether you're a child or an elderly female, the outfit is pretty much the same from head to toe. Unlike guys, girls wear a green sash which is tied to the front. A gold necklace, though very a rare and expensive piece of jewelry, especially in the older days, completes this look. Usually, the oldest daughter of the family will most likely wear it. Again, the garment is entirely handmade and typically of velvet fabric.

Sashes made of silk Sashes are always neon green and worn in the front. Males do not have to wear a green one like females.

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Hats remain the same The hats for females has not changed in style. The embellishments are adorned with beads which wrap around the entire hat. It used to be an art to be able to wrap the ‘turban’ like hat around the head, but now they are ready-made.

Traditional Style 2 for Females

This second look, though not very much different from the pants, is more of a pretty style for females. The ‘sev’ --pronounced “shay” (harder to see in the first illustration since it is also made of the same fabric as the pants) now has a blue trimming. There are always variations in pattern and color, depending on which village a person originated from, but for the most part the basic style is the same. The skirt shown here is for Hmong "Dawb" or White Hmong rather than "Chinese' Hmong, etc. The hot pink sash is worn and tied to the back, while the green one is in the front. There are a variety of prints available in the silk fabric. Most of the fabric are dyed in these two very common and traditionally bright colors. Delicate skirts The skirts are delicately hand-creased in and out evenly across the fabric and then sewn together to be stored. When the skirt is ready to be worn, the threads are pulled out individually so that the skirt flares.

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Fashion

Colorful patterns and prints The clothing style has remained similuar. The differences is in the patterns and colors. The trimmings are no longer just blue, but range in all bright shades of colors.

Modern Style 1 for Females

Females usually wear four or five layers of garments and jewelry. As the year have progressed though, women have begun to wear less and less because of the heavy pieces which may become uncomfortable to wear over a long period of time. The clothing is also more tailored and form fitting. The trimming around the arms are optional and do not have to be sewn on the shirt but typically it is worn with the shirt. The outfit shown here has no jewelry or accessories accompanying it. The garments are, again entirely handmade and typically of velvet and silk fabrics. Colorful skirts that flare The skirts are similuar to the white version only in that it is also folded in and out to flare. The patterns are always colorful and very intricate.

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Hats remain the same The hats are no longer wrapped around the head. Instead people have found ways to glue and sew them in place so that it goes on easily like other hats. The strip pattern can vary with color, beads; depending on the clothing colors and style.

Western style shirts and ties Even the females wear ties, or scarfs around their necks to protect the back from the heavy necklaces (not shown). Collar-shirts have been adapted as well.

Modern Style 2 for Females

This second look, though not very much different in the pants, is more of a modern style for females. The inside shirt and the tie are very western-style. The hat has remained much the same. The shirt is now adorned with beautifully hand-sewn floral patterns. The pink sash is no longer visible or even worn. Although, the green sash is worn, it does not tied and fall at the front. Women have also begun to wear different colors in place of the traditional green sash.

Velvet Pants The pants are no longer just black, but range in dark colors such as navy blue and forest green. They are also decorated with intricate patterns.

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POETRY Pieces of Poetry

Inspired by the Hmong life experience in Laos, Thailand, and America. All poems written by Mai Xiong, exclusively for publication in 18XEEM.

Family Dinner The long grains of rice Drowned by the boiling water Lay steadily in the steamer Waiting to be eaten. My mother stands over it to lift the lid open, The steam releases itself into the kitchen, A plastic spoon in her right hand She quickly stirs the contents inside Scooping it up, pressing it back down, Her small hands move in circular motion Repeating the steps until it is fluffy. The rising steam of the rice becomes fainter, Drowned by the sounds of my hungry brothers And sisters, who gather the chairs around the table An empty seat, an empty plate My mother patiently waits, The way my father did years ago Hiding in the silent jungle where no lights Could be dim enough and no wind cold enough To divert him from returning.

Send us your original poems and short stories with a short description to POETRY@18XEEM.COM. Poems chosen for publication deal with issues about the Hmong culture and the life experiences about the Hmong people.

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Silent in the Mountains The rain washed our blood Down the slopes of the mountain Into the Mekong River. We had been traveling By foot all week long From north, to south after Our village had been burned by The enemies. The only thing left Of us were our rubber Sandals bought From the marketplace in Town Only a week ago. Our clothing torn By the limbs Of the tree branches. Each rag Ripping with every Step. Falling from our Flesh To leave dirty clues for The enemies Who would hunt us and slaughter Us with their Steel blades Until our every Organ was no longer Hidden within us. Instead piled on top Of our Hallow stomachs. For now though our rubber Sandals hid us In the silence Keeping their promise To protect us from the sharp Surface of the land.

Morning on the Dock He tossed the translucent line into the stillness of The lake. It was clear, all of a sudden The water, the sky, the graceful bass flowing Beneath the long branches of the tree The relaxing weekend out In the forest, the pretty girl who sat By his side patiently waiting

Splashes appeared and sunk below its Surface, reappearing Again to interrupt the perfectly Calm and flat facade of the lake Careful, as to not snap the line

Two gentle tugs and he slowly reeled the string back Into the mechanical Object held all together by A few metal nails hidden somewhere inside.

He tugged tenderly with the bass below until It became clear that he was tired of The swimming in circles and finally gave In to the stillness of The lake.

His golden banjo minnow sparkling below, sinking, slowly Teasing the bass to follow closely behind The reel winded smoothly With ease, a click and the line snapped Back into place. He reeled it once more but This time it was heavy, slow, chugging As if the reel were rusty and aged from Too much usage. Steady, and careful to not Bend the rod He gave in to the pressure of the bass. Releasing The line from its reel. It swam in uncertainty North, west, south Northeast and then deeper Below the lilypads around each stem that floated in the fresh water Tearing each as it passed by, angry Anxious, and Frightened by the hook. Ripples playfully expanded and Disappeared only to Reappear as if to track The bass treading under The lake. Where it was headed When it would leap and Dive back under for as far As the reel would allow it until it Snapped in place again. 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

POETRY The Piece of Wood An ancient bark A lucky charm That guarded her soul From the evil spirit. Dangling From a piece of yarn Decorated like a Christmas ornament Embellished with plastic beads, Orange and golden and silver. Encircled with floral and zig zag patterns. All woven of strings That traveled an ancient journey in the back of an old woman's bag Just to wrap around her

Rearview mirror. Swinging Back And forth Back And forth Swinging so quietly and naturally like the wind that blows She forgets about the protector and goes on with her day. The engine starts. An alert for the protector. Back on duty, it guards her from the evil spirit Swinging Back And forth Back And forth The engine stops. A car door opens and shuts. The pacing of her feet becomes fainter. Until the next journey the piece of wood lays at rest.

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g to bring organization workin (FFC) is a non-profit on issi mm Co g din the U.S. Congress The Fact Fin to the attention of . Secret War in Laos U.S the of s an ter the plight of Ve ation People. ver selective inform and the American news service to unco e wid rld wo d an public Veterans of the The FFC serves as a issues affecting the on in Laos and the ati situ nt rre cu the regarding os worldwide. U.S. Secret War in La and updates and most current news the for te bsi we r ou it Vis us t how you can help to learn more abou .factfinding.org ww /w p:/ htt people: bring hope to these

18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

Kao Lee

Folklore Studio The language of an Artist I find the human mind to be very fascinating. I spent half my life studying psychology dreaming to become a psychiatrist until one of my own bizarre dreams showed me truth. My dreams told me to quit psychology, and pursue my true passion in life, Art. Through the weapon of coffee, my superhero powers are heightened, allowing me to create unique yet stylistic surreal and dream-like landscapes. I'm always journeying to new places so when I move, my studio moves with me. My inspirations come from my experiences and dreams. With every stroke, I leave behind a window into my soul, hoping to spark a fond memory or inspiration in others.

Artist speaking about "Way of Life" shown on the opposite page:

"Traditions are passed down hoping for the next generation to pass it on to the next. Unfortunately, some of us have lost the way of life that once was. I created this to remind us of our culture and traditions. If they are forgotten, what culture will we bring to the next generation?" Paj

Gouache on watercolor paper 10”x30” Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series by artist Kao Lee Thao of Folklore Studio. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com

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Way of Life

Gouache on watercolor paper 14”x22” Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series. Image shown was cropped for publication. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com

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Story Within

Gouache on watercolor paper 14”x22”

“The Qeej plays an important role in the Hmong culture. The true beauty of the Qeej is revealed as each song unfolds a tale played by the storyteller.”

Paj

Gouache on watercolor paper 10”x30” Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series by artist Kao Lee Thao of Folklore Studio. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com

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"Caught in the balance between supporting the fighting soldiers and hiding in the dense forest, Hmong women and children traveling to freedom put their lives on the line. This woman clenches her child keeping him safe from the dangers that lurk in every corner." Balance

Oil on canvas 16â&#x20AC;?x20â&#x20AC;?

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"Although styles may change, beneath the skin, our heritage remains. Upbeat urban life has shifted the look and speed of everything, but our Culture will continue far through the ages." Joua

Acrylic on canvas 10”x”30”

Yukai

Gouache on watercolor paper 10”x30” Artwork shown is part of a “Coffee Stains” series by artist Kao Lee Thao of Folklore Studio. Prints available at www.folklorestudio.com

18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

Yia Mua “The Bull”

A Hm o n g Le g e n d s p e a k s a b o u t his life in a n d o u t o f t h e s p o t lig ht. Where were you born? I was born in Laos on May 18th. Laos fell to Communism on May 15th. Basically, two days after I was born, we left Laos. I came to Thailand and we were over there for 6 months. In 1975, we came to the US. We were the first wave of Hmong immigrants to come over. What have you been doing? I've been retired for about two years from fighting now. Currently, I'm in financial services. I do real estate mortgage and financial planning. How did you get into Muay Thai Kickboxing? It was kind of like a dare. Laughs. I've always been in martial art --since I was 9, when I started training. I had a childhood friend who was doing Chinese kick-boxing, eventually he ended up being my trainer. He started competing first though and I would watch him fight, and I liked it. Then when I was 18, I started fighting amateur. At 19, I turned professional. What were your parent's reactions? They didn't want me to fight. To them, it wasn't

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a good career; it wasn’t traditional like what they wanted: go to school, get a degree. I chose a different path. It was a challenge at first. They disagreed with me. They didn't show up for, probably, my first ten fights. I was determined to prove them wrong. Not only that, but when I first started, there was this skepticism that Hmong people couldn't fight: we are too short, and we can't beat Caucasian people. For me I just thought, you know, it was a sport, I loved what I did, and I was doing great at it. I had a 15-fight winning spree when I first started. So, I loved it. Was it luck or hard training? It was definitely really hard training. When I first started, I spent a lot of time training. At least 6 hours a day. Competitively, every morning from 7-10; normally, it would be a 5 mile run in the morning. And then, a few hours working on different techniques. Was boxing your sole career or what else did you do besides fight? My first professional fight, I got about 100 bucks,

Yia Mua training with the Muay Thai in Fresno, California.

Yia Mua doing strength training months before his fights in 2001.

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A f t e r m y fi g h t fin i s h e d in T h a il a n d , t h e e ld e r H m o n g people who lived there came u p t o m e ; they were crying. Winning in Thailand was not just my victory, but to them it was revenge for the cruelty and oppression our people endured. there's not a lot of money in it. You really have to have a passion for it. In terms of money, there really is no award. I worked part-time and trained part-time. My parents still wanted me to go to school, so I did that. I went professional in 1995. Then, I graduated with a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in E-commerce in 1999.

5'7" 170lbs

When you went pro did you celebrate? Not really, everything kind of happened as I went along in the sport. I didn't really know what pro was. When I was fighting, Muay Thai was pretty much unknown when I was fighting. The PKA rules were mostly karate; they wouldn't allow kicks to the face. When I was competing, a year or two later they started allowing it and also allowing the knee. I was in one of the first fights when they started allowing elbow. The only time you could of used it was in Nevada or Thailand. When I started, Muay Thai was very primitive, even at a lot of sanctions and athletic Commissions, they didn't allow or recognize it. What was the best part about a fight? The best part was winning. What if you didn't win? It was still good because every fight I take it as a learning step. After every fight, usually I become friends with the other guy. The most exciting part is always the beginning of the fight though, because you don't know how this guy is. Everything is pretty much a mystery. You've probably heard or seen the fighter fight, but you really don't know until you fight that person. The funny thing though is when you finally fight that person, within the first 30 secs., you know what type of technique he has. What type of feeling would you get before going in to a fight? It was always confidence. I never doubted myself. Like the great Muhammad Ali says,

'Even if I was the underdog I always prepare myself for the big victory speech' before I went to fight. I always had the mentality that, I've been training so hard; I just want to go in there and get the job done then celebrate after. My whole theory about fighting, and life in general is, 'If you doubt yourself before you walk into the ring, you've already lost 80% of the fight.' Fighting is more will than skill. With your training and your opponent’s training, you both are at your peak, in terms of endurance and skills; the only thing left is will: to see who has a bigger heart. Why did you take your will into the ring? At the beginning, it was more of a challenge. Everyone kept telling me I couldn't do it. As I kept on fighting, I realized that I’ve been hurt; of course, lots of bruises and broken bones. And as time progressed I would always say, OK that was a tough fight, this is going to be my last fight, but one time after a fight, these Hmong kids came up to me, and they gave me this whole speal about how proud they are. It was the most rewarding thing after every fight. So at that point, it was more like a duty of mine to the community. Gangs were so predominate in our community, especially at that time. There was so much negativity in the community. When was the first time someone ever approached you about being proud? It was probably 1997, one of my first pro-fights in Fresno. Before then, it was usually out of Fresno, but the first one I fought in here, right after the fight, they were cleaning up the bleachers and as I walked out of the locker room, a young Hmong kid came up to me and told me that it was a really good fight, and “we're proud that

someone was up there representing us.” Now every time you hear that after a fight, from a kid, or from your Hmong people, it solidifies a reason as to why I stayed in the fights for so long for 10 years. Did you hear it more from the younger or the older generation? It was pretty much equal. But I started hearing more, when I started fighting on ESPN and PayPer-View. Even from General Vang Pao, when I went to fight in Thailand representing the US, I was able to get his blessing. How did you get in touch with him? Through one of his relatives, Jack Vang from Minnesota and his sons --I guess they follow fighting a lot. I had a fight in 1999 in MN, and that's when I met them. Then, I was going to go to Thailand for the first time to fight, and the General gave me a call. Two years later, I went to fight in Laos. There was an issue about the trade in Laos and the human rights violation, and so Laos decided to have a 'friendship' fight. He called and asked me to come to dinner; we did a ceremony and I had my hand tied (‘ki tej' --a ritual where someone ties a white string of yarn around your wrist for good luck and fortune). It was a big thing. But the funny thing is, you don't realize how much you affect people. Only when I retired, did I fully realize that. People still ask me if I'll fight again. When did you go to Thailand? When I went to Thailand to fight, in 2001, I ended up in a small village south of Bangkok. It was a small Hmong village. I'm thinking, ‘OK, I'm out in the middle of nowhere, no one probably knows me’. But the first thing this older guy asked me, when he found out I was from the US was if I knew a guy named Yia Mua. I told him, oh yeah, I know him. They didn't even know it was me. [Laughs] I guess people had heard that this guy, Yia Mua, was like 6 feet tall and real big. It was funny. I didn't know I had that type of affect on people. That was the one time I realize that you know, what I do, I carry more of a big role than I do. Well I eventually told him who I was and I gave him some tickets to see me fight in Bangkok. That definitely made his day. The other thing was, when I went to fight there, it was very emotional. To me, I just wanted to go there, fight, and win. I step into the ring, and you know, not a lot of Hmong fighters fight in big stadiums --it’s usually small fair venues. So it was very rare, especially in Thailand. When I fought there, I won in the third round. As I came down, a whole bunch of Hmong people came up to me, and they were crying. I had no idea why they were crying, I just never really thought about it, until afterwards. They were so proud and so happy that someone can get up in the ring, and beat up a Thai guy. To them, it was revenge

Yia Mua with one of his sons. Now retired, he is a full-time father and husband.

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"Education is great, but I think we oppress so much of our talent, there could be so many more kids out there who are talented in sports and art, and different types of venues; but most of them don't pursue it because, number one: they don't have the confidence; number two: it is just a belief that's not seen as prestigious or good in our community." for the way they [the Hmong] had been and were still oppressed; how the Thai people treated them in that country. To me it was just a sport, I wanted to get in there and win. To other people it was more, like pride or dignity. After that, I realized how much pride people had in what I was doing. It was so interesting. When I fought locally here in Fresno, I always had a few thousands of people come and watch me fight. If I fought in Las Vegas or somewhere further, usually had a few hundred come watch me. I didn't realize that Hmong people had so much pride in it. They would always tell me: “Fight for our ancestors” or “Fight for our Hmong people, and make us proud.” It was an honor but at the same time, it was a lot of pressure too. I had to give it my best or else. Were they disappointed if you lost? Yes. It was a lot of pressure; the first fight I ever lost, which was by half a point, it was the first time I realized, what my parents call, you have friends who are like 'meat and wine' friends, and true friends, and I realized the difference. I felt like, yeah, I did let people down, but I gave it my best --and that day just wasn't my day. I go home and look at what I did wrong and fix my mistake. I came back and beat another guy who was supposedly better than me. There was like a 'movie star' baggage that came with it. You have the people who like you, and who hate you. That was one of the reasons why I decided to retire. Although I love talking to kids and making sure they have their priorities set straight, it was hard just to be able to live a regular life; I went through a divorce right after I turned pro. I got married when I was about 19, and I thought I had found the right girl --at that time all your buddies are getting married and you think that

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is the right thing to do. But as you progress in life, you realize you have different goals. I loved fighting, meeting new people, and traveling. I didn't think I was going to turn pro and I didn't think it would affect me that much. I was young and had no idea what marriage was really about. Now that I talk to younger kids, I always tell them to put it off because there is just so much stuff to do. The things I've done, the majority of people probably wouldn't be able to in their lifetime, unless they take their time and do it. In the 10 years that I was fighting --every country I went through, I made sure I went somewhere; did something, whether it was hiking a mountain, or water rafting. For someone who doesn't see fighting the way you do and instead, portrays it as violence, how do you explain that to them? Some people ask me why I was fighting; they didn't see the art in fighting. Because Muay Thai fighting is probably the most difficult thing; not many people can have the mentality and discipline to be a good fighter. They automatically associate it with gang fighting. They don't see the value in it. Fighting is a sport and you have to have a lot of dedication, and tough mentality to be able to compete as a fighter. In the Hmong community, because we are so traditional: go to school, get a degree; anything else, you know now I see a lot of Hmong doing different things; but when I was doing it, it was frowned upon by a lot of people. Lots of people did not want their kids to watch me fight or idolize me. They would say statements like, “You're just like a rooster” and “They're just cock-fighting you.” How did that make you feel? The first time I heard it, I was kind of defensive, but as I was fighting more, I realize people are prejudice. People will judge you even if they don't have the education, inclination or understanding and they are ignorant about what you do --they will judge you. It didn't bother me that much, when I was fighting, I had a mission and a vision, and I wanted to carry on with that. Was someone there to help you deal with it? It was a lot of trail and error at first, but my parents helped me out a lot. They told me what to say, what not to say. I had a really good trainer too. They were like my family. They watched out for me. When I went to fight, they made sure I didn't party too much; they made sure I slept early. When I did promotions, they made sure I had bodyguards. Without my trainer, John Cho, I think I would have been in a lot of trouble or said a lot of wrong things. What did you eat when you were training? When I was fighting, from about 21-27, I couldn't

"After every fight, I would always say, 'OK, that was a tough fight, this is going to be my last fight,' but one time after a fight, these Hmong kids came up to me, and gave me this whole speal about how proud they are. That was the most rewarding thing from that point on." eat any fast food, things I loved to eat. I had to eat a lot of white meat, chicken breasts and fish. That was basically my diet. It became a lifestyle. I ate very different from my family. My mom would cook a really good meal, but I couldn't eat it. Right now, I pretty much have the same lifestyle, but I'm not fighting anymore so I don't have to watch my weight. I do splurge on pizza and fast food, once in a while. Where do you keep all your trophies? I have five championship belts put in the gym that I used to train at. I requested a duplicate of my belt and I kept them in a little trophy case, with all my metals and trophies. Usually that whole section, I put my memorabilia, like articles from newspapers or magazines and posters. It's something that I want my kids to see, that that was something that I did. It's actually right in the hallway so we pass it every now and then. Why did you spelled your last name 'Mua' instead of 'Moua'? It was a misspelling actually, [laughs] and everyone asks that. My dad's explanation is, --I don't know how true it is, but, in Laos we were part of the French-Indochina, and my father was educated in France. Mua is the French spelling, so we just carried it. What was the biggest mistake you made that you learned from? Well, I've made a lot of mistakes, but I always tell everyone, ‘Mistakes in our past, is what creates us and gives us our character’. The biggest mistake I probably did was when I retired at 26 to go to school and I came back a year and a half later --that was the biggest mistake I made. I missed out on a lot of big fights, like in Japan. I learned that when you're doing things in your life, things you love to do, when you have the momentum, don't stop the momentum. Go with the flow, and it will bring you great things. There are a lot of talented people in the Midwest. I talk to university kids there all the time; I tell

them ‘If you guys have what it takes, don't be afraid of leaving the nest and going out to venture and being successful’. You won't be successful staying at home. Take risks, and if you have the momentum, go along with it because it will bring you success. If I didn't take that time off fighting, I figured --when I went to Thailand, I spent some time with the Thai champions fighters there, and they didn't have any wealth. They were still living in a pretty much poverty type life; so when I got back, I told myself I didn't want to live like that. I went back to school and got my degree, so I had something to fall back on, which was great, but I also missed out on a lot of great opportunities with my fighting career. When did you officially retire and what were some main reasons? I officially retired when I got married to my current wife. I just wanted to get out of that life of fighting. It was very difficult. Prior to that, I was in a relationship, and all the gossip and news surrounding me was just too much. I wanted to spend time with my wife and two kids, 1 and 12 years old. Do you think they will follow in your path? I don't think they will. As long as they love what they do, I'll support them in every way. My oldest son is a big skating guru so maybe he'll go pro in that. But he watched me fight a lot growing up. Usually he stayed with my parents and watched from the front row. He's a small guy, though very strong, and he has a lot of pride. I don't want to be the guy to tell my son, ‘No’ all the time, I want to be able to inspire him and inspire other people. There's nothing wrong with being a doctor or lawyer but I don't want to stand up there and tell him to study hard in school and get straight A's. I want to tell them that they can be anyone or anything in life. Just have a passion toward what they do. Don’t let money stop you from doing what you want. “Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” --Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. I've done great things and bad things. I make mistakes, and it makes you who you are. How do you want people to remember you? You know, I want people to know that I'm just an average, normal Hmong guy who had a dream and went for it --something different.

Yia would like to thank his family and the Pacific Martial Arts Fight team for their support and sponsorship. 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

MEMoirs

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46 18XEEM.COM | JULY 07

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