Extremely interesting. K, you have revealed another facet to yourself.
As a total outsider, never interacting with any Hmong, I found this film to be very revealing of the the path of one family that came to the USA:
The Split Horn: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America
There's some interesting comments in the 'talkback' section from the second and third generation.
It always struck me, even before the war ended and the immigration began, that the Hmong were organized in the ancient clan/tribe manner. It's no surprise that 175 came together. And animism was their underlying belief system in 'the old country'. I imagine any Buddhist or Christian practices they adopted in the old country were veneers layed on top of and co-existing with the ancient ways which had preserved them through thousands of years of chaos and repression in Asia. America will be something else, it is indeed like another planet.
I'm just a simple Balkan peasant/old fashioned country lawyer, S!
I'll check out the link; thanks!
I remember one time sitting in a departure lounge at the Bangkok airport and talking with a Hmong family from Minnesota who were returning from a visit with the grandparents and relatives in Laos. The mother clearly was sad to be heading back to America but the kids, 12-13 years old or so and born in America couldn't;t wait to get home. They missed Pepsi, pizza, video games and their friends. It was quite clear they didn't like Laos at all. Now there's an immigrant story that's been repeated for the past 150 years in this country!